Wednesday, November 8, 2017

There's a proposed addition for the recently landmarked 827-831 Broadway


[EVG photo from August]

Last week, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) approved a proposal to landmark the circa-1866 cast-iron buildings at 827-831 Broadway between 12th Street and 13th Street.

This decision spared the buildings from demolition. As previously reported, Quality Capital and Caerus Group bought the parcel between 12th Street and 13th Street last summer for $60 million. The deal reportedly included 30,000 square feet of air rights, which would be put to use for a 14-floor office building.

Back to the developer's plans in a minute.

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) campaigned the past 18 months to help preserve these buildings where artists Willem and Elaine de Kooning and Paul Jenkins, among others, lived and worked.

Per Curbed:

The [LPC] vote represents an unusual kind of designation for the commission that takes into special account the cultural history of the site. (Similar designations include the Stonewall Inn and Tammany Hall.) "The building itself, regardless of the destination, is worthy of designation," said Commissioner Frederick Bland. "What happened in it, regardless of the building, is worthy of designation."

According to the GVSHP, the developers said that if the buildings were landmarked, they would return with a claim of "hardship" to get out of landmarking or a proposal for an addition.

On Monday night, Community Board 2's Landmarks Committee will hear the developer's new proposal (find it here) "to construct a multiple story setback addition on the roof."

And the rendering:



The addition, at first glance, looks as if it blew in from the set of "Geostorm." However, the reflective façade is meant to represent Willem de Kooning's rural and pastoral landscape phase as well as his urban landscapes.

In an email, the GVSHP stated: "[T]his proposed 4-story addition is overwhelming in comparison to the building, and would nearly double its height."

The CB2 meeting is Monday at 6:30 p.m., NYU Silver Building, 32 Waverly Place, Room 207. The meeting is open to the public, who can ask questions and provide feedback on the proposal. CB2 will issue an advisory opinion and then the proposal will be scheduled for a hearing and vote with the LPC at a later date. Find more info here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: 14-story building planned for 827 Broadway

An appeal to landmark these buildings on Broadway

10 comments:

JQ LLC said...

That tumorous addition looks like a child played with a roll of foil and make fashioned a box out of it. I have seen better designs by homeless people with corrugated cardboard.

Congratulations on re-electing de Faustio people. For this shit is going to continue unabated.

Anonymous said...

Developers think they can buy any building especially a beautiful 150 year old which similar are landmarked and do what ever they want with it as in demolish it. They then cry hardship although they should have researched the buildings history and potential of landmark status before blowing a load of cash. The proposed office tower is park of City Hall's plans to extend mid-town through the very heart of the east Village along Broadway, 4th and 3 Aves. The proposed "Tech Hub" is the so in the door and if we can't stop De Blasio and his Realestate overlords the Death Star building will be one of the smaller, quainter buildings standing here in 10 years.

Anonymous said...

None of this will happen without the bankers providing the funding. The bankers are driving all of this - what bank is behind this?

Anonymous said...

This seems... not that bad? It's set back so it won't be that visible from the street level. So glad they were able to preserve the facade below.

Anonymous said...

Is that a cube of crushed cars? At least there's a setback so you don't have to see it from the street.

Giovanni said...

It looks like The Borg have finally landed their first spaceship on Earth and are preparing to assimilate all of us into their hive mind in order to achieve perfection. I’m all for it.

cmarrtyy said...

This is a sad and pathetic attempt to make money at the expense of the soul of the city. But since the FOR SALE sign still hangs on the door of city hall - thanks to the voters - New Yorkers will once again be victims of developers greed. FIGHT ON! FIGHT ON!

Kevin Durant’s burner account said...

Personally really enjoyed Geostorm

Anonymous said...

just because you can doesn't mean you should

Anonymous said...

Ugly AF. Developers have no taste. This piece of uglification is, I imagine, the developer's "fuck you" to the neighborhood.

There's no way that addition is in context, no matter how hard they reach to try to invoke DeKooning's name. FAIL!