80-room luxury and extended stay hotel approved for vacant site. On August 19, 2003, Downtown Hotels LLC, with principals Robert DeNiro, Ira Drukier and Richard Born, obtained a permit to build a six-story brick and terra cotta luxury hotel on a vacant lot at 377-383 Greenwich Street at the corner of North Moore within the Tribeca West Historic District. The six-story building, with a small penthouse setback from the street, received strong support from Landmarks and Community Board 1 due to its scale and high-quality glazed terra cotta and brick facade.

Finding construction costs prohibitive, Downtown Hotels sought to amend the approved design in September 2004 to add two additional stories and eliminate the terra cotta. Landmarks denied the revision, finding the eight-story height “dominating” and the new material of significantly poorer quality than that originally proposed.

On November 23, 2004, Downtown Hotels sought a second amendment, seeking only one additional story and using primarily brick material. At the Landmarks hearing, architect David Rockwell characterized the design process as “trying to be a good neighbor with a unique character.” DeNiro, who owns the restaurant and eight-story headquarters for the Tribeca Film Festival directly next to the vacant lot, said the building, “means a lot to me…[I] want to make a special contribution to the neighborhood.” Landmarks approved the seven-story design, commenting that the brick detailing was a throw back to Tribeca’s origins. In her approval, Commissioner Libby Ryan summed up by stating that “watching it emerge has been very rewarding. It fits perfectly in the Tribeca District.”

LPC Public Meeting Item No. 1 Case No. 05-1324 (November 23, 2004) (David Rockwell, The Rockwell Group).

LPC: 377-383 Greenwich Street (COFA #04- 1259) (August 19, 2003). CITYADMIN