Following Years-Long Prep, Downtown Brooklyn Supertall Rises Over Dime Savings Bank Dome

After Landmarks green-lighted a supertall melded to the iconic Dime Savings Bank in Downtown Brooklyn in 2016 — raising preservationists’ eyebrows — years passed with little evident building at the site. Finally, after years of prep and foundation work, construction started around the beginning of this year.

As the city shut down in mid-March because of the pandemic, crews stayed busy at the site, taking precautionary measures, developer JDS Development Group told Brownstoner at the time. Because the development contains affordable housing — 20 percent of the rental units will be affordable, as per the 421-a tax break requirements — its construction is considered “essential” and exempt from the shutdown.

Now the skyscraper has risen to about eight stories, about double its height in late May. From the vantage point of Fulton Street, the tower can now be seen peeking over the top of the dome of the Roman temple-like former bank.

Designed by prominent firm SHoP Architects, the spire will alter the skyline of Brooklyn and change the feel of historically low-rise Downtown Brooklyn, bringing the borough one step closer to Manhattan-like density and height.

When complete, it will stand 73 stories and 1,066 feet tall, making it the first building in the borough to hit quadruple digits in height. The massive building will have 463,470 square feet of residential space in the form of 417 rental units and another 92,694 square feet of commercial space. There will be an outdoor pool on the fifth floor, according to permit filings.

The bank building is landmarked both inside and out, unusually, and approval was needed from the Landmarks Preservation Commission to tear down two annexes to fuse the bank and skyscraper together.

[Photos by Susan De Vries]

Related Stories

• Dime Savings Bank’s Historic Facade Remains as Additions Demo’d to Prep for First Supertall
• Building of the Day: 9 Dekalb Avenue
• Shaken by Recent Decisions, Preservationists Say Landmarks Commission Is Not Doing Its Job

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