Via Brownstoner, Brooklyn Eagle reports that The Love Lane Garage will become the "Love Lane Mews", with 38 apartments, two townhouses, and, presumably, stables for the horses. Some "environmental cleanup" is anticipated. This all sounds very up-in-the-air, but perhaps someone should bring it up at the next Brooklyn Heights Association meeting?
From the Eagle article:
To be called the Love Lane Mews (“yes, we’re romantic,” [ Bob Esnard, project director of the Zucker Group, a partner with Sterling Equities in this development] says of the name), the garages are in five separate buildings: four on the west side of College Place — which are a mix of four- and five-story buildings to be joined together into one building —and one on the east side.
“Basically, we are creating a condominium development appropriate for that part of the Heights,” he said. “The market there is for large apartments, and that’s what we are planning.”
Although the actual layouts are not done yet, he said 38 apartments are planned for the four buildings and two townhouses are planned for the building on the east side of the street.
The four buildings are very deep buildings, according to Esnard, and the plan is to cut a hole out in the center rear for a light well so the back units will have more light and air.
“And we’ll create a garden in that light well as well as a common rooftop space,” he said.
Underground parking is also planned. According to Esnard, the corner building at Love Lane has the biggest cellar, the building next to it has none, the third building has a cellar and the fourth has only half of one.
“So we’ll have to dig it all out. We believe we’ll get about 25 parking spaces under there,” he said, indicating that the parking entrance will be on Love Lane.
Other issues center on the fact that these are very old buildings that have been altered a lot, according to Esnard, who explained that some were built for industrial use and others as carriage houses.
But the LPC has asked the developers, and they will comply, to read each as a separate entity, retaining the different colors of brick, the different window styles, arches, etc.
“Historically, we will match what was intended,” he said. “And we will do it as tastefully and as sensitively as we can.”
Herb Weber, an architect with the Stephen Jacobs Group, said the design “will be contextual, will enhance the great character of the buildings and will be a good fit with the neighborhood.”
