In 2004, the Refinery LLC purchased the 11.2 acre Domino Sugar Factory complex on the waterfront of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for just over $55 million. The American Sugar Refining Company, who had owned the site since 2001, cited falling demand for cane sugar as the motivation for selling. In the post-Civil War era when New York City dominated sugar production worldwide, the Domino plant employed 4,500 workers, processed 3 million pounds of sugar daily, and was the largest refinery in the world. However, production steadily declined after WWII until the remaining 200 employees were laid off in 2004. After 148 years of operation, the Domino Sugar Factory serves as a highly visible relic of New York City’s industrial and manufacturing past.

The Refinery LLC is composed of the Community Preservation Corporation Resources (CPCR), the for-profit arm of a nonprofit mortgage lending organization, and the Katan Group, a private developer. Their plans, passed by City Council in January 2010, is to create the "New Domino," which will include 2,400 residential units, a waterfront esplanade open to the public, and 220,000 square feet of ground floor retail, commercial, and community facilities. In line with the Community Preservation Corporation’s (CPC) mission of enabling affordable housing, 660, or 30 percent, of the residential units are designated as affordable. 100 of the units will be reserved for families making up to $25,000 per year, 330 units for families making up to $40,000 per year, and 130 units for families making up to $90,000 per year. Additionally, 100 units are reserved for seniors making up to 50 percent of the area median income. Churches United, a coalition of 20 local churches, supported New Domino because of the high percentage of affordable units.

Designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects and Beyer Blinder & Belle Architects and Planners, New Domino will be developed in multiple phases. The developers claim that the plan is consistent with the City’s Greenpoint-Williamsburg 2005 Planning and Land Use Framework to revitalize waterfront industrial and manufacturing areas. (For more information on the 2005 rezoning in Greenpoint-Williamsburg, click here).

Plans for residential development at the site include four towers, each over 30 stories high. Fearful that the development will destroy the architectural significance of the site, the Waterfront Preservation Alliance of Greenpoint and Williamsburg, the Municipal Arts Society, and the Landmarks Conservancy formally asked the City's Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) to consider the old sugar factory for landmark status in September 2006. In September 2007, the centerpiece of the Domino Factory, the actual refinery, was officially landmarked, although the famous Domino sign remained unprotected. Halfway through 2008, the LPC approved a plan to specifically preserve the Domino Sugar sign and Refinery Building façade during development. The plan they approved was a pared-down version of the developers’ original, described as more contextual and having fewer floors built on top of the main building. The Domino sign will be refurbished, and moved to a widely visible place on the roof. The LPC-approved plan necessitates a 20,000 square feet loss of residential space, which CPCR warns would decrease the number of affordable units by 20.

Save Domino, a community group founded in 2007 by community resident Stephanie Eisenberg, continues to campaign publicly for landmarking more of the factory. Save Domino advocates the establishment of Domino Center, a cultural arts institution modeled after London’s highly successful Tate Modern Museum -- itself reconstructed within an industrial power station. Hoping to identify itself with the roaring success of the Tate, which has received more than 30 million visitors and created 4,000 jobs since opening in 2000, the Domino Center would include 600,000 square feet of gallery space, 4 acres of open space, and 200 affordable housing units.

In early 2009, a lawsuit was filed against the LPC by a group of activists, known as the Williamsburg Independent People. The group claims in the lawsuit that the LPC failed to say why it did not landmark buildings surrounding the Refinery when that structure was landmarked. The activists have urged the developers to walk away from plans to redevelop the site and instead use the space for a cultural center.

Redevelopment, however, is moving forward. In January 2010, the City certified the ULURP process for the New Domino plan. The rezoning will change the affected 11 acres from manufacturing to residential and commercial uses. The proposed site is located at Kent Avenue, between Grand Street and South 5th Street. The area was zoned for manufacturing uses and the new zoning will allow for residential and commercial uses. The plan, known as "New Domino" will include market rate housing, affordable housing, and public space along the Brooklyn waterfront. Some neighborhood residents are concerned that the area cannot support the proposed density and that the City's Environmental Impact Statement does not properly account for the amount of traffic that will be generated by the development.

Last Updated: February 16, 2010