Fulton Street

[Kris]

April 28, 2003

A Distant Urban Past Is Just a Local Stop

By GLENN COLLINS

Considering its chaotic buildings, anarchic signs and gritty facades, Fulton Street is an unlikely candidate for architectural sanctity, let alone salvation.

It is, however, dense with historic structures, and its westerly verge is destined to be the home of a new Fulton Street Transit Center on Broadway. Incorporating six existing Lower Manhattan subway stations, the $750 million transit nexus is scheduled to be completed by 2007.

The transit hub is the leading edge of the transformation of Fulton Street from river to river.

Students of the city's past see the street, and its environs, as a cornucopia of neglected architectural treasures, even though anyone who walks it will be confronted by a hodgepodge of building facades, some of which are undeniably shabby. Nevertheless, a consortium of leading preservation groups is concerned that new development could result in the obliteration of many non-landmark structures.

"Here, in one square mile, is a textbook of American history and architecture," said Ken Lustbader, conservation consultant to the Lower Manhattan Emergency Preservation Fund, a coalition of five organizations that joined forces after Sept. 11, 2001, to restore damaged historical buildings near ground zero.

The World Monuments Fund, one of the coalition groups, is alarmed that historic buildings could be demolished to make way not only for the transit hub but also for a host of redevelopment proposals envisioned by city, state, federal and private interests. "A great deal is at stake here," said John Stubbs, vice president of programs at the fund.

In December, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg proposed a new focus for the neighborhood called Fulton Market Square, a public market that, he said, "can begin the transformation of that street into a great place to shop, see a movie, look at art or just people-watch." And in a speech last Thursday, Gov. George E. Pataki summoned up an image of Fulton Street alive with "dozens of new shops, cafes and restaurants."

The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and the city have hired the consultants Robert A. M. Stern and Gensler Architecture, Planning and Design to conduct a $525,000 Fulton Street revitalization study. And tomorrow, preliminary plans for the new transit center will be exhibited by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority from 4 to 6 p.m. and followed by a formal presentation and discussion in the Alexander Hamilton United States Custom House at 1 Bowling Green, near Battery Park.

"We're not opposed to new ideas down here," said Peg Breen, president of the New York Landmarks Conservancy, another of the coalition groups. "We don't advocate freezing the area and making it a museum. But we have heard no one talk about preservation and reuse, and we'd like those ideas to be considered."

The M.T.A. Web site (www.mta .nyc.ny.us/planning/fstc/index.html) depicts a sleek transit building replacing existing structures that include an 1889 classic, the Corbin Building at 11 John Street.

But preservationists hope that historic structures will be incorporated in the finished design. In fact, according to William Wheeler, director of project development and planning for the M.T.A., the modern look "is just a concept" and an engineering consultant and an architect have yet to be chosen. Can buildings be preserved? "We are right at the beginning," he replied, "and looking at all our options."

In the weeks after the terrorist attack, five groups, often called "the preservation mafia," called attention to Lower Manhattan as an underappreciated architectural district, said Frank E. Sanchis III, executive director of the Municipal Art Society of New York.

The consortium included his own organization, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Preservation League of New York State, the Landmarks Conservancy and the monuments fund. Its Web site, http://nycpreservation911.org , highlights some gems that have not been declared landmarks.

Mr. Stubbs, of the monuments fund, noted that the venerable aimlessness of many of the streets in Lower Manhattan suggests the "old quarters" of urban Europe. "Down here," he said, "it is a low-rise medieval city — dotted with buildings 40 stories high that are part of the area's richness."

Fulton Street — which in 1852 became the city's first to be paved with granite Belgian blocks — is itself a miniature catalog of New York architectural history, Mr. Sanchis said. At its east end are the early 19th-century warehouses of South Street Seaport. Its west end could have the cynosure of Lower Manhattan's architectural future: a proposed 1,776-foot-tall skyscraper that Governor Pataki said last week "will restore the New York skyline."

In between, the Fulton Street area holds half-hidden facades, festive terra cotta and the nation's first Methodist church. Those interested in admiring its treasures might best begin their walking tour with a subway ride.

THE FULTON STREET-BROADWAY NASSAU STATION This warren of Lilliputian shops, labyrinthine corridors and befuddling stairways is inundated by 275,000 passengers daily and incorporates six subway stations built between 1905 and 1932. According to the M.T.A., the improved new hub, when completed, will make more sensible connections between nine subway lines there (2,3,4,5,A,C,J,M,Z), with a link to the N, R and E at Dey Street. To continue the walking tour, head up to the sidewalk at Broadway and Fulton Street, then turn east across Broadway to:

ST. PAUL'S CHAPEL Centuries after George Washington worshiped there, this landmark Colonial monument (parts of which date from 1764) became both a sacred and secular space for the recovery workers of Sept. 11, 2001. It also happens to afford a fine view from across the street of the planned site of the future transit terminal: directly below the American flag above Mrs. Field's Bakery Cafe.

