Revised proposal for vacant Tribeca lot approved

Developer modified seven-story project’s facade details in response to concerns expressed at prior hearing. On November 16, 2010, Landmarks approved Real Estate Equities Corporation’s revised proposal to construct a seven-story residential building at the corner of Franklin and Varick Streets in the Tribeca West Historic District. At the proposal’s prior hearing the Commissioners asked the project’s architect to modify the design by strengthening the building’s base and increasing the amount of masonry in its facades. Commissioners also disliked that the City’s underlying zoning regulations would prohibit the building from extending to the property’s southern lot line. 7 CityLand 142 (Oct. 15, 2010).

At the November meeting, Landmarks staff member John Graham said the revised design was intended to ensure the building would be contextual with the district. The windows at the building’s base were modified to form a continuous grid and an additional band of masonry was added between the fourth and fifth floors. A rooftop bulkhead was also lowered by eighteen inches. Graham explained that the developer had consulted with Buildings about extending the building to the lot line, but that it would “open up a number of problems for them.”

Commissioner Fred Bland said that he believed that Landmarks had “asked [the developer] to do too much,” and that he preferred the original proposal. Bland, however, said the revised proposal was still appropriate for the district. The other Commissioners found the additional masonry and the changes to the ground floor windows appro-priate, and Landmarks voted unanimously to approve the project.

LPC: 137 Franklin St., Manhattan (10-9483)(Nov. 16, 2010)(Architect: studioMDA).