Landmarked Sunset Park 'Police Castle' Faces Wrecking Ball

SUNSET PARK, BROOKLYN — A landmarked "Brooklyn Police Castle" could be torn down to build a new school, city records show.

New owners filed permits to demolish the former 68th Precinct station and stable at 4302 Fourth Ave. in July and build a new site for the P.S. 577 primary school, Department of Building Records show.

The New York City School Construction Authority bought the Romanesque Revival building for $7,999,000 from former owners, Brooklyn Police Castle Inc., in November, months after conducting an environmental study on the site’s suitability for a school, city records show.

The 126-year-old building — designed by architect George Ingram and landmarked in 1983 — was found to be in “terrible condition and is deteriorated beyond repair,” according to the report.

The proposed design conforms to an agreement the School Construction Authority made with the The National Register and the State Historic Preservation Office — two agencies required by law to okay the project — to preserve the outer facades and demolish the stables, according to a Brownstoner report.

The new public school would serve 332 students, from pre-K through fifth grade, and include a playground, gym and music room, according to the environmental impact report.

The city has not yet issued a demolition permit, records show.

Header photo courtesy of GoogleMaps/2016. Photos within story courtesy of the New York City School Construction Authority