Map of South Village Historic District. Image courtesy of LPC.

See Below for Update.

Commissioners adopted recommendations of Landmarks’ Research Department to exclude a row of heavily altered buildings on West Houston from designation. On December 17, 2013, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate the South Village Historic District, an area comprising approximately 250 buildings south of Washington Square Park.  The primarily residential district is bounded by Houston Street to the south, Sixth Avenue to the west, and LaGuardia Place to the east. The area was primarily developed in the 19th century.  Several row houses still remain from early developments from the 1820s and 1830s. Immigrant populations began residing in the area in the 1850s, as wealthier denizens moved uptown, and tenements became the dominant type of development in the neighborhood. The area was a locus of Italian-American life in the early 20th century, and later became renowned as a national center of bohemian life, artists, performance venues, and a thriving gay community. (read more…)

Map of proposed South Village historic district. Image Credit: LPC.

Proposed historic district would encompass approximately 250 buildings south of Washington Square Park. On June 25, 2013, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a hearing on the proposed South Village Historic District. The proposed district is roughly bounded by Washington Square to the north and Houston Street to the south, between Sixth Avenue and LaGuardia Place. The proposed district is comprised of approximately 250 buildings, primarily residential, though also includes commercial and institutional structures.

The first major wave of development in the area took place during the 1820s and 1830s, as the City expanded northward. Several Federal and Gothic Revival-style rowhouses remain from this era as an upscale residential community. In the 1850s, immigrants began to populate the area, as wealthier citizens migrated further uptown. Rowhouses were converted into multi-family dwellings, and the area saw the construction of the first tenement buildings. Tenements remained the dominant building type throughout the 19th century, and were built in a variety of styles, including Italianate, Neo-Grec, Queen Anne, and Renaissance Revival. By the early 20th century, the neighborhood was largely Italian and the focal point of Italian-American culture. In the 20th century, the neighborhood became a center of bohemian life in the City, with multiple music venues, cafes, theaters, and a thriving gay community.

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Map of Special Hudson Square district. Subdistrict B was eliminated from the proposal by the CPC. Image Courtesy: DCP.

Modifications to private rezoning application centered on encouraging affordable housing. On March 13, 2013, the City Council voted to approve Trinity Church’s Special Hudson Square District proposal with modifications. The proposal was intended to facilitate residential development and protect existing office space. Zoning & Franchises Subcommittee Chair Mark Weprin announced modifications to the proposal at a Subcommittee meeting on March 13, 2013. The modifications addressed many of the concerns expressed by community residents and building owners at the City Planning Commission’s hearing on November 28, 2012 and the Subcommittee’s hearing on February 12, 2013. (See CityLand’s past coverage here).

Chair Weprin announced a few modifications meant to encourage and increase the amount of affordable housing in the District. During the Subcommittee’s hearing, several building owners testified that in order to reach the 12.0 floor area ratio allowed under the City’s Inclusionary Housing Program, the height limit on narrow streets should be set at between 210 and 230 feet. Owners also criticized the City Planning Commission’s imposition of a special permit in order to achieve a maximum height of 210 feet on narrow streets. Under the Council’s modifications, the maximum building height on narrow streets will remain at 185 feet as originally proposed. However, the height limit can be increased to 210 feet for residential developments, but only if 20 percent of the development’s units are permanently affordable. The modification thus eliminated the City Planning Commission’s special permit provision.

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Map of proposed Special Hudson Square district. Subdistrict B was eliminated from the proposal. Image Courtesy: DCP.

Community Board urges Trinity to build a new recreation center to accommodate projected population increase. On February 12, 2013, the City Council’s Zoning & Franchises Subcommittee held a hearing for Trinity Church’s application to rezone 18 blocks generally bounded by West Houston and Canal Streets, Avenue of the Americas, and Greenwich Street. The Special Hudson Square District will facilitate residential development, maintain commercial office space, and encourage ground-floor retail. Trinity Church owns approximately 39 percent of the lots within the proposed Special District.

The proposal would retain the area’s M1-6 zoning, but would add provisions to allow residential and increased community facility uses. The Special District would establish height limits of 185 feet on narrow streets and 320 feet on wide streets as well as setback regulations. The proposal also includes Subdistrict A (see inset map), which would set a height limit of 430 feet. Subdistrict A would accommodate Trinity Church’s plans to develop a mixed-use development with a 75,000-square-foot, 444-seat public school across from Juan Pablo Duarte Square Park. The maximum floor area ratio would be 10.0 for non-residential uses and 9.0 for residential uses, with a possibility of 12.0 for participation in the City’s Inclusionary Housing Program. The proposal would also establish protective provisions to prevent the permanent conversion of existing commercial space and control hotel development. (See CityLand’s past coverage here).

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Map of proposed Special Hudson Square district. Subdistrict B was eliminated from the proposal. Image Courtesy: DCP.

Trinity Church committed $5.6 million contribution for Dapolito Recreation Center renovations but open space issues remain at City Council. On January 23, 2013, the City Planning Commission approved Trinity Church’s application to create the Special Hudson Square District. The purpose of the Special District is to maintain commercial office space – mainly occupied by creative industries – that has made the Hudson Square neighborhood distinct while encouraging mixed-use development and a vibrant community. The proposal would retain the area’s M1-6 zoning, which permits only commercial, manufacturing and limited community facility uses, but would add and modify zoning regulations aimed to allow residential and increased community facility uses. The area is generally bounded by West Houston and Canal Streets, Avenue of the Americas, and Greenwich Street. Trinity Church owns approximately 39 percent of the lots within the 18-block proposed Special District. (See CityLand’s past coverage here).

The area’s M1-6 zoning currently does not provide building height limits and setbacks, which has led to out-of-character development in more recent years. The Special District would establish height limits of 185 feet on narrow streets and 320 feet on wide streets as well as setback regulations. The maximum floor area ratio would be 10.0 for non-residential uses and 9.0 for residential uses, with a possibility of 12.0 for participation in the City’s Inclusionary Housing Program. The proposal expects approximately 3,000 new residential units will be added to the Special District as a result of the rezoning.

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Map of Greenwich Village Historic District Extension II. Image Courtesy: LPC.

Greenwich Village Historic District’s second extension includes 235 properties. On June 22, 2010, Landmarks voted unanimously to designate the Greenwich Village Historic District Extension II, also referred to as the South Village Historic District by some preservationists. The extension comprises two sections and brings an additional 235 properties under Landmarks’ protection. The larger of the two sections covers eleven blocks generally bounded by West 4th and Bedford Streets, and Sixth Avenue and Seventh Avenue South, and the smaller section includes the west side of Seventh Avenue South between Leroy and Clarkson Streets.

The district contains a variety of architecture, including Federal-style rowhouses dating to the early 19th century, and a variety of tenements built before and after the Civil War. Significant structures in the extension include the flatiron-shaped Varitype Building and Our Lady of Pompeii Church. At an October 2009 public hearing, elected officials, residents, and preservationists all spoke in support. 6 CityLand 162 (Nov. 15, 2009). (read more…)