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. (read more…)