Photo by Sarah Portlock/BHB
The Sleepy’s Mattress Emporium at 116 Montague Street could have some new upstairs neighbors — its building owner has plans to add three stories and six residential units to the one-story building, according to public building records and sources familiar with the plan.
The Department of Buildings issued a permit in August 2007 to Frank Rio to build the 8,030-square-foot residential structure, which — at 50 feet total — would fit within the local limited height district and is an as-of-right addition with the area’s residential zoning.
There are more details about Rio’s plans in a Landmarks Preservation Commission report, released in November 2006, in which the agency granted him a Certificate of Appropriateness for his designs. According to the report, Rio wants to build a three-story rooftop addition and completely replace the four-story façade with red bricks, a painted metal cornice and a new metal and glass storefront, among other details. [PDF]
But instead of jamming Montague Street with construction materials, sources tell the Brooklyn Heights Blog that Rio has plans to build the modular-style apartments elsewhere, truck them in, and fasten them all together at the end.
At a Community Board 2 transportation committee meeting last week, Rio presented an idea to close Montague Street for three consecutive Saturdays or Sundays so he could get his work done more quickly, said the board’s district manager, Rob Perris.
Check back in with BHB for more details on this developing story.