BROADWAY FROM FULTON STREET TO JOHN STREET Glance east toward the ground-zero void, then stroll along the west side of Broadway, which will soon be transformed, Governor Pataki said last week, "with new landmark gray sidewalks, granite curbs" and new lighting fixtures. Across the street is the former storefront of Chelsea Jeans at 196 Broadway, that housed a glassed-in collection of dust-covered jeans: a time capsule of Sept. 11, 2001. Continue south, cross Dey Street and walk far enough to look east across Broadway at:

11 JOHN STREET The Corbin Building, an 1889 skyscraper, was designed by Francis H. Kimball, a busy downtown architect known for his decorative use of terra cotta. Underneath all the grabby signs, fire escapes and soot is a festival of Renaissance revival ornamentation, cast-metal window spandrels and carved brownstone. If the building were reused or the facade saved, Ms. Breen said, "there could be a dramatic and wonderful transportation center and this irreplaceable building could still be preserved."

NASSAU STREET Walk east on John Street one block to Nassau Street, making sure to glance down the block toward the landmark John Street United Methodist Church, the first Methodist church in America. Turn south on Nassau to view the startling vista of the medieval street plan of Lower Manhattan, including the massive Renaissance rustication of the Federal Reserve Bank Building to the left, and the New York Stock Exchange, straight ahead.

63 NASSAU STREET Walk a half block south to 63 Nassau. This 1860's survivor of the era of ornate cast-iron facades is attributed to the first manufacturer of cast-iron buildings in New York, James Bogardus. Note the patriotic little metal cartouches of Ben Franklin. Head north again on Nassau Street, pausing briefly at the elaborately carved "L" stone cartouche at 83 Nassau Street: such initials, endemic to the area, were the talismans of merchants' pride.

130 FULTON STREET The Fulton Building on the corner of Nassau, which does not have official landmark status, is an eclectic Renaissance-revival fantasy of limestone, brick, and terra cotta, designed by the firm of DeLemos & Cordes and built from 1891 to 1893.

127 FULTON STREET Heading east again, encounter the Keuffel & Esser building, a slender seven-story Renaissance revival masonry classic with a graceful cast-iron storefront partially obscured by scaffolding. Note the coat of arms (the business was founded in 1867, and the building constructed in 1892) as well as the cast-metal window-frame sculptures of drafting implements.

123 FULTON STREET Dating from the early 19th century, this thoroughly unremarkable walkup, with apartments over a retail store, is a surviving example "of the classic type that once populated this neighborhood," Mr. Stubbs said.

106 FULTON STREET Walk down past Dutch Street to view the newish facade on the Pace University dormitory building. Then retrace your steps to Dutch Street and head south, to discover an architectural secret. The 14-story neo-Classical office building on the east side of the street — with the stamped-metal exterior and exquisite architectural detail — is actually what the L-shaped 106 Fulton looks like under its modernized cladding.

GOLD STREET Walk east, then south down the pre-grid-plan narrowness of Gold Street. Take in the Queen Anne-style 1888 Excelsior Power Company, designed by William Grinnell, with its extraordinary cast-iron building sign.

EDENS AND RYDERS Meander to the left down Edens Alley, trodding the Belgian blocks once so typical of the quaint lanes in the area. The L-shaped street's outlet on Fulton Street has an entirely different name: Ryders Alley.

CLIFF STREET Walk east on Fulton, then make a right at Cliff Street for an object lesson in architectural transition. The look of the original buildings, dating from the 1830's, is apparent from the granite post-and-lintel arch that extends across 28, 30 and 32 Cliff Street. The four-story building at 28 Cliff Street has retained many of the original elements. But "refacading" of 28 Cliff Street and 30 Cliff Street has led to modernizations that Mr. Stubbs deplores and, he said, "could hint at the future around here."

SCHERMERHORN ROW Complete the tour by walking east on Fulton to the South Street Seaport. Between Front Street and South Street, on the right, observe the classic row of Schermerhorn commercial buildings, completed in 1807. Stroll past this block that once bustled with burghers, immigrants, gentlemen, slaves and seamen. The buildings are still there because, in the 1960's, after no little struggle, they were declared landmarks.

Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company

[Kris]

January 20, 2005

BLOCKS

Waiting, Waiting on a Plan for the Fulton Corridor

By DAVID W. DUNLAP


The future of the landmark-quality former headquarters of Keuffel & Esser would be affected by a completed Fulton Street corridor plan.

THE "Fulton Corridor Action Plan" - a river-to-river redevelopment framework for Fulton Street and environs, with an emphasis on shopping, entertainment and the arts - was initiated in 2002 by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and the City Planning Department. They awarded the project to Robert A. M. Stern Architects, known for its work on the retail revitalization of 42nd Street.

To date, there has been action on the Fulton corridor, but there is still no publicly articulated plan, though the need for one is growing more urgent.

For instance, the landmark-quality former Keuffel & Esser headquarters at 127 Fulton Street is for sale, with no clear indication of how it might fit in with a market hall that is envisioned on the same block, at the northeast corner of Nassau Street.

And the greater Fulton Street plan, whatever it is, will have to compete with other projects for the diminishing federal grants available in Lower Manhattan. Gov. George E. Pataki has set a deadline of March for laying out spending priorities.

