Landmark permit issued for 254 FRONT STREET, MANHATTAN in SOUTH STREET SEAPORT
Landmark building permit details
| Location | 254 FRONT STREET, MANHATTAN |
|---|---|
| Issue date | August 14, 2007 |
| COFA | COFA 08-1667 |
| Docket | 08-0870 |
| Historic district | South Street Seaport |
| Landmark name | N/A |
| Expiration date | May 22, 2013 |
| Text | ISSUED TO: Barry Akrongold, President 254 Front Street LLC 575 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10022 Pursuant to Section 25-307 of the Administrative Code of the City of New York, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, at the Public Meeting of May 16, 2007, following the Public Meeting and Public Hearing of April 11, 2006, voted to grant a Certificate of Appropriateness for the construction of a new building at the subject premises, as put forth in an application completed on March 16, 2006. Subsequently, at the Public Meeting of May 22, 2007, the Commission approved a proposal for a larger building with fronting on both Dover and Front Streets. This permit will expire on May 22, 2013. The work, as approved, consists of demolishing a one story building on Front Street; constructing a new building with an eight story façade with a one story set back rooftop penthouse and rooftop mechanical equipment on Front Street; and constructing a six story facade fronting Dover Street featuring commercial space on the ground floor and residential space on all the upper floors. The 70-foot street frontage on Front Street and 34 feet of the Dover Street facade will be clad in a patterned zinc colored metal, with a composite wood and resin panel window system featuring two-over-two double-hung windows and an integral louver system; red brick for the secondary facades featuring aluminum one-over-one double-hung windows and aluminum doors, and metal balconies off the rear facade. The ground floor commercial space will feature natural color aluminum framing, clear glass display windows and doors; metal and glass canopy supported by four evenly spaced tie-backs, with internally lighting; and non-illuminated signage attached to the canopy. The 51 feet of the Dover Street facade will be clad in red brick colored terra cotta rain screen system, featuring two-over-two double-hung aluminum windows, and decorative "corbelled" like cornice. The ground floor commercial space will feature bluestone sill and pilasters, natural color aluminum storefront framing for the display windows and entrance doors, and a cast concrete spandrel. The proposal, as initially presented to the Commission included a proposal for the Front Street building only, featuring a larger rooftop addition and mechanical equipment, and double height window openings. This work was shown in material samples, and twenty-one (21) presentation boards labeled 1-21, dated April 11, nineteen presentation boards labeled 1-19, dated May 16, 2006, and nine (9) presentation boards labeled 1-9, dated May 22, 2007, all prepared by Morris Adjmi, R.A., submitted as components of the application, and presented at the Public Hearing and Public Meetings. In reviewing this proposal, the Commission noted that the South Street Seaport Historic District designation report describes 254 Front Street as a one story garage building built in the mid-twentieth century, and an adjoining vacant lot. The Commission further noted that the building site is located at the edge of the historic district and that the site sits adjacent to a small empty lot, and across from the Brooklyn Bridge; that the Front Street streetscape is dominated by mid to late 19th century, and early 20th century mixed use buildings, ranging in height from 5 to 10 stories, and that Dover Street features 3 and 4 story brick buildings. The Commission finally noted that Status Update Letter 06-8141 (LPC 06-5492) was issued on May 17, 2006 for construction of new 8-story building. With regard to this proposal, the Commission found that the existing one story brick building on Front Street is not a building for which the South Street Seaport Historic District was designated, and, therefore, its demolition will not diminish the special architectural and historic character of the historic district; that the construction of a new building on this vacant lot on Dover Street will enhance the character of the historic district by reinforcing the street wall on Dover Street; that the careful massing of the building into two distinct parts will allow the facades to relate successfully to the streetscapes on both Front and Dover Streets; that the shorter height of the Dover Street façade will make an effective transition to the existing smaller Dover Street buildings; that the T-shaped plan of the taller portion of the building will result in a narrow massing at the corner which will relate to the taller corner buildings historically found in this historic district, while the simple cubic massing of the Dover Street portion of the building will maintain the plane of the street wall, and will be compatible with, and will relate well to the character of the Dover Street block front, and the buildings throughout the historic district; that the overall height of the building, and the palette of materials and finishes, including bluestone, metal, terra cotta blocks and red brick, will recall and harmonize with the surrounding streetscapes and relate well to the other buildings found throughout the historic district; that the