Rendering of proposed mixed-use building at 130 Seventh Avenue South, Manhattan. Image Credit: Gruzen Samton Architects.

Commissioners found the demolition of an existing one-story taxpayer building on the triangular site appropriate. On September 17, 2013, the Landmarks Preservation Commission met to consider an application for the demolition of an existing one-story building at 130 Seventh Avenue South in the Greenwich Village Historic District, and the construction of a new seven-story building on the site. The property consists of triangular lot created by the extension of Seventh Avenue southward in the early 20th century. Landmarks held a hearing on the item on July 9, 2013, but, given the extent of the testimony and the late hour, decided to hold over the applicants’ response to the testimony and the comments of the commissioners.

The application, designed by the firm of Gruzen Samton, proposed a building rising to five stories at the street wall, clad in largely in red brick, matching the height of nearby historic tenement buildings. Above the masonry, two-setback stories would be built, faced with a glass curtain wall. The building’s total height would be 75 feet. The western edge of the building would also be faced in glass. The architects said this design element was intended to recall Seventh Avenue South’s impact on the Greenwich Village street grid. The applicants claimed that red brick was material common to the historic district, and large casement windows would give the project an industrial quality.

Peter Samton, partner at Gruzen Samton, stated that the 1937 building at the site had never possessed any significant architectural style, and had been repeatedly and substantially altered over the decades. (read more…)

Landmarks rejected owner’s initial request to build five-story addition to 1990s structure. On June 1, 2010, Landmarks approved a revised proposal to construct a three-story addition on top of a three-story structure built on a triangular lot at 115 Seventh Avenue South in the Greenwich Village Historic District. The existing building, referred to as a “modern commercial building” by Landmarks, was completed in 1994 and is occupied by Gourmet Garage and a New York Sports Club.

At a March 2009 public hearing, the owner initially presented a plan to build a five-story, glass-faced addition that would be set back from the streetwall. The owner’s representative, Frank Angelino, conceded that glass was not common in the district, but he argued it was an unobtrusive material. Manhattan Community Board 2, residents, and preservationists opposed the initial plan. The Historic District Council’s Nadezhda Williams said the project was “too shiny and glitzy” for the area. Chair Robert B. Tierney found the addition’s scale problematic, noting that it would not connect with the existing base. Other commissioners agreed, and Landmarks asked the owner to return with a revised proposal. (read more…)

Developer agreed to increase affordable housing and provide additional three- and four-bedroom affordable units. On April 14, 2010, the City Council modified Isack Rosenberg’s proposal to build a multi-tower mixed-use development along the Brooklyn waterfront at 470 Kent Avenue. Known as Rose Plaza on the River, the project’s 3.7-acre site is bordered by the Schaefer Landing housing development to the north and Division Avenue to the south. The project will feature three residential towers rising to heights of 18, 25, and 29 stories. Rosenberg’s original proposal called for 801 residential units, twenty percent of which would be set aside for affordable studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments; 33,000 sq.ft. of public waterfront; and 29,000 sq.ft. of retail.

The project drew criticism from Brooklyn Community Board 1, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, and local Council Member Stephen Levin. They argued that Rosenberg needed to increase the plan’s affordable housing component and build more affordable three- and four-bedroom apartments in exchange for the economic benefits derived from the project. (read more…)

Rose Plaza on the River, the project’s 3.7-acre site is bordered by the Schaefer Landing housing development to the north and Division Avenue to the south.

Developer agreed to increase affordable housing and provide additional three and four-bedroom affordable units. On April 14, 2010, the City Council modified Isack Rosenberg’s proposal to build a multi-tower mixed-use development along the Brooklyn waterfront at 470 Kent Avenue. Known as Rose Plaza on the River, the project’s 3.7-acre site is bordered by the Schaefer Landing housing development to the north and Division Avenue to the south.

The project will feature three residential towers rising to heights of 18, 25, and 29 stories. Rosenberg’s original proposal called for 801 residential units, twenty percent of which would be set aside for affordable studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments; 33,000 sq.ft. of public waterfront; and 29,000 sq.ft. of retail. The project drew criticism from Brooklyn Community Board 1, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, and local Council Member Stephen Levin. They argued that Rosenberg needed to increase the plan’s affordable housing component and build more affordable three- and four-bedroom apartments in exchange for the economic benefits derived from the project. (read more…)