300 Kent Avenue - Domino Refinery

This 460,000 sf building features a distinctive envelope: a nearly fully glazed “glass box” office structure enclosed within a preserved industrial shell. This design required detailed justification to demonstrate compliance with energy code requirements. Our Code Consulting team: Passed energy model by designating historic masonry as a code-compliant sun-shading element Secured LPC-aligned determination to treat the barrel vault's projected horizontal area as a "roof," allowing the mechanical level to qualify as a code bulkhead Managed aggressive TCO schedule with events active on upper floors while lower floors were still under construction Conducted cost audit that saved the client hundreds of thousands of dollars in DOB filing fees by documenting fees already paid on related prior filings

One South First Street - Ten Grand

The project required an especially aggressive Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) strategy, enabling tenant occupancy while construction activities continued above occupied levels—demanding precise safety coordination and phased approvals: Coordinated extensive tenant protection measures to enable residential move-ins while active construction continued on upper floors Navigated NYC DOB permitting for the only building in New York City with a combined office and residential program sharing amenities across both uses

280 Kent Avenue - Domino Site B

SOCOTEC was able to get the approvals from the DOB for the 545-foot-high mixed-use building thanks to coordinated efforts with WSP, DWA, Front and Rex: Coordinated energy code approval on a major Post-Approval Amendment (PAA) — a complete redesign — without receiving formal DOB comments Secured determinations resolving FDNY access concerns for the sub-cellar level, already built beneath South First Street Kept the elevator bulkhead within the ULURP-permitted volume through targeted regulatory determinations

Domino Sugar Refinery Redevelopment – Brooklyn, NY

Code Consulting, Filing Representation and Certificate of Occupancy services

Domino Sugar Refinery Redevelopment, NY

Challenge
Solution
Results

SOCOTEC provided filing representation, code consulting, and certificate of occupancy services across three landmark buildings in the $2.5 billion redevelopment of Domino Sugar site.

Key Information

Project Name: Domino Refinery Redevelopment Plan (including 300 Kent Ave / Domino Refinery, 280 Kent Ave / Site B, 1 South 1st Street / 10 Grand)
Client: Two Trees Management
Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
Project Duration: 2021-2030
Services Provided: Code consulting, Filing representation, Support for Certificate of Occupancy processes and Temporary Certificates of Occupancy (TCO) strategy

Talk to our experts

Alex Rippere

Consultant

New York, NY

Consultant

alex.rippere@socotec.us +1 212 689 5389

The Challenge

Navigating Code Compliance for a Complex Adaptive Reuse Project

Domino Sugar Refinery before redevelopment

Originally constructed in 1856, the Domino Sugar Refinery operated as a large-scale industrial sugar processing facility for decades. Over time, the structure evolved into a landmark of Brooklyn’s industrial heritage—never originally designed for human occupation in its current form.

As part of the redevelopment led by Two Trees Management, the site has been reimagined into a modern mixed-use destination along the Williamsburg waterfront. The project comprises five buildings including office space, residential development, retail, and public realm enhancements, contributing to the ongoing reinvention of Brooklyn’s former shoreline.

The redevelopment presented a highly intricate regulatory and technical environment. Key challenges included:

Adaptive reuse of a 19th-century industrial structure not originally designed for occupancy or modern building systems
Integration of a high-performance glass façade within four-foot-thick historic brick walls, creating unique energy modeling and compliance constraints
Coordination across multiple filings, approvals, and phased construction activities across several addresses within the Domino campus
Managing aggressive construction and occupancy sequencing, including early tenant move-ins and active construction above occupied floors

Navigating complex DOB review cycles, LPC considerations, and multi-agency coordination

The redevelopment presented a highly intricate regulatory and technical environment. Key challenges included:

Adaptive reuse of a 19th-century industrial structure not originally designed for occupancy or modern building systems
Integration of a high-performance glass façade within four-foot-thick historic brick walls, creating unique energy modeling and compliance constraints
Coordination across multiple filings, approvals, and phased construction activities across several addresses within the Domino campus
Managing aggressive construction and occupancy sequencing, including early tenant move-ins and active construction above occupied floors

Navigating complex DOB review cycles, LPC considerations, and multi-agency coordination

Code Consulting, Filing Representation, and DOB Strategy

The Solution

This 460,000 sf building features a distinctive envelope: a nearly fully glazed “glass box” office structure enclosed within a preserved industrial shell. This design required detailed justification to demonstrate compliance with energy code requirements. Our Code Consulting team:

Passed energy model by designating historic masonry as a code-compliant sun-shading element
Secured LPC-aligned determination to treat the barrel vault's projected horizontal area as a "roof," allowing the mechanical level to qualify as a code bulkhead
Managed aggressive TCO schedule with events active on upper floors while lower floors were still under construction
Conducted cost audit that saved the client hundreds of thousands of dollars in DOB filing fees by documenting fees already paid on related prior filings

The project required an especially aggressive Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) strategy, enabling tenant occupancy while construction activities continued above occupied levels—demanding precise safety coordination and phased approvals:

Coordinated extensive tenant protection measures to enable residential move-ins while active construction continued on upper floors
Navigated NYC DOB permitting for the only building in New York City with a combined office and residential program sharing amenities across both uses

SOCOTEC was able to get the approvals from the DOB for the 545-foot-high mixed-use building thanks to coordinated efforts with WSP, DWA, Front and Rex:

Coordinated energy code approval on a major Post-Approval Amendment (PAA) — a complete redesign — without receiving formal DOB comments
Secured determinations resolving FDNY access concerns for the sub-cellar level, already built beneath South First Street
Kept the elevator bulkhead within the ULURP-permitted volume through targeted regulatory determinations

300 Kent Avenue - Domino Refinery Redevelopment

The Results

A Certificate of Occupancy for a Complex Redevelopment

SOCOTEC’s involvement helped support the successful progression of one of Brooklyn’s most ambitious redevelopment programs, contributing to:

Regulatory clarity across multiple overlapping DOB filings
Successful coordination of phased occupancy strategies, including TCO pathways
Improved alignment between design intent and code compliance requirements
Streamlined communication between ownership, design teams, and city agencies
Cost efficiencies achieved through filing coordination and DOB audit support

The Domino Refinery now stands as a benchmark for adaptive reuse in New York City—balancing preservation, innovation, and regulatory precision within one of the city’s most visible waterfront redevelopments.

Our role across the Domino campus demonstrates how integrated filing representation, expediting consulting, and building code consulting can reduce risk, accelerate approvals, and support successful delivery in highly regulated environments.