metal cladding proposed for the Front Street and corner facades, while contemporary in nature, will recall the material and finish of the historic "Tin building" which is a building of major importance in the district; that the ground floor of the Front Street and corner facades featuring large display windows, a masonry bulkhead, and simple metal and glass canopies with tie-backs will recall loading bays on historic industrial buildings throughout the historic district, and will be in keeping with the commercial character of the district; that the composition and details of the Dover Street façade, with a grid of bluestone piers at the ground floor, metal storefront infill, and simply articulated masonry façade bays with punched window openings, will evoke in a contemporary way the various warehouse building types found throughout the historic district; that the terra cotta rain screen cladding proposed for the Dover Street facade, will be a contemporary evocation of the historic brick found on the buildings which make up a large percentage of the buildings found in the district; that the fenestration pattern within both facades will relate well to the pattern and scale of window openings at adjacent buildings; that the variegated planes, materials and color palettes of both portions of the building will help to provide scale and articulation, and will allow the two portions to relate to the texture of the streetscape; that the treatment of the recessed sidewall and rear façade of the Front Street portion of the building, consisting of simple punched openings in a plain brick facade, is reminiscent of the secondary elevations seen on many historic buildings within the district; and that the configuration of the Front Street building's rooftop mechanical equipment, with a low profile against the skyline and clad in the zinc material used elsewhere on the building will help these features to blend within the roofscape. Based on these findings, the Commission determined that the work is appropriate to the historic district, and voted to approve this application. However, in voting to grant this approval, the Landmarks Preservation Commission made its determination subject to the condition that two sets of final signed and sealed drawings showing the approved proposal, which shall be filed with the Department of Buildings, be submitted to the Landmarks Preservation Commission for review and approval. Subsequently, on August 10, 2007, the staff of the Commission received drawings A00 through A006, D101, D301, A100 through A107, A11 through A115, A121 through A125, A200 through A203, A300 through A302, A400, A500, A502, A600, A601, A610, A611, A612, A613, A620 and A621, dated July 31, 2007, prepared by Morris Adjmi, R.A. and S-100 through S-107, S-200 through S203, S-300, S-400 through S403, S-500, dated PAGE 2 Issued: 8/14/07 DOCKET: 08-0870 July 31, 2007, prepared by Severud Associates and M-1 through M-14, E-1 through E-10, P-1 through P-15 and Sp-1 through SP-9, dated April 4, 2007, prepared by Athwal and Associates, Inc. The Landmarks Preservation Commission staff reviewed the drawings and found that the proposal approved by the Commission has been maintained. Therefore, these drawings are being marked approved by the Commission with a perforated seal, and this Certificate of Appropriateness is being issued. PLEASE NOTE: This permit is issued contingent upon the Commission's review and approval of all material samples, all prior to the commencement of the work. Please contact the Landmarks Preservation Commission staff to arrange a site visit. Also, as the approved work consists of subsurface work, the applicant is required to strictly adhere to the Department of Buildings TPPN 10/88 governing in-ground construction adjacent to historic buildings. It is the applicant's obligation at the time of applying for their permit to inform the Department of Buildings that the TPPN applies. This permit is issued on the basis of the building and site conditions described in the application and disclosed during the review process. By accepting this permit, the applicant agrees to notify the Commission if the actual building or site conditions vary or if original or historic building fabric is discovered. The Commission reserves the right to amend or revoke this permit, upon written notice to the applicant, in the event that the actual building or site conditions are materially different from those described in the application or disclosed during the review process. All approved drawings are marked approved by the Commission with a perforated seal indicating the date of approval. The work is limited to what is contained in the perforated documents. Other work or amendments to this filing must be reviewed and approved separately. The applicant is hereby put on notice that performing or maintaining any work not explicitly authorized by this permit may make the applicant liable for criminal and/or civil penalties, including imprisonment and fines. This letter constitutes the permit; a copy must be prominently displayed at the site while work is in progress. Please direct inquiries to Kim Valente. Robert B. Tierney Chair PLEASE NOTE: PERFORATED DRAWINGS AND A COPY OF THIS PERMIT HAVE BEEN SENT TO: Morris Adjmi, Morris Adjmi Architects cc: Morris Adjmi Architects; William Neeley, Deputy Director of Preservation PAGE 3 Issued: 8/14/07 DOCKET: 08-0870 |
Added to EveryBlock on January 16, 2008.