Brooklyn rector helps prompt withdrawal of glass rooftop plan for Merz townhouse

Andrew Beck withdrew an application a few days before a scheduled Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing for a glass-and-steel rooftop addition to a midcentury townhouse in Brooklyn Heights designed by Mary and Joseph Merz, the childhood home of the Reverend John Merz, who led a community campaign against the proposal.

Merz said he was alarmed after seeing a rendering of a 14-foot-by-9-foot glass structure he described as a "birthday cake" and a "civic cost to accommodate a private want." The house, bought through an LLC for $10.6 million in 2024, was owned by Beck, a former managing director at DE Shaw.

Merz organized architects, preservationists and neighbors; his sister posted signs and a petition that garnered more than 775 signatures, and the commission received 29 letters of opposition. Supporters of the plan, including its architect Basil Walter, called the addition modest and unobtrusive; opponents such as Roberta Brandes Gratz called it "atrocious," and Kelvin Dickinson questioned the compatibility of the proposed materials with the building.

Before the hearing, a full-size mock-up had been placed on the roof and a local community board subcommittee had conditionally approved the project with modifications. Beck said, "No one contacted us with concerns before going public with them," and his architect later said Beck did not want to offend anyone.

Key Topics

Culture, John Merz, Brooklyn Heights, Merz Townhouse, Andrew Beck, Landmarks Preservation Commission