Landmark permit issued for 175 9TH AVENUE, MANHATTAN in Chelsea
Landmark building permit details
| Location | 175 9TH AVENUE, MANHATTAN |
|---|---|
| Issue date | May 16, 2008 |
| (?) COFA | COFA 08-9979 |
Certificates of Appropriateness (COFAs) are issued by the landmarks commission when it approves such things as building construction, demolition and visible additions to historic property. The certificates require a public hearing and the entire process can take several months. |
|
| Docket | 08-7418 |
| Historic district | Chelsea |
| Landmark name | N/A |
| Expiration date | September 18, 2013 |
| Text | Pursuant to Section 25-307 of the Administrative Code of the City of New York, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, at the Public Meeting of September 18, 2007, following the Public Meeting of July 17, 2007, and the Public Hearing and Public Meeting of July 10, 2007, voted to approve a proposal to demolish an existing building and construct two new buildings at the seminary complex, as you were informed in Status Update Letter 08-3624 (LPC 07-4488), issued on October 1, 2007. The approval will expire on September 18, 2013. The proposed work, as approved, consists of demolishing an existing Building (Sherrill Hall) along 9th Avenue, relocating the existing iron work in front of the building to the western end of the complex, and constructing two new buildings within the General Theological Seminary Complex; one building on 9th Avenue, consisting of a five-story masonry base with two-story glass setbacks, and the other building along West 20th Street, consisting of a five story masonry building with a two-story glass connector; as shown in presentation materials dated September 11, 2007, prepared by Polshek Partnership Architects and presentation materials dated September 18, 2007, prepared by Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners, submitted as components of the application and presented at the Public Meeting of September 18, 2007. (Certificate of Appropriateness 08-6182 (LPC 08-5004) was issued on January 23, 2008 for the demolition of Sherrill Hall and the construction of the foundation only for the new building on 9th Avenue. This Certificate of Appropriateness is now being issued for the construction of the new 9th Avenue building. Separate drawings will be filed for the West 20th Street building at a later date, for which another Certificate of Appropriateness will be issued.) In reviewing this proposal, the Commission noted that the Chelsea Historic District Designation Report describes Sherrill Hall of the General Theological Seminary, at 175 9th Avenue, as an institutional building constructed in 1960. The Commission further notes that the General Theological Seminary extends an entire city block between West 20th and 21st Streets and 9th and 10th Avenues within the Chelsea Historic District. The district is characterized by Italianate and Greek Revival style rowhouses on the side streets and taller apartment building along 9th Avenue. The Seminary complex, designed by Charles Coolidge Haight in 1883, was in the form of a letter "E" with the prongs facing south and the back spine extending continuously along West 21st Street. The buildings surround a park-like green space or close known as Chelsea Square. The northern streetwall of the complex, which faces West 21st Street, is comprised of a series of 5-story brick and brownstone buildings punctuated by a church tower, buttresses, gables and chimneys. On West 20th Street, the property line is defined by an ashlar brownstone wall which runs between several buildings and in front of the "West Building," a Gothic Revival stone building, built in 1836 prior to the Haight plan. Sherrill Hall was constructed on 9th Avenue in 1959-61 at the site of three earlier buildings, and does not reflect the material and architectural quality of the historic complex. The existing wrought iron fence in front of Sherrill Hall dates to the earlier buildings. In 2004, the Commission approved a proposal to demolish a segment of the brownstone wall and fence on the 10th Avenue end of the complex and install a new fence. With regard to this proposal, the Commission found that the demolition of the existing building (Sherrill Hall) along 9th Avenue, will not result in the destruction of a building which contributes to the special character of the Seminary or the Chelsea Historic District; and that the relocation of the historic wrought iron fence to the western end of the complex will preserve and reuse this significant historic fabric, and is in keeping with the spirit of the previously approved proposal at the 10th Avenue end of the complex; that the footprint and placement of the 9th Avenue building will maintain and reinforce the Close-like character of Chelsea Square, as initially conceived of in the Haight plan; that the height and massing of the proposed building, with