The new foundation of Park Slope’s former Grand Prospect Hall at 263 Prospect Ave. in December.
Photo by Susan De Vries
After an ultimate-hour storm of protests failed to save Park Slope’s iconic Grand Prospect Hall, the wedding and event hall that had stood for over a century was razed in a jiffy, but the apartment building that will replace it is taking some time.
The foundation has been laid to comply with the deadline to get the 421-a tax break, but nothing has risen above ground level at 263 Prospect Ave. Department of Buildings records show a permit was issued to lay foundations in 2022 to comply with the 421-a deadline.
However, other permits, including a new-building permit for the five-story, 147-unit complex, have not yet been issued. No workers were on site when Brownstoner visited on two occasions.
Meanwhile, the site has racked up complaints from neighbors regarding lighting and debris under the scaffolding, and violations from city agencies including for construction safety. The site’s owner, Gowanus Cubes LLC, has also been hit with multiple lawsuits filed by workers who allege they have been injured by unsafe site conditions.
Plans show the Hill West Architects-designed complex’s 147 apartments will be spread between the ground and the fifth floor. There will be 180 parking spaces in the cellar.
To get the 421-a tax break, 20 to 30 percent of the units will be aimed at households making around 130 percent of Area Median Income if they are rentals. There is no indication of whether the building will be rentals or condos.
A graffiti-covered rendering attached to the site’s construction fence shows the wide, mid-rise building will stretch along a good part of the block and have a glass-covered facade with slim vertical masonry supports or paneling. It has a modern, sleek, and reflective appearance similar to other Hill West-designed structures in Brooklyn. These include the Olympia development in Dumbo, a…
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