Rendering of 30 Henry Street and Brooklyn Heights Cinema

The condominium development at the site of the old Brooklyn Eagle newspaper building has gotten its Department of Buildings approval and excavation work has begun, Brownstoner reported.

As previously reported, Fortis Realty Group is bringing a five-story building with full-floor units to the site, at 30 Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights. But rather than bringing a glassy structure to the neighborhood, BKSK Architects’ design was actually criticized for being “too tame.” [more]

Community organizations have stated their opposition to the design of a stately brick condominium building proposed for a prominent corner of Brooklyn Heights, the Wall Street Journal reported, because they said it is not modern enough. The BKSK Architects’ design for 30 Henry Street, at the corner of Middagh Street, which will be reviewed today by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, is “too tame,” they said.

“If there was ever a site that cries out for something quite special and a district that deserves something quite special,” this would be it, said Judy Stanton, executive director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, a community advocacy organization. [more]