Image courtesy of Elkus Manfredi.

A proposed office-lab tower that’s drawn criticism from Fort Point residents has been redesigned with a new brick base to match the historic architecture of the former industrial neighborhood.

National Development and Alexandria Real Estate Equities are proposing changes to the office-lab development at 15 Necco St. previously approved for the new General Electric headquarters building.

Updated designs by Elkus Manfredi Architects break the facade into three distinct elements: a 4-story red brick base, 2-story transition section and a 6-story ,metal-framed top. A reduction in the building’s cantilever creates an additional 3,000 square feet of open space on the property to a total of nearly 63,000 square feet.

“With these changes, the 15 Necco building can very much be viewed as rooted in the Fort Point Channel neighborhood,” National Development project manager Sherry Clancy wrote in a BPDA submission.

Last year, developers submitted original designs for a 12-story, 316,000-square-foot office-lab tower that eliminated some of the distinctive elements of the previously approved GE building, including a rooftop “solar veil.”

At community meetings and in comment letters, residents objected to the size and appearance of the new building.

“To see this building rendering at the last meeting on Jan. 6, I couldn’t help but feel that this was beginning of the end of my neighborhood,” a Fort Point resident wrote to the BPDA. “We are not the Seaport!”

Developers also said they have identified 1,500 square feet on the ground floor of the neighboring 5 Necco St. building leased to GE that will be designated as a facility of public accommodation to comply with state Chapter 91 requirements. The space could be used for a gallery, performing arts space, makerspace or other civic uses, and developers are in discussions with local nonprofits to activate the space, according to the submission. Another 2,700 square feet of ground-floor space at 15 Necco will be open to the public and be equipped with seating and free WiFi.

A public comment period on the latest changes runs through March 6.