Lot Line windows? and Flower District...

[narikin]

I'm thinking about buying an old flower market area loft that has a lot of windows on the lot line, overlooking a smaller building below/nextdoor.
what's the rule about how far away they would have to build that building if the developed it at some point? I overheard a broker saying it must be 10 feet away, which sound a little unbelievable to me - is that so?

What do people think of the Flower/Fur District in general: 26-29th @ 6/7th Ave. I know its not a hot area, but it does seem to be one of the few authentic unspoilt districts in Manhattan. Yes, there is nowhere I would want to eat nearby either, but you get a lot of authentic loft space for your dollar.

thanks

[lofter1]

That broker should be hooked up to a lie detector machine ...

If the windows in question are on the lot-line and the lot next door is not yet maxed out to the allowable FAR then the developer COULD build right up to the wall of your building and cover the lot-line windows.

On the other hand the developer might pull the building back from the perimeter of the lot to allow for more height. Usually this is done in a way that the new building is designed to set back from the sidewalk -- not away from the buildings on either side.

I suggest you take a walk around the neighborhood -- particularly in the 20's just off 6th Avenue to see what is going up. You'll be hard pressed to find many new buildings -- particularly in the mid-block -- that don't butt up against the buildings to the sides.

[ManhattanKnight]

A while back, I worked for a firm that had its office on the top floors of a Midtown building, with numerous, large lot-line windows. When we moved into that space, we were told that those windows were "illegal," in the sense that the landlord could not guarantee that they would remain unobstructed during the life of the lease. Sure enough, after the low-rise building next door was razed, a new office tower, taller than ours, was erected, almost touching ours. As the new building rose, our lot-line windows were bricked-up on the outside and sheetrock-overed on the inside. Some of the nicest offices and conference rooms were now windowless. We relocated about a year later.

[narikin]

yep, sounded too good to be true to me too, but was worth dreaming. its a narrow gap to the next building, so any in-fill would be only c. 18ft wide, BUT the building on the opposite side has a fire escape on its side, which I presume has to stay, so???
So is there any way to be sure of development plans, other than asking the owners?

[posterboy]

for another example of bricked up windows, observe what is happening at the site of 101 w 24th, which is just about to reach the height of its neighbor to the west (and will eventually far surpass it). my gf works in one of the offices and most of their natural light is now gone. so, by the way, will most of the flower district within the next five or ten years.

if you're looking for an authentic loft space, why not try the south bronx or bushwick?

[Front_Porch]

if you're looking for loft space, why not go a little higher into the West Thirties? Chelsea Heights! Seriously, I remember friends of mine seeing an 1,800 square foot place with tons of light near Macy's -- they bought in the Lion's Head instead, but there's stuff like that out there -- though it will never be a family neighborhood.

ali r.
{downtown broker}

ps: Sirtaj on 26th between 6th and Broadway is pretty Desi Indian food.

[lofter1]

So is there any way to be sure of development plans, other than asking the owners?

You'd need to determine the actual lot line of the building you are interested in vis a vis the lot line of the buildings next door.

DOB records describe the boundaries (you have to sift through applications, scroll down the page and look for "metes and bounds").

But you can pretty much determine that if a wall going up is flush to the building line at street level then any windows on that wall are lot line and thereby in jeopardy.

Another way of judging; Is the exposed wall with the potentially lot-line windows "finished" as a design element of the building -- or merely rough / utilitarian brick work?

[narikin]

thanks, the building next door is only 25ft wide, and the fire escape on the other neighboring building means its 20ft wide possible. so its not a hot option for development, though anything is possible, of course. The windows on 'my' building have been there since it was built, and it's a lovely 10 window run. would be awful to loose them.