The Landmarks Preservation Commission has cleared the way for a four-story Greek-revival–style mansion at the corner of Hicks and State streets — on what the city says is the last empty lot in the Brooklyn Heights Historic District.
At a hearing on Sept. 25, the LPC had asked Gordon Kahn and Associates, the mansion’s architect, to make minor alterations to the windows and remove some shutters, but the commission was otherwise satisfied that the plans matched the architecture and character of the surrounding buildings, said agency spokeswoman Lisi de Bourbon.
It is common for the commission to approve new construction projects, like the 4,500-square-foot house at 314 Hicks St., in historic districts. The LPC approved 44 such projects citywide between June, 2006, and July, 2007.
“It’s not always easy for developers because the commission is in the habit of ensuring that new construction is compatible with the surrounding area,” said de Bourbon. “They’re meticulous.”
Hence, its concern about shutter placement. Landmarks ordered Kahn to remove them from the State Street side to eliminate confusion about which side is the “front” of the building.
The builder of the new Heights mansion, which will have five bedrooms, including a master suite that will take up the entire third floor, does not intend to live in it. But whoever buys the place will be able to ride the elevator from the ground-floor parlor to the suite and walk onto the balcony overlooking the large garden, Kahn said.
“It’s spacious without being vast,” Kahn told The Brooklyn Paper.
