Midtown’s Central Synagogue wins variance

Opponents of Central Synagogue’s enlargement cited concerns about location of entrance for synagogue’s breakfast for the homeless program. Central Synagogue applied to BSA for a variance to build a two-story addition on top of its nine-story Community House at 123 East 55th Street, which is across the street from the synagogue’s sanctuary. The Community House is one of four tax lots that were merged into a single 17,321 sq.ft. zoning lot. The other buildings on … <Read More>


Variance for office tower next to High Line granted

 

BSA grants Romanoff Equities’ variance application for a ten-story glass tower next to the High Line. See story on page 8. Image: Courtesy of James Carpenter Design Associates (JCDA).

Property owner claimed that a complying development was difficult because the High Line crossed the lot. Romanoff Equities applied to BSA for a variance to construct a twelve-story, 215-foot tall office building at 437 West 13th Street, a site occupied by a portion of the … <Read More>


Residential use in commercial district allowed

Not-for-profit granted variance partly because of programmatic need to provide affordable housing and hardship associated with protecting adjacent elevated subway. SoBRO Development Corporation applied to BSA for a variance to construct a ten-story, mixed-use building containing 98 dwelling units and ground floor retail. The new construction would be sited on two vacant tax lots, including one that formerly housed an automotive service station for over sixty years. Prior to its hearing before BSA, SoBRO changed … <Read More>


Board 7 and Avella convince owner to adjust variance

Owner agrees to demolish a portion of a garage in order to build a two-story expansion. The owner of a two-story single-family home with a detached garage at 7-12 126th Street sought a variance from rear yard requirements to facilitate construction of a two-story addition. The 1935 home is located in a portion of College Point that the City rezoned from R3-2 to R2A in 2005. 2 CityLand 135 (Oct. 15, 2005).

The owner claimed … <Read More>


Conversion of apartments to dormitory use approved

Twelve residential buildings to be converted to dorms over opposition. St. John’s University proposed to convert 12 three-unit apartment buildings into dormitories, increasing the potential student occupancy from 108 to 162. St John’s currently uses the buildings, located along Union Turnpike in Flushing, Queens, as apartments for its students. The plan called for no alteration or enlargement to the buildings; however the use change would render the buildings noncompliant with the City’s 15-foot yard requirement, … <Read More>


Revised plan for Superior Ink site approved

Architect Robert A.M. Stern’s new design reduced needed variances. The Related Companies applied to BSA to alter its February 2006 variance approval for a 15-story, mixed-use development to replace the Superior Ink building on West Street between Bethune and West 12th Streets. 3 CityLand 8 (Feb. 2006). The design change originated from Related’s replacement of the original project architect, Charles Gwathmey, with Robert A.M. Stern.

When Related first sought approval from BSA, the site’s zoning … <Read More>