Artist’s rendering of 150 Wooster Street. Image Credit: CityLand

Landmarks previously approved demolition of one-story garage and new seven-story building in 2011. On March 3, 2015, the Landmarks Preservation Commission considered a proposal for the demolition of an existing one-story garage, and the construction of a new six-story-plus-penthouse building, at 150 Wooster Street in the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District. The two-lot site is currently occupied by a vacant lot and a garage, which was heavily altered from an earlier structure at some point in the 20th century after the building. Landmarks approved a project at the site in 2011, which would have been similar in scale, though one story taller, and also entailed the demolition of the garage. The project was never realized and the building now has different owners, and a different design team has been retained, for an entirely new application.

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Architect’s rendering of One Vanderbilt Place and Grand Central Terminal. Image credit: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

Representatives from the project developers, Grand Central Terminal, and private citizens argued the proposal.  On February 4, 2015 the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on the proposed One Vanderbilt skyscraper project.  The proposed building would be 1,450 feet high and take up a block bounded by Madison Avenue to the west, Vanderbilt Avenue to the east, 42nd Street to the south, and 43rd Street to the north.  The project would also include transit improvements to the overcrowded Lexington Avenue subway station in Grand Central, as well as accommodate the projected influx of riders once the MTA East Side Access program is completed.  On December 11, 2014 Manhattan Community Boards 5 and 6, through the Multi-Board Task Force on East Midtown Rezoning, recommended denial of the project.  On January 29, 2015 Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer gave a conditional approval of One Vanderbilt after negotiating additional community benefits with project developer SL Green.

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City Planning Commission approved a special permit for 102 Greene Street that will restore the missing top two floors, but remove the building’s JLWQA designation . Image credit: CityLand

CPC vote allows building renovation and conversion to residential use.  On January 21, 2015 the City Planning Commission voted unanimously to grant a special permit to 102 Greene Owner LLC for the renovation of 102 Greene Street in the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District.  The renovation will add two floors to the building and restore a cast-iron façade, but remove the building’s Joint Live-Work Quarters for Artists (JLWQA) designation and re-designate it as Use Group 2 residential.  An initial public hearing on the application was held on December 3, 2014.

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A proposed restoration of 102 Greene Street would restore the missing top two floors and cast-iron facade, but remove the building’s JLWQA designation. Image credit: CityLand

Proposed renovation would restore two floors lost to fire and open loft building to non-artist tenants. On December 3, 2014 the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on an application for a special permit for 102 Greene Street in the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District, Manhattan. The building is three stories, with the Galeria Melissa gallery on the ground floor and two apartments above. The apartments are designated as Joint Live-Work Quarters for Artists (JLWQA), though neither of the current tenants are artists.

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Council Member Vincent Gentile is working to stop illegal home conversions in New York City. Image Credit: Office of Councl Member Vincent J. Gentile

Pending legislation would make it easier to impose civil penalties for illegal conversions. In recent months, City Council Member Vincent Gentile has introduced two bills to address the issue of illegal home conversions in New York City. According to Ann Falutico, Zoning Committee Chair for Brooklyn Community Board 10, a study of 311 statistics show that since 2010, over 1,000 complaints for illegal home conversions came from communities within the Council Member’s district, Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and Fort Hamilton.

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