Public parking garage will be component of new as-of-right mixed-use tower. Edison Parking sought approval for a 225-space public attended parking garage to be located at 88 Leonard Street between Broadway and Church Street in Tribeca. Currently the site contains a 204-space at-grade parking lot, which Edison plans to replace with a 21-story mixed-use development with 352 residential units, retail, and medical office space to be constructed by AI & Boymelgreen. The proposed public garage would operate 24-hours a day, seven days a week, and would be accessed from Leonard Street.

At the April 27, 2005 public hearing, Paul Selver, Edison’s attorney, explained that the new garage would replace the existing lot and provide the option of parking for the new building’s tenants. When questioned about neighbors’ opposition, Selver responded that their concerns partly related to late-night problems caused by the Knitting Factory, an adjacent Leonard Street nightclub, which the neighbors believe could be exacerbated by a 24-hour garage. Selver argued that a 24-hour commercial use would improve Leonard Street’s security. (read more…)