Council limits certain uses to Two Trees’ site block. On May 20, 2009, the City Council approved Two Trees Management Company’s plan to build a 1.3 million sq.ft., S-shaped tower at 770 Eleventh Avenue in the Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. The Enrique Norten-designed tower would rise in steps from approximately seven stories at Eleventh Avenue and West 54th Street to 32 stories at the project’s eastern edge. 6 CityLand 25 (March 15, 2009). Along with 900 residential units, including approximately 180 permanently affordable units, the tower would contain a 350,000 sq.ft. Mercedes Benz dealership, a 36,000 sq.ft. facility for the NYPD Mounted Unit, a 20,000 sq.ft. health club, accessory monthly parking for 175 cars, and parking space for 600–700 bicycles.

Before Council heard the matter, the City Planning Commission modified the proposal. As part of its original application, Two Trees proposed a zoning text amendment that provided an as-of-right FAR of 7.0, bonusable up to an FAR of 9.0 through inclusionary housing regulations. The Commission amended the text to allow an as-of-right FAR of 6.75 that would be bonusable to 8.55, provided that the development contained at least 1.0 FAR of commercial floor area. The change made the text consistent with standard inclusionary housing bonus regulations, which allow for 1.25 square feet of bonus floor area for every square foot of affordable housing provided. (read more…)

CB4 opposed to height and floor area of proposed “Z” shaped building. On February 4, 2009, the City Planning Commission heard testimony on Two Trees Management Co.’s plan to build a 1.3 million sq.ft. “Z” shaped tower at 770 Eleventh Avenue in Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan. The Enrique Norten-designed tower would rise in steps from approximately seven stories at Eleventh Avenue and 54th Street to 32 stories at the eastern edge of the site. Along with 900 residential units, the tower would contain a 330,000 sq. ft. Mercedes-Benz dealership, a 36,000 sq.ft. facility for the NYPD Mounted Unit, a 20,000 sq.ft. health club, accessory parking for up to 225 cars, and parking space for 600 – 700 bicycles.

In order to facilitate the new development, Two Trees submitted several applications to the Department of City Planning, including a zoning map amendment to rezone the area from M1-5 to C6-3X, a special permit allowing residential and non-residential uses (the health club) on the third floor, and a zoning text amendment that would allow Two Trees to utilize an inclusionary housing bonus and include automobile showrooms and NYPD horse stables at the site. While Manhattan Community Board 4 was reviewing the applications, Two Trees presented a “consensus proposal” to the community in an effort to garner support for the project. The proposal offered, among other things, a decrease in the project’s total FAR from 9.0 to 8.55 and a one-story reduction across the entire building. Although CB4 appreciated Two Tree’s willingness to work with the community, the board felt the proposed modifications did not adequately address concerns over zoning designation and building design. CB4 recommended that the project be denied unless certain conditions were met, including changing the proposed zoning designation from C6-3X to R8A and R9A. (read more…)

Enrique Norten-designed 12- story condo building will feature 6 stories of glass penthouses. The City Council approved a text amendment and special permits to allow the enlargement and conversion to loft dwellings of an existing building located at One York Street in Manhattan. The approved text amendment establishes a new special permit to allow loft buildings to be enlarged up to a 5 FAR within the Tribeca Mixed Use District. The development also required special permits to allow community facility space and parking.

The 15,360 square-foot project site is bounded by Avenue of the Americas, St. John’s Lane, and Canal, Laight and York Streets. It currently contains two six-story buildings with commercial and residential use. The smaller building will be demolished and the second six-story structure will be enlarged and converted into 43 loft dwellings, 6,000 sq.ft. of commercial and retail use on the ground floor, 14,000 sq. ft. of community facility space, and a fully automated 47-space accessory parking garage. In total, the proposed building will rise to 12 stories amounting to 150 feet in height and 122,000 sq.ft. One of the current tenants, the Chinese American Planning Council, a not-for-profit organization providing social services to Asian Americans, will occupy the new community facility space. (read more…)

Height of Harlem hotel reduced to 478 feet. On October 27, 2004, the City Council approved, subject to a 40 ft. height reduction, the development of an iconic Harlem building for hotel, residential and commercial office space at 125th Street and Park Avenue in East Harlem. The Council modification, which was approved by a vote of 47 to 2, reduced the building’s height by 40 ft. from 518 ft. to 478 ft. Council’s modification is the second reduction that the developers, 1800 Park Avenue LLC, have agreed to in order to gain City approval. The proposed new building, designed by Mexican architect Enrique Norten of MDA Design group International, would have a base building covering the full lot area, which at 1 50 ft. in height, would dramatically taper to a slim 453 ft. tower with a 25 ft. decorative extension.

Council Members Bill Perkins and Albert Vann voted against the project even with the height modification. Council Member Perkins indicated that the building is distinctively out of character with the other buildings in the area; and Council Member Vann argued that economic development was not always beneficial to the community. Council Member Koppell disputed both views, claiming that the building of a first-class hotel in Harlem symbolizes its renaissance. (read more…)