In Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighborhood, two developers have invested $400,000 to preserve a century-old silver maple tree while constructing four townhouses on a narrow lot along Dikeman Street. The large tree, standing six stories tall with a trunk five feet in diameter and roots extending 20 feet across the yard, was initially seen as an obstacle by architect and co-founder of development firm Hier, Ben Krone. However, his business partner, Phillip Sulke, a Vienna-based artist and principal investor, insisted on saving the tree, sparking an unusual approach to the project.

Sulke, known for his artistic appreciation of history and landscapes, persuaded Krone to reconsider after the architect initially doubted the feasibility. “Then we’re not doing it. Because I’m not cutting down this tree,” Sulke reportedly said. The developers faced significant design and engineering challenges to work around the tree’s extensive root system. They re-routed sewer and water lines deep underground and employed complex structural measures to cantilever parts of the homes away from the roots. Construction even slowed temporarily to protect a nest of mourning doves found inside one of the buildings.

Krone, a longtime Red Hook resident and architecture professor at the University of Pennsylvania, described the effort as “rescuing a geriatric dog,” given silver maples’ typical life span of around 100 to 120 years. Still, he emphasized the importance of responsible development that respects the character of the neighborhood and preserves its mature trees.

Urban Arborist founder Bill Logan, who assessed the tree early in the project, noted that silver maples are native but now relatively uncommon in New York City, where species like honey locusts, oaks, and ginkgos dominate. Silver maples are known for their rapid growth and adaptability to urban environments but are more vulnerable to storms than some other species. Logan observed that such trees follow a “live fast, die young” pattern compared to the longer-lived oaks.

The tree, which had been neglected for years before the project began, now stands as a central feature of the development. Neighbor Rachel Soszynski praised it as valuable bird habitat, attracting species such as cardinals and red-tailed hawks in an otherwise urban setting.

The completed townhouses each offer approximately 2,800 square feet, featuring exposed heavy timber beams, harbor views, and terraces landscaped with native flowers such as echinacea and black-eyed Susans. Hier plans to list the homes at around $4 million apiece.

For Krone and Sulke, the decision to preserve the silver maple transcended cost and convenience. The additional expense and architectural complexity were seen as worthwhile to integrate a living piece of history into the new development. “It becomes like a piece of sculpture on its own,” Krone said, reflecting on the tree’s role in shaping the project’s design and identity.