346 Broadway, Manhattan. Image Credit: CityLand.

Justice found Landmarks had authority mandate public access to interior landmark, and require that historic clock’s operation remain mechanical. The Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the interior of the former New York Life Insurance Company Building, at 346 Broadway as an interior landmark in 1987.  The designated space includes the “Clocktower Suite” inside a tower at the top of the building. A spiral staircase and machinery room for the four clock faces on the tower, as well as a 5000-pound cast bell with hammer are contained within the suite. The clock is one of the few remaining in the country that are still operated mechanically, needing to be periodically manually wound,  rather than converted to electronic or digital operation. (read more…)

Henry Street Firehouse sitting to the right of Henry Street Settlement headquarters. Image credit: CityLand

Community facility will provide on-site social services and improved access to need-based financial benefits.  On August 13, 2015, the City Council adopted a resolution to rehabilitate a vacant firehouse and convert it into a community facility.  The Department of Housing Preservation and Development submitted the Urban Development Action Area Project proposal to the City Planning Commission on March 31, 2015.  The four-story firehouse is located at 269 Henry Street in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan and has not been used since 2002.

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Rendering of new tower adjacent to Park Avenue Christian Church. Image credit: CityLand

Revised proposal would allow three-dimensional perception of existing church, schist facade at base would acknowledge annex to be demolished. On January 13, 2015, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to award a Certificate of Appropriateness to a proposal for 1010 Park Avenue in the Park Avenue Historic District. The plan calls for the demolition of an existing six-story 1963 annex, to the Park Avenue Christian Church and the construction of 13-story tower, with three additional setback floors and a prominent bulkhead. The annex, though designated as “no style” in the district’s designation report, does retain a portion of the church’s original 1911 rectory fabric.

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Project will entail the demolition of 1961 office and warehouse building occupied by the Catholic Medical Mission Board. On December 16, 2014, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to approve an application for a new building at 8 West 17th Street in the Ladies’ Mile Historic District. The site is currently occupied by a 3-story 1961 commercial building designed by the firm Belfatto and Pavarino, known mostly for their ecclesiastical architecture.

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Proposed Rendering of 1010 Park Avenue, Manhattan. Image Credit: LPC.

Park Avenue Christian Church, which would demolish annex for mixed-use development in partnership with Extell, claimed finding was necessary to maintain historic church fabric and its religious mission. On October 21, 2014, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a hearing on a proposal for the demolition of an existing church annex and the construction of a new 15-story building on property belonging to and adjacent to the Park Avenue Christian Church at 1010 Park Avenue in Manhattan. The property lies in the Park Avenue Historic District, designated in 2014. To the south of the annex stands a 13-story apartment building completed in 1916 to designs by architect Emery Roth, an architect renowned for his hotels and apartment buildings. The development would be done in conjunction with Extell. (read more…)

Commissioners and preservationists call for revisions to development. On August 5, 2008, Landmarks heard testimony on a proposal to build a three-story addition to a 1926 garage at 21-25 West 20th Street, and a new 16-story building at 19 West 20th Street in the Ladies’ Mile Historic District. The plan calls for the garage’s parking use to be retained, with a three-story residential addition. The new 16-story residential building would replace an existing parking lot.

Kramer Levin attorney Paul Selver, representing owner Banner Associates, testified that both structures were as-of-right. Architect Jack Beyer of Beyer Blinder Belle presented the design plans for both structures. He stated that the surrounding area is characterized by a variety of uses and architectural styles, including townhouses and loft buildings. While the new tower would rise higher than its immediate neighbors, Beyer claimed it was appropriate for the district and for a block where every building is “distinctively read as individual.” The 25-foot wide tower would be divided into three aesthetically distinct sections at its base, shaft, and top. Facade materials would include granite, limestone, brick, masonry, and glass, with aluminum spandrels and mullions. A penthouse encasing the boiler and mechanical equipment would occupy the 16th floor, and is necessary, according to Beyer, because the cellar would be given over to amenities. (read more…)