Garage with landscaped roof garden proposed for courtyard of 19th century housing complex. On May 20, 2008, Landmarks heard testimony on a proposal by the Pinnacle Group to build a two-level garage in the courtyard of the Riverside Houses in the Brooklyn Heights Historic District. The complex was developed by philanthropist Alfred T. White in 1890 to provide attractive housing for the working classes, while giving residents maximum access to light and air. In the 1950s, a portion of the courtyard was eliminated to make way for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.

Landscape architect and former Landmarks Commissioner Lee Weintraub presented the plan for the garage on behalf of Pinnacle. Under the plan, the garage would rise one story above-ground, the other level being underground. A rooftop garden featuring a lawn, trees, bluestone paths, a fountain, and a pavilion would be accessible from the complex’s second-floor apartments by a series of bridges. There would not be any apartments on the building’s ground floor, which would be used only for storage. The garage would accommodate approximately 130 vehicles, and spaces would be offered to Riverside Houses tenants at discounted rates, according to the Pinnacle’s attorney, Kenneth K. Fisher of Wolf Block. (more…)

Landmarks declines to exempt Metro Sixteen Hotel from district. On May 13, 2008, Landmarks voted unanimously to designate the NoHo Historic District Extension, increasing the number of protected buildings from 167 to 223. The extension is bounded by Lafayette Street to the west, Bowery to the east, East 4th Street to the north, and Bond Street to the south.

The extension includes a historically commercial neighborhood characterized by mid-19th century loft buildings and tenements built to house workers. Following a decline in manufacturing after World War II, artists such as Chuck Close began to convert abandoned lofts into studios and living spaces in the 1960s. (more…)

Historic armory to become retail center, complete with movie theaters and restaurants. On April 21, 2008, the City selected Related Companies to convert the Kingsbridge Armory, a City landmark located on the corner of 195th Street and Jerome Avenue in the Bronx, into a $310 million shopping center. The center will include a large department store, up to 35 smaller shops, a movie theater, and restaurants.

The Armory features two battlement towers, Romanesque arches, and intricate brick and terra-cotta detailing. Reportedly the largest armory in the world, the main floor is larger than a full City block and consists entirely of an immense 180,000-square-foot open room with 110-foot-tall ceilings. The Armory’s two basements add an additional 312,000 sq.ft. of space, giving the entire building an impressive 575,000 sq.ft. (more…)

Residents and elected officials warn against disturbing area’s critical balance of uses. On April 23, 2008, the City Planning Commission heard public testimony on KMG Greenwich’s proposal to rezone five and one-half blocks of Hudson Square North, roughly bounded by Morton, Hudson, Clarkson, and West Streets.

Currently, the area’s zoning prohibits as-of-right residential development. Under KMG’s proposal, the area would be rezoned to M1-5/R7X, allowing residential, community facility, commercial, and manufacturing uses. The proposal would facilitate the residential conversion of 627 Greenwich Street, as well as the development of a new 80,000-square-foot residential tower at 111 Leroy Street. 5 CityLand 7 (Feb. 15, 2008).

At the public hearing, attorney Jay Segal of Greenberg Traurig, representing KMG, argued that Hudson Square North, after a series of BSA variances, was already a predominantly residential neighborhood. KMG’s environmental consultants, AKRF claimed that the proposal would result in the relocation of only 90 jobs. (more…)

Request for Proposals seeks tenant for 80-year-old building in need of $70M in repairs. The New York City Economic Development Corporation is seeking proposals for a developer to lease, rehabilitate, and reuse the former Loew’s Kings Theatre at 1025 Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn.

The vacant building, located between Beverly Road and Tilden Avenue, opened in 1929 as Loew’s flagship theater. The designers of the 3,195-seat, French Renaissance-style building were heavily influenced by the Palace of Versailles and Paris Opera House. Its unique design features include a 70-foot-high orchestra dome, ornate plaster walls, and crystal chandeliers. Because the building has been vacant since 1978, extensive rehabilitation work is required on the theater’s exterior and interior. Sections of the roof are missing, interior walls are water damaged, and the theater contains lead, asbestos, mold and guano. EDC estimates that it will cost 70 million dollars to rehabilitate the building. (more…)