New Developer’s Changes to 2007 SoHo Project Approved by Landmarks

New project would entail the demolition of two buildings, the restoration of a Wooster Street structure, and the construction of a new nine-story building. On March 12, 2013, the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved a proposal by developer DDG for a new development at 325 West Broadway, at the corner of Wooster Street, in the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District. The application sought to amend a certificate of appropriateness issued in 2007 to a different … <Read More>


Alterations to the Former Gage & Tollner Restaurant Denied Legalization

The interior landmark, which had been converted to a fast-food chain with Landmarks’ oversight, was illegally converted to a retail store. On January 22, 2013, the Landmarks Preservation Commission considered and denied an application for the legalization of work already done to the former Gage & Tollner Restaurant, at 372 Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn. The interior landmark occupies the Gage & Tollner building, also an individual City landmark. The interior is significant … <Read More>


Rainbow Room Renovation & Restoration Approved by Landmarks Commission

Approved plans would retain and restore remaining original elements of interior landmark, while replacing the dance floor and altering the wall, floor, and ceiling surfaces. The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to approve a renovation plan for the Rainbow Room on January 8, 2013. The interior landmark, on the 65th floor of Rockefeller Plaza, was designated by Landmarks on October 13, 2012 and approved by the City Council on December 18, 2012.

The Rainbow Room, … <Read More>


Signs and Billboards: What’s Legal and What’s Not?

Sign installation in New York City triggers regulations governing location, size, illumination, and construction. The New York City Building Code and the New York City Zoning Resolution are the two main bodies of law governing signs in New York City. The Building Code regulates the construction and maintenance of signs, such as permissible construction materials, and is primarily concerned with public health and safety. The Zoning Resolution, while implicating issues of public health and safety, … <Read More>


Landmarks Approves 23-Story Hotel for West 28th Street Site

Alterations to facade design win approval for setback tower to be built on existing two-story base. On December 11, 2012, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to approve an application by Quartz Associates LLC for a site at 250 Fifth Avenue in the Madison Square North Historic District. The plan calls for the construction of a tower that will rise to 23 stories on top of a one-story extension to the bank building facing West … <Read More>


Commissioners Seek Revisions to Proposed Rowhouse Renovation and Construction Project in Cobble Hill

Developer wants to restore and enlarge four mid-19th century rowhouses and replace a low-rise garage with five rowhouses. On September 11, 2012, Landmarks considered Congress Street Development LLC’s proposal to restore four circa 1850 rowhouses, demolish a 1983 two-story garage and replace the garage with five, single-family rowhouses at 110 through 128 Congress Street in the Cobble Hill Historic District. The four rowhouses, which had been used as hospital buildings, and garage extend … <Read More>