Dark brick apartments are nearly finished where Park Slope’s Grand Prospect Hall stood

A five-story building with 144 apartments is close to finished at 263 Prospect Ave. in Park Slope. It stands on the site of Grand Prospect Hall, the ornate banquet venue that was torn down four years ago after a last-minute landmarking campaign failed.

Hill West designed the building, called The Grand Prospect. It looks nothing like the gilded neoclassical hall it replaced. The long, low structure has a brown brick facade, dark metal panels, floor-to-ceiling reflective windows and glass railings on the terrace and roof. Its height matches the mid-rise blocks nearby, but its look stands out among mostly 19th-century red brick neighbors. Renderings show wood floors and cabinets, white walls and black appliances and countertops.

Grand Prospect Hall apartments: units, amenities and rents

The development’s website lists one-, two- and three-bedroom units, a rooftop with barbecue stations, a fitness center, a golf simulator, a resident lounge, a children’s playroom, a pet spa and bike storage. Permits show 180 parking spaces. A playground and a driveway were going in along 16th Street.

Because the project uses the now-expired 421-a tax break, 20 to 30 percent of the apartments must be reserved for households earning around 130 percent of Area Median Income. Under that limit, a family of three may earn as much as $198,510 a year, and rent for a two-bedroom would be set at $4,738. The building does not yet have a certificate of occupancy, and no listings have been posted. Recently it was still largely wrapped in green construction fencing and netting, with workers on site doing hardscaping.

Years of delays at 263 Prospect Ave.

Over the years of construction, neighbors complained about lighting and debris under the scaffolding, and city agencies issued violations, including for construction safety. Several workers have sued the owner, Gowanus Cubes LLC, alleging they were injured by unsafe site conditions. According to city records, brothers Angelo and George Rigas are behind the company.

The $22.5 million deed transfer also took in other nearby parcels that had belonged to Prospect Hall Realty Inc. Among them were three townhouses from the 1800s at 188, 190 and 196 16th St., all knocked down to clear space for the new building.