Landmarks holds hearing on Far West Village District

Supporters urged more inclusive designation. On October 18, 2005, Landmarks held a hearing on the proposed expansion of the Greenwich Village Historic District and creation of a new historic district along Weehawken and West Streets in Manhattan. As proposed, the Greenwich Village Historic District Extension would add 36 buildings within the threeblock area bounded by Perry, Washington, Christopher and Greenwich Streets. The newly proposed Weehawken Street Historic District would encompass 14 commercial and residential buildings … <Read More>


BSA rejects developer seeking a dormitory use permit

Developer planned a 19-story dormitory building without an existing school affiliation. BSA denied developer Gregg Singer’s appeal from a Department of Buildings determination rejecting Singer’s application to build a 1 9- story, 222-unit student dormitory building on the site of former P.S. 64, located at 609 East 9th Street in the East Village. Singer had acquired the five-story, former elementary school from the City for $3.15 million at a 1 998 auction. The existing building … <Read More>


Plaza Hotel public rooms receive Landmark status

Council voted without debate to uphold Landmarks’ designation of the interiors of the Plaza Hotel. On October 27, 2005, the full Council voted to support the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s designation of eight interior rooms of the Plaza hotel as individual landmarks with very little debate. Landmarks had moved quickly to designate the Plaza’s interiors in April 2005 after Elad Properties, the Plaza’s current owners, filed a change of use application to alter some of the … <Read More>


Court rejects challenges to sale of Two Columbus Circle

Preservation group opposes conversion and remodeling of modernist building. Landmark West, a historic preservation group, seeks to stop the EDC’s sale of the nine-story modernist building at Two Columbus Circle to the Museum of Arts and Design. In February 2005, it lost its first two challenges to the sale, (2 CityLand 28 (Mar. 15, 2005)), when the First Department ruled that the Landmarks Preservation Commission was under no obligation to hold a public hearing on … <Read More>


Gilbert-designed warehouse designated

Preservationists fear City Council will overturn Landmarks’ designation. Landmarks voted unanimously on September 20, 2005 to designate the Austin, Nichols & Co. Warehouse despite extensive opposition from its current owner, Council Member David Yassky and former City Council Member Kenneth Fisher, who appeared on the owner’s behalf. Constructed in 1913 along the East River in Brooklyn, the six-story reinforced concrete Austin Nichols building is attributed to Cass Gilbert, the architect of the Woolworth Building and … <Read More>


388-foot West Street residential tower approved

Developer addresses noise concerns for construction near downtown elementary school. An 815,000- square-foot residential/retail project, including a 388-foot tower to front West Street in lower Manhattan, obtained City Council approval on September 28, 2005.

The mixed-use project, to be constructed on a site bounded by West, Warren, Greenwich and Murray Streets, required special permits to vary height, setback, and rear yard requirements, and to construct a 400-space parking garage. 2 CityLand 118 (Sept. 15, 2005).… <Read More>