Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Liberty heights: 19 new floors of residential for FiDi (why, oh why...)

Nothing seemed to be going on at the boarded up 67 Liberty St. between Broadway and Nassau Street in the Financial District for some time. Then, as a tipster noted this week, "they're adding floors rapidly."



Indeed, the former five-story office building is being converted to residences. Oh, not just the existing five floors -- developer Ron Shoshany is adding 14 stories to the structure. Work was approved for this spot in September 2004.





In any event, we just can't imagine how this is going to look... aside from really out of place. For starters, 65 Liberty Street next door is the former Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York. (Now home to the International Commercial Bank of China.) It's a A Beaux Arts landmark erected in 1901. A faux-op for next door then.

By the way, Joseph P. Day, real estate auctioneer and broker, bought 67 Liberty for his business in July 1919.

UPDATE: I found a rendering over at Newman Design.



As the copy there reads:

"Located in lower Manhattan, 67 Liberty Street Condos is a 19 story luxury residential rental building. The property was converted from a five-story commercial building into a 19 floor residence through creative application of zoning regulations. The design plan retained the skin on the first five stories, thus preserving the existing zoning, setbacks and utilizing the maximum FAR. As a result of the building’s narrow architecture, an interior scissor stair was designed."
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7 comments:

  1. ShatteredMonocleSeptember 2, 2009 at 10:39 AM

    May not be the most tasteful addition, but better this than tearing down and replacing it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Laura Goggin PhotographySeptember 2, 2009 at 10:53 AM

    The folks in the building on the left (west?) will enjoy having their windows bricked up, I'm sure.

    ReplyDelete
  3. robSeptember 2, 2009 at 1:47 PM

    Why isn't this a violation of the "sliver" law? According to the "sliver" clause in the zoning text, buildings on lots with a frontage narrower than 40 feet cannot rise higher than the street is wide, or 100 feet high, whichever is lower. The street there is narrow, as I recall and 19 stories is a lot higher than 100 feet.

    ReplyDelete
  4. EV GrieveSeptember 2, 2009 at 3:37 PM

    Indeed, Rob. I'd like to know more about the "creative application of zoning regulations" part mentioned on the architect's Web site.

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownSeptember 2, 2009 at 11:21 PM

    because the sliver law only applies in residential districts.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousSeptember 3, 2009 at 9:09 AM

    Just went by there this morning, there are 2 unions (laborers and carpenters I believe) with large blow up rats protesting this job - they're all blowing whistles constantly, it's an interesting scene

    ReplyDelete
  7. FiDi Do-GooderOctober 31, 2011 at 2:34 PM

    Work started again a few weeks ago. Now it is almost up to the 15th floor...as Goggla points out, we in the building being walled up are NOT happy! Many of those who lose 100% of their view are lawyers. Maybe they will sue.

    ReplyDelete

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