If we forget the fact that the Austin, Nichols warehouse at 184 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg should have been landmarked back in 2005 when the City Council shot it down, today's news that the current owner and redeveloper of the 1914 building (shown here mid-paint job last October) has formally donated a deed of easement to the Trust for Architectural Easements is a good thing, we guess. What does it mean? That the Cass Gilbert-designed warehouse can't be torn down, nor can its height and shape be altered. The center of the building can be hollowed out and a rooftop addition installed as per the developers plans. Still, in the grand scheme of the last building boom, this developer has shown more respect for history than most.
Warehouse in Brooklyn Is Formally Protected [NY Times] GMAP
The Conversion of 184 Kent Avenue Marches On [Brownstoner]
In Reversal, 184 Kent Cozies Up to Preservationists [Brownstoner]
Do or Die Time for Cass Gilbert's 184 Kent Avenue [Brownstoner]
