Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Is Sam Chang's Fourth Avenue hotel too tall?

EV Grieve reader Eric writes to say that work at 132 Fourth Ave. and 13th Street (the site of the former Plaid and Spa) has seemingly stopped. (Again.) It's the 11-story, 162-unit hotel brought to you and me by Sam Chang.




There is a stop-work order on the site.



And looking at the DOB records:



Interesting. One complaint: "CALLER FEELS THAT THE BUILDING MAY BE EXCEEDING THE HEIGHT THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE BUILDINGS DEPARTMENT,APPEARS THEY MAY BE 2-3 STORIES OF ELEVATOR TOWERS."

In fact, one of the open complaints notes the the "new building construction is exciding (sic) the level limits permitted and is a violation of the zoning regulations."

Well, OK. Now what?

For further reading:
McSam Hotel Rises At Union Square, Gotta Hate Those Lot Line Windows (A Fine Blog)

7 comments:

Laura Goggin Photography said...

Just raise the sidewalk three stories.

EV Grieve said...

Ha!

hntrnyc said...

One guess as to what happens here, check is being cut as we read....

Anonymous said...

Whoever sent this complaint in has no life whatsoever.

So he stood there and counted the stories and compared it to the permits? wow -strange.

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous - perhaps the caller has an apartment on the 12th floor of the adjacent building and was watching surprised when their view changed from sky to bricks?

Anonymous said...

People can leave whatever complaint they want with DOB. Doesn't mean it's true.

My guess is that the complainer doesn't know what he's talking about. Someone as prolific as Sam Chang does his due dillgence on sites, and understanding the zoning is the most rudimentary due dillegence in existence.

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm. The other Anonymous sounds like he/she must be a friend or employee of Chang or Kaufman. Otherwise, there's no explaining the rude tone or dumb logic of his prior e-mail. Builders have many, many times attempted to build above their limits, have sometimes been caught, and on rare occassions have had to even tear down excess levels. Don't know if thats the case here, but to throw back his own words to Mr. Anonymous, he "doesn't know what he's talking about". Signed, Ms. Anon.