Clinton Hill's Hot Bird May Soon Be Replaced by 29-Story Residential Building

Clinton Hill favorite Hot Bird might soon be no more.

The bar, located 546 Clinton Avenue — and well known for its large outdoor area and banning of children — is situated on the site of a proposed new 29-story Morris Adjmi-designed residential building, which is to be located 550 Clinton Avenue.

A car wash and auto-repair are both on the same lot.

The developer is Jeffrey Gershon of Hope Street Capital, according to YIMBY. He’s behind a number of Brooklyn projects, including an LPC-approved apartment building at 906 Prospect Place in Crown Heights and a six-story condo that will replace a former Walgreens at 505 Pacific Street in Boerum Hill.

Even though the planned building will not be located in a historic district, the proposal went in front of the Landmarks Preservation Commission yesterday because of its connection to the Church of St. Luke & St. Matthew down the block at 520 Clinton Avenue. The developer wants to make the two properties one tax lot and transfer 60,000 square feet of air rights from the church to the new development.

At 29 stories, the tower would be 312 feet high, towering over other nearby buildings on Atlantic Avenue. The shorter retail section of the building will rise four stories and 52 feet high, according to the proposal presented to the LPC.

A rep from the Historic Districts Council testified the design is “stark to a fault” and likened it to the FBI’s Brutalist headquarters in Washington, D.C., according to the Brooklyn Eagle.

As part of the air rights deal, the developer would also restore the exterior of the deteriorating Romanesque-style church, which was completed in 1891.

The LPC has jurisdiction only over the church and hasn’t greenlighted the proposal. Instead, they asked the developer to tweak their restoration proposal and return at a later date.

Related Stories

• The History/Mystery of the Hot Bird Sign
• Closing Bell: Yet Another Church Site for Sale
• Hot Bird in Clinton Hill Bans Kids

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