Simon Baron Development plans to build a seven-story boutique office building in Greenpoint if the city signs off on a zoning change for the property.
The developer announced plans to build an office building at 12 Franklin Street, calling for 134,000 square feet of office, ground-floor retail and rooftop amenity space. Another 23,000 square feet will be set aside for manufacturing use.
Simon Baron is seeking a zoning text amendment and approval of two special permits to build a larger project on the site and change certain parking requirements. The City Planning Commission is slated to consider the developer’s application on Monday, potentially kickstarting the uniform land use review process (ULURP).
The developer purchased the site in 2016 for $24 million. At the time, firm president Matthew Baron told The Real Deal that he was holding off on making plans for the property until he saw how a neighbor’s rezoning request — similar to the one he now has pending — made its way through the city’s land use review process. A few months later, the City Council approved Heritage Equity Partners and Philadelphia-based Rubenstein Partners’ special permit 25 Kent Avenue, paving the way for an eight-story, 480,000-square-foot office building.
Three commercial buildings currently on the Franklin Street site will be demolished to make way for the project.