a streetwall height expressed in masonry and a glass setback portion which rises above, corresponds to the predominantly 5-story structures along 20th and 21st Street, and that the setback glass upper stories evoke the change in roof pitch and gables evident in the historic buildings of the complex; that the height and massing of the proposed building, with the five-story base and the two-story set-back, will mediate between the low scale of buildings along 20th and 21st Streets and the tall apartment buildings along 9th Avenue, and will preserve the architectural character of the streetscape and the historic district; that the continuation of the masonry wall to the seventh floor along 9th Avenue and along West 20th Street, unifies the five-story masonry base with two-story glass setbacks and creates an architectural language which relates to the vertical expression of the Gothic complex consisting of gables, chimneys and towers; that the building's modularity and proportions are taken from the existing historic buildings, and will reinforce the rhythm of the street wall; that the taller additional expressions of the masonry walls along 9th Avenue reflects the corner building at 10th Avenue along West 21st Street and these two buildings will create a bookend effect for the block along West 21st Street; that the taller masonry walls along West 20th Street will break the horizontality of the glass setbacks along West 20th Street; that the glass portion of the 9th Avenue and West 20th Street facades serve to break down the massing of this large building, resulting in forms which relate well to the massing of the buildings surrounding the Close; that the canopy is well-scaled and integrated into the design of the glass portion of this facade; that the proportions and shapes of the masonry openings, and the depth and shadow lines of the façade will relate well to the historic buildings in the complex; that the setback at the upper stories will allow the views of the church tower from the northeast to remain unobscured; that the materials of the proposed building, consisting of brick, brownstone, metal and glass will echo the materials palette of the buildings of the complex and the historic district as a whole; and that the materials, design and details of the rear façade, which faces into the Close will harmonize with and not complete the Close. Based on these findings, the Commission determined the work to be appropriate to the complex and the Chelsea Historic District, and voted to approve this application. The Commission authorized the issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness for the new building on 9th Avenue upon receipt, review and approval of two signed and sealed sets of the Department of Buildings drawings for the approved work. Subsequently, on March 28, 2008, the Landmarks Preservation Commission received construction drawings for the new building along 9th Avenue only, labeled A-00, A-01, A-02, A-101 through A-115, A-200 through A-214, A-300, ZA-301, A-400 through A-405, A-500 through A-506, A-520 through A-523, dated Received May 9, 2008, prepared by Enzo De Pol R.A., drawings labeled S-1 through S-11, dated Received April 21, 2008, prepared by Jacob S. Grossman P.E., and drawings labeled M-001, M-002, M-101 through M-115, M-101P through M-114P, M-400, M-500, M-501, M-502, M-600, M-601, M-700, M-701, E-101-F through E-107-F, E-501, P-504 through P-510, P-600, FP-001, FP-002, FP-100, FP-100, FP-101, PAGE 2 Issued: 5/16/08 DOCKET: 08-7418 FP-102, FP-105, FP-106, FP-107, FP-500, P-001, P-003, P-100, P-100UG, P-101, P-102P-105, P-106, P-107, P-108, P-500, P-501, P-502 and P-503, dated Received March 28, 2008, prepared by Gary H. Pomerantz P.E. Staff reviewed the drawings and found that the proposed drawings showed revised rooftop mechanical bulkheads and vents, visible over the 9th Avenue facade. With regards to this revision, staff found that the visibility of this installation is in keeping with the spirit of the original design. Based on this and the above findings, the drawings have been marked approved with a perforated seal and Certificate of Appropriateness 08-9979 is being issued. PLEASE NOTE: This Certificate of Appropriateness is being issued for the construction of the new building on 9th Avenue only. No Work is to commence on the proposed building on West 20th Street until signed and sealed Department of Building drawings for the new building are reviewed and approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. 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 Tenzing Chadotsang. Robert B. Tierney Chair PLEASE NOTE: PERFORATED DRAWINGS AND A COPY OF THIS PERMIT HAVE BEEN SENT TO: Enzo De Pol, SLCE Architects cc: Caroline Kane Levy, Deputy Director of Preservation, LPC; Damu Radheswar/ Susan Rodriguez, Polshek Partnership. PAGE 3 Issued: 5/16/08 DOCKET: 08-7418 |
Added to EveryBlock on July 1, 2008.