The Columbia Heights Sgraffito Restoration Project officially has begun! As mentioned a couple of times before here at Brooklyn Heights Blog, the building’s co-op board had been looking to restore the unique sgraffito façade for years. With financing finally in place, and permits signed, the project commenced last week — starting with removing layers and layers of paint from the second level of the façade. The restoration will be done by the skilful hands at G & L Popian, who have been patiently working with the building on getting this project off the ground.
Here’s a current view, after the paint has been removed:
For reference, here’s the “before” picture:
And here’s the “before before” picture:
Much work will need to be done, particularly on the ground level portion of the façade. The project is planned to take around 5 months to complete, though it is my personal dream to see it finished before Halloween.
Here’s a close-up of a section:
