Extension encompasses 135 properties bordering the east and west sides of the original historic district. On May 11, 2010, Landmarks voted to designate the SoHo-Cast Iron District Extension. The extension includes 135 properties and consists of two subsections bordering the eastern and western sides of the original 1973 SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District. The eastern subsection includes portions of Crosby and Centre Streets between Houston and Canal Streets, and the western subsection includes buildings on the west side of West Broadway.

The area is characterized by store and loft buildings that were built after the Civil War and helped transform the residential neighborhood to an active commercial zone in the late nineteenth century. Architectural styles displayed in the district include Second Empire, Renaissance Revival, and Italianate. (more…)

Proposed extension of SoHo-Cast Iron district.

Proposed extension includes two subsections consisting of 135 properties. Landmarks heard extensive testimony on a proposal to extend the SoHo- Cast Iron Historic District to include 135 properties in two subsections bordering the east and west sides of the existing district. The western subsection includes buildings on West Broadway’s western side between Houston and Grand Streets. The eastern subsection is larger and includes portions of Crosby, Lafayette, and Centre Streets between Houston and Canal Streets.

The proposed extension includes cast-iron and masonry commercial buildings from the post- Civil War era that are similar in period and style to buildings within the historic district’s current boundaries. The extension also features architecture in the Italianate, Second Empire, and Romanesque Revival styles. Mary Beth Betts, Landmarks’ research director, said Landmarks had received several expansion proposals from community groups and individuals, and noted that the submitted proposal represented the results of a staff-conducted survey. (more…)

74 Grand Street. Photo: CityLand.

Owner will store cast-iron facade after damaged building is demolished. On September 22, 2009, Landmarks approved SoHo Equities Inc.’s application to demolish a George DaCunha-designed five-story loft building at 74 Grand Street, in the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District. According to Landmarks Deputy Counsel John Weiss, for many decades 74 Grand Street’s five-story building leaned approximately 10 inches to the west. In 2004, as a result of excavation and construction work at the neighboring site at 72 Grand Street and heavy rains, 74 Grand Street shifted approximately 14 inches further. The City vacated the building and contractors installed emergency shoring and bracing. Despite these efforts, the building has continued to shift. Under the approved application, the owner will demolish the building and disassemble and store the damaged structure’s historic cast-iron facade for future reinstallation at the current site.

At the hearing, Tim Lynch, the Executive Director of Buildings’ Forensic Engineering unit, testified that 74 Grand Street, which sits atop an 18th century marsh, is “very unstable” and currently leaning 30 inches to the west. Lynch explained that 74 Grand Street’s condition has also caused the buildings at 76 and 78 Grand Street to shift, noting that 78 Grand Street has migrated five inches since 2005. (more…)

Design revisions addressed previously raised concerns. On June 9, 2009, Landmarks approved renovation plans for 431 Broome Street in the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District making way for its use as a hotel. The applicants, owners of the nearby restaurant L’Orange Bleue, plan to build a four-story building behind the existing federal-style structure, add a penthouse and elevator bulkhead on the existing building, and alter the infill facade. At the initial May 5 hearing, the project faced scrutiny from preservationists, Manhattan Community Board 2, and some commissioners. Objections focused on the height of the planned back building, the prominence of the bulkhead, and the storefront’s out-of-character nature. 6 CityLand 81 (June 15, 2009). (more…)

Restaurateurs propose to build four-story hotel behind federal-style Broome Street building. On May 5, 2009, Landmarks viewed a presentation and heard testimony on proposed alterations to a property at 431 Broome Street in the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District. The applicants, Vincent Boitier and Pierre Casaux, owners of the nearby restaurant l’Orange Bleue, sought approval for a rooftop addition, a new four-story building in the rear yard, and a new storefront infill.

The plan’s architect, Thomas Tsue, testified that the renovation would add approximately 2,800 sq.ft. of area to the existing five-story federal- style building, with the intention of converting it into a hotel. The rooftop addition would consist of a one-story penthouse, setback 18 feet from the front property line, and an elevator bulkhead. The rear structure, which would touch the rear property line, would be connected to the main building by metal “breezeways,” and the area between the two buildings would create the effect of a courtyard, allowing light and air into the rear. The new storefront would feature large French windows with glass and wood over a brownstone base. The rear structure would not be visible from the street, but the rooftop addition would be visible from some angles. (more…)