The owner of the pre-Civil War house at 111 Noble Street will be back in front of the Landmarks Preservation Commission next week with an adjusted proposal and argument about the significance of the property.

A rep from MDIM Design first went before the commission in September on behalf of building owner Roei Paz with a proposal to demolish the small two-family wood-frame building in the Greenpoint Historic District and replace it with a modern apartment building.

greenpoint historic district brooklyn 111 noble street
The house circa 1939. Municipal Archives Tax Photo via NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission

The claim was that the house was structurally unsound and a “non-contribution building” to the historic district because it had been altered. The commission considered the owner’s request and ultimately took no action, determining there was insufficient proof that demolition was necessary and suggesting the developer explore alternatives, such as an addition. They also noted the house was not classified as a non-contributing building in the designation report.

greenpoint historic district brooklyn 111 noble street
The new building proposed in September 2017. Rendering by MDIM Design via NY Landmarks Commission

The plans now up for consideration show the modern apartment building has been scrapped for a clapboard building that nods towards what the house looked like in a 1939 tax photo.

The small house sits between between Franklin Street and Manhattan Avenue, a stretch of Noble Street filled largely with two- and three-story brick and wood frame residences — typical of the modest 19th century worker housing that defines the Greenpoint Historic District. By the time of designation, the original wooden porch and stoop were replaced with brick, the cornice was removed, and the wooden facade covered.

greenpoint historic district brooklyn 111 noble street
The house at the time of designation in 1982. Photo via the NYC Landmarks Commission

According to the written statement provided with the new plans, “all of the original facade was completely changed and altered over time” and only a portion of the “original framing as well as the brick basement walls can be kept and repaired.” The new proposal “copies the visual appearance of the original building dated 1855 and stays within the context of adjacent buildings as well as other buildings on Noble Street,” according to the developer’s presentation.

The new proposal will go up before the commission on February 6.

greenpoint historic district 111 noble street landmarks
The original proposal on the left and the new proposal on the right
greenpoint historic district 111 noble street landmarks
Renderings of the proposed building
greenpoint historic district brooklyn 111 noble street landmarks
The new proposal in context with the neighboring buildings
greenpoint historic district 111 noble street landmarks
The current elevation on the right and the proposed building on the left
greenpoint historic district brooklyn 111 noble street landmarks
Front and rear facades of the proposed building

[Renderings and plans by MDIM Design via New York Landmarks Commission]

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