Williamsburg Is Getting Yet Another Gene Kaufman Building

There’s yet more change coming to Kent Avenue, just a few blocks from where a chunk of the Domino site is headed for demolition. A filing with the Department of Buildings indicates that the owner of 83 Kent Avenue is seeking to build a seven-story building on the lot near North 9th. Reached by phone yesterday, Jay Weitzman, a member of the LLC that owns the lot, told B+B the new building would include affordable housing units, but didn’t want to speak further about the project.

Here’s the fun part: the building’s architect will be Gene Kaufman. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, then you probably don’t read Curbed.com, which recently described him as a “loathed architect of shitty hotels and craptastic apartment buildings.” His other Williamsburg projects include the pioneering behemoth Schaefer Landing (also on Kent), The Lucent condominium on North 11th, The Rialto condo on North 5th Street, the SteelWorks Lofts on North 4th, 544 Union, The Dunham condo, and the Residences at the Williamsburg on North 11th, off of McCarren. Students of bohemia may also know him as the guy who’s renovating the Chelsea Hotel.

Back in April, Ronit Realty got permission to demolish the industrial building that’s currently at 83 Kent.