HDC regularly reviews every public proposal affecting Individual Landmarks and buildings within Historic Districts in New York City, and when needed, we comment on them. Our testimony for the latest items to be presented at the Landmarks Preservation Commission is below.
Item 1
196 Guernsey Street – Greenpoint Historic District
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, Docket #196925
An Italianate style rowhouse built c. 1865. Application is to modify window openings and replace windows.
Project Architect: Palette Architecture
HDC is concerned with the proposed double sliding glass door, which distracts from the building’s original Italianate style. We would suggest a simpler solution of altering a window to create a door down to the first floor.
Item 2
55 Joralemon Street – Brooklyn Heights Historic District
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, Docket #197720
A Greek Revival style rowhouse built in 1848. Application is to alter the parapet and install a cornice.
Project Architect: NV/design.architecture
HDC applauds the applicant’s overall restoration efforts on this historic building, but our committee has a few suggestions. The proposed parapet and cornice are highly visible and close to eye-level, and as such, our committee urges the applicant to put careful thought into their materials and placement. We find the use of synthetic materials to be inappropriate for brownstone Brooklyn and would suggest the installation of a sheet metal cornice instead. We also suggest the applicant work with staff to get the proportions just right, using examples from the streetscape to guide these necessary changes.
Item 3
536 Halsey Street – Bedford Stuyvesant/Expanded Stuyvesant Heights Historic District
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, Docket #183361
An altered Queen Anne style garage building designed by Axel S. Hedman and built c. 1904, and a one-story utilitarian garage building built in the 20th century. Application is to demolish the one-story garage building and construct a new building, alter the front and rear facades of the three-story garage building, construct a rooftop addition, alter the front areaway, replace the sidewalk, and excavate at the rear.
Project Architect: ROART
HDC is opposed to the overwhelming amount of added bulk proposed for this group of buildings. With no precedent for a five-story building height on this block or its vicinity, the rooftop additions would stick out and call way too much attention to themselves. Considering the low-rise nature of this area, HDC feels that the proposed additions should be brought down to better respond to their context. While our committee finds the alterations to the base of the larger garage building to be thoughtful, the proposed design of the new building gave us pause. Despite the proposed use of quality materials, its design could certainly benefit from further finesse, especially in its proportions and response to the buildings on either side of it. We also request that the cornice design and alignment take cues from the existing streetscape. As proposed, the cornice seems to float in an odd position apart from the building next to it and apart from the very consistent cornice line of the rowhouses on this side of the block. HDC asks the Commission to request another attempt at the proposed scheme for this site.
Item 12
482 Broome Street – SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, Docket #197453
A store building designed by John McIntyre and built in 1883-84. Application is to enlarge a rooftop bulkhead.
Project Architect: Robert Strong Architect
By bumping up the proposed bulkhead, further attention would be called to the visibility of the existing bulkhead atop this building. Its material choice and the building’s corner location also make this installation especially problematic. Therefore, HDC requests that the applicant investigate solutions to bring down the head height of the bulkhead, including the possibility of installing a hydraulic elevator.
Item 13
380 West Broadway – SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, Docket #198194
An Italianate style store and storehouse building designed by Edward H. Kendall and built in 1873-74. Application is to enlarge the elevator bulkhead and install a new door at the ground floor.
Project Architect: Beyhan Karahan & Associates
Echoing our testimony for 482 Broome Street, HDC finds the visibility of this extra-tall bulkhead to detract from the building, and would suggest that the applicant investigate other options for bringing down its height.
Item 14
12 West 19th Street – Ladies’ Mile Historic District
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, Docket #195592
An Italianate style dwelling built in 1859 and altered in 1910 for commercial use. Application is to alter the front façade, replace windows, and construct rooftop and rear additions.
Project Architect: SWA Architecture
Our committee is concerned about the visibility of the proposed rooftop addition. The applicant has provided no mock-up to indicate whether or not the addition would be visible from the public way. We look forward to seeing a revised application that includes this mock-up and proves the proposed addition would not be visible.
Item 15
160 Fifth Avenue – Ladies’ Mile Historic District
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, Docket #184538
A neo-Renaissance style office, store and loft building designed by Robert Henderson Robertson and built in 1891-92. Application is to install a barrier-free access ramp.
Project Architect: MdeAS Architects
Given the grandeur of this building and this section of Fifth Avenue, HDC finds that a banal ramp such as this directly fronting Fifth Avenue would be an unfortunate disruption to the streetscape. Therefore, we ask the Commission to request the investigation of an interior solution for making this very large interior floor plate accessible.
