Fractional-ownership of transient units will minimize influx of tourists. On January 9, 2008, the Planning Commission approved Millennium Partners’ application for a special permit to facilitate the conversion of six floors of extended-stay hotel units into transient hotel units. The Phillips Club consists of two buildings on the same zoning lot: the 10- story Phillips Club Building, formerly the Chinese Mission to the United Nations, located at 155 West 66th Street; and floors four through seven of the 32-story Tower Records Building located at 1965 Broadway. The club is located within the Special Lincoln Square District, which limits commercial floor area to 100,000 sq.ft. in order to discourage high-intensity commercial uses.

Currently, the Phillips Club offers 106 extended-stay rental units with minimum stays of 30 days. The club also has 64 transient hotel units with typical stays of less than seven days, but no more than 28 days. The proposal seeks to convert all the extended-stay units into 98 transient units, which would make all 162 units operated by the Phillips Club transient hotel units. The conversion would not affect the buildings’ structure, but would bring the total commercial floor area to 226,774 sq.ft., necessitating a special permit. (read more…)