Fortis Property Group is brewing a big, neighborhood-transforming project in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. Despite outcries from the surrounding community, Long Island College Hospital finally closed its doors in early 2014 paving the way for an even more controversial 1,000+ unit residential master plan spearheaded by Fortis. The development firm purchased the parcels for $240 million in 2014 and commissioned FXFOWLE Architects to put together a master plan for the sprawling hospital site. The biggest thorn in the community's side has been a proposed 40-story residential tower that many locals feel is far too large for the brownstone-filled neighborhood. To assuage community concerns, Fortis is navigating through the Uniform Land Use Review process to allow them to build a slightly shorter building farther from the heart of the brownstone-neighborhood.
For the first wave of the transformation, Fortis will begin at the shorter end of the spectrum and has filed plans to create a row of eight new townhouses, stretching from 84 to 98 Amity Street. Six of the homes will rise 45 feet over four floors, flanked on either side by two buildings that will rise 55 feet and host five stories. Brooklyn residents were originally dismayed by the townhouses’ heights, which do not adhere to the neighborhood’s 50-foot height limit. In total, they will feature close to 33,000 square feet of residential space. Roof decks and one-car garages will accompany the single-family homes, and the row will share an underground garage with 17 extra spaces. Pizzarotti IBC has been tapped for construction, along with Romines Architecture for the design.
The inner 4-story townhouses are portrayed with red-brick exteriors, with the outer two covered in a dark grey-brick exterior. The location will allow residents to easily access Brooklyn Bridge Park, and is only a short walk to major subway lines, and shopping and dining options.
Upon completion, the megaproject will feature a four towers, ranging from 16 to 40 stories. Developers are considering building a school on the ground floor of the 40-floor building on the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Hicks Street. In total, the development will bring about 600 units of market-rate housing and 200 units of affordable housing to Cobble Hill. Also included will be 450 parking spaces, 27,850 square feet of park space, and a new NYU health care center.
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