Developer addresses noise concerns for construction near downtown elementary school. An 815,000- square-foot residential/retail project, including a 388-foot tower to front West Street in lower Manhattan, obtained City Council approval on September 28, 2005.

The mixed-use project, to be constructed on a site bounded by West, Warren, Greenwich and Murray Streets, required special permits to vary height, setback, and rear yard requirements, and to construct a 400-space parking garage. 2 CityLand 118 (Sept. 15, 2005).

At the September 20, 2005 hearing before the Council’s Subcommittee on Planning, Dispositions and Concessions, the Economic Development Corporation and developer Edward J. Minskoff Equities, Inc. stressed that the building would not maximize its FAR potential and included construction of a Community Youth Center at 200 Chambers Street. The EDC and Minskoff also raised the community’s recommendation that construction noise be kept below 45 decibels in order to avoid disturbances to nearby P.S. 234 elementary school. The developer expressed that the recommendation was too strict because ambient noise in that neighborhood has been measured at 70 decibels. (more…)

Building had been converted prior to passage of Local Law. Jennifer Walker purchased 151 West 76th Street, a five-story residential building in Manhattan, in 2002. That year, Walker applied to Buildings for permits to renovate three apartments and a terrace. Buildings determined that the building’s legal use was an SRO, requiring a certificate of no harassment from HPD before permits could be granted. Consequently, Buildings denied the permits.

AfterWalker sought a certificate from HPD and received an initial decision that harassment appeared likely, she appealed Buildings’ permit denial, claiming that most of the building was converted to apartments over 50 years ago, which legally changed the building’s designation to apartments. Even if the legal designation remained an SRO, Walker argued that it was exempt, because the actual use of the units was apartments. (more…)

Lower Manhattan parking lot to be replaced with 815,000-squarefoot residential/retail project. The Planning Commission approved a proposal of the Economic Development Corporation and the project developer, Edward J. Minskoff Equities, Inc., to replace a City-owned surface parking lot in Lower Manhattan with an 815,000-square-foot mixed-use project. Located on a 95,565-square-foot site bounded by West, Warren, Greenwich and Murray Streets, the proposal includes 402 condominium and rental units, a 400-space parking garage and 165,000 sq.ft. of retail space featuring a ground floor supermarket to be occupied by Whole Foods.

A two-story base building will cover the entire site and house the Whole Foods, other retail and the residential lobbies. Above the base, a 388-foot, 32-story tower containing the project’s condo units will front West Street and a second smaller rental residential tower will front the eastern part of the site along Greenwich and Warren Streets. Access to parking and loading would be gained from Murray Street, the only two-way access street adjoining the site. Directly across Warren Street from the site, a 29-story, mixed-use project at 200 Chambers Street is under construction based on a September 2004 City approval. 1 CityLand 1 (Oct. 15, 2004). (more…)

HPD obtains approval for four-story housing project with 19 studio apartments. On August 17, 2005, the City Council approved HPD’s application for the construction of a four-story, low-income housing project for the mentally ill on four vacant lots in East New York, Brooklyn. The 7,600-square-foot site, comprised of four lots at 433 – 441 DeWitt Avenue at Malta Street, is located on a residential block, containing other HPD projects, privately- owned residences and a few vacant City-owned lots. The proposal, a 13,440-square-foot building with 19 studio apartments, was approved in 2004 by the Planning Commission, but HPD withdrew the application prior to the City Council’s vote. HPD re-applied for development approval in 2005.

PSCH Inc., a not-for-profit corporation that provides health care, rehabilitative services, job training and housing to persons with developmental and psychiatric disabilities, will manage the project. The project will provide transitional housing to mentally-ill patients who have shown the ability to live within the community yet are in need of supportive services to complete the transition. Patients will stay within the facility for 18 to 24 months and PSCH will provide educational, vocational and medical services on site. (more…)

House moved to new site in Staten Island. On July 12, 2005, Landmarks re-calendared for designation the Seaman Cottage in Staten Island. Seaman Cottage, constructed in 1836, is a two-story house in the Greek Revival Style featuring clapboard siding and complimentary window and door surrounds. Landmarks had originally calendared the item for designation on October 12, 2004 and held a public hearing on October 26, 2004, but Seaman Cottage has since been moved from its original location at 218 Center Street to a new site at 441 Clarke Avenue in Historic Richmond Town, a historic village and museum complex.

As a result, at the July 12 public hearing, Landmarks acted to de-calendar the previous landmark site and re-calendar the new site. All Commissioners unanimously approved both motions and Chair Robert B. Tierney expressed his appreciation for Seaman Cottage’s addition to Historic Richmond Town.

LPC: Seaman Cottage, 441 Clark Avenue, Staten Island (LP-2168) (July 12, 2005).