DXA receives LPC approval for Bushwick Brewery adaptive reuse

Brooklyn, NY According to DXA studio, its adaptive reuse plan for the former William Ulmer Brewery in Bushwick has been unanimously approved by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commissioners (LPC). The project known as Ulmer Arts, will transform an obsolete building into prime commercial space for new and innovative uses.

The 19^th-century brewery design plan features two buildings—the Main Brew House at 71-83 Beaver St. and the adjoining Engine and Machine House at 35-43 Belvidere St. The property will be reconfigured into an office and retail complex able to accommodate 10 or more commercial tenants at 60,000 s/f total. The site features four floors above grade and three floors below grade, with ceiling heights of 10’ to 22’ feet.

The ownership team consists of MacArthur Holdings, Rivington Co., and Brightsky Investments. The building is slated to begin construction in the spring and will open for occupancy in late 2021.

The renovation plan approved by the LPC includes the construction of a red copper clad penthouse, heritage-painted signage, restoration of the arched entryway, new double-hung windows to match the originals, oversized glass entryways, and ground-floor folding windows for a future retail tenant. 

The façade will be rehabilitated but will not be significantly changed and the interiors will retain much of the original building fabric as well, include a patchwork of timber posts and cast iron columns.

“DXA studio has had the good fortune of being charged with reimagining a number of great landmark buildings in New York City, and the William Ulmer Brewery certainly ranks up near the top,” said Jordan Rogove, partner and cofounder of DXA studio. “We love fostering a dialog between generations through architecture, especially ones with such commonalities as the Brooklyn brewers of the 1870’s and the Bushwick makers and craftsmen of the 2020’s. It’s a special building and it will now have an opportunity to be shared and appreciated by a much wider audience.”