"We have reason to believe they're working on good stuff, but without seeing the plans, it's hard to know," said Petra Todorovich, an associate planner at the independent, nonprofit Regional Plan Association.

Two weeks ago, it appeared that the public would finally get a chance to glimpse a more detailed future of Fulton Street and lower Greenwich Street, where new parkland might be created on a deck over the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel entrance. A panel discussion with state and city officials was scheduled Jan. 11 at the Center for Architecture in Greenwich Village, but the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation declined to participate and the event was not held.

"The frustration, very simply, is that we have been saying that it's not just about the World Trade Center site," said Fredric M. Bell, executive director of the New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects, which runs the Center for Architecture.

Given the extraordinary demands of ground zero, it is not hard to understand why planners sometimes seem to slight other areas downtown. Still, if Lower Manhattan is to rebound fully, its social, cultural and economic health will rest on more than the new World Trade Center alone, which is why it is so important to get a picture of what officials have in mind for Fulton Street, Greenwich Street and the East River waterfront.

Kevin M. Rampe, the president of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, and Daniel L. Doctoroff, the deputy mayor for economic development and rebuilding, said yesterday that the Fulton Street plan was near completion and that planning for Greenwich Street was under way. Both projects will come into sharper focus, they said, once spending priorities are set and it is known how much money remains for projects outside ground zero, after ensuring construction of a memorial and cultural buildings.

In federally financed projects that involve the acquisition of real property, notices must be sent to all residents or businesses that may be displaced. The more refined and focused the plan, Mr. Rampe said, the fewer such disruptive notices need to be sent.

On the other hand, the longer the wait for a plan, the more speculation is likely to occur. That is underscored by the uncertain fate of the Keuffel & Esser Building, an 8-story, 113-year-old structure that is on the market for $9.8 million.

(If you are old enough to know what a slide rule is, you know K+E. If not, you can find a K+E Analon slide rule at the Smithsonian Institution. Keuffel & Esser donated it in the 1970's as the pocket calculator pushed the slide rule to near-extinction.)

Keuffel & Esser was founded in 1867 - a date memorialized on the facade at 127 Fulton Street - and acquired 120 years later by Azon. Its name is still on the Fulton Street building, as are reliefs depicting precision tools and scientific instruments. The architects, De Lemos & Cordes, later designed the Macy's flagship at Herald Square.

IT'S a critical building in that it raises the threshold of good architecture on the street," said Ken Lustbader of the Lower Manhattan Emergency Preservation Fund, a coalition of five preservation-minded groups.

In 2002, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg offered his vision for the same block: Fulton Market Square, which he described as "a great place to shop, see a movie, look at art or just people-watch."

Whether the old building fits into this vision at all is unclear. So is the future of the market hall itself, which might cost $30 million. "Fulton Market Square is still a possibility, but it will be a function of available funds," Mr. Doctoroff said yesterday. "And it's not an inconsequential project in terms of money."

Mr. Doctoroff said the city had not yet examined in detail whether the Keuffel & Esser Building and the market hall could coexist or be combined in some way.

As a general principle, Mr. Rampe said, preservation is critical to economic redevelopment downtown. "Historic structures in Lower Manhattan play an incredibly important role in making it the place it is," he said.

That is why advocates like Mr. Lustbader are concerned about the planning limbo on Fulton and Greenwich Streets. "It's unclear what is actually going to be implemented," he said. "Will there be an official plan versus private-sector real estate speculation that can affect the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan at the expense of historic properties?"

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company

[ZippyTheChimp]

Fulton St. area moves close to becoming historic district

By Ronda Kaysen


A swath of the Financial District may soon become an historic district, a change that would be largely honorific in nature, but provide potentially lucrative tax incentives for some property owners in the district.


The State Historic Preservation Office has taken a special interest in the Fulton-Nassau area and hopes to place a slice of Downtown north of Liberty St. and south of Spruce St. on the state register of historic places. Once the district lands on the state register, the application will then be forwarded to Washington D.C. so it can secure its place on the national register.


“This is probably the most important historic proposal we’ve got on the docket this year,” said Mark Peckham, national register unit coordinator, at a May 2 public hearing. “We’d certainly like to see it go forward.”


Behind the garish awnings flaunting cheap shoes and Prada knock-offs along the blocks east of Broadway, Theatre Alley and Park Row and west of Nassau, Dutch and William Sts., is an abundance of buildings seeped in city history. Many of the buildings date back to the 1860s through the 1930s, reminiscent of the neighborhood’s long commercial history.


“We said, ‘Wow, this is really intact, this is really amazing,’” Simeon Bankoff, executive director of the Historic Districts Council, said in a telephone interview of his first serious consideration of the neighborhood in early 2001. “You have these riotous signs on the storefront, but underneath everything’s intact. You’re blown away by the intactness of it.”


H.D.C. proposed the idea to SHiPO in March 2003, in the hopes it might revitalize the tawdry area, which has been unduly burdened by the World Trade Center disaster. “All of a sudden all the stores were shuttered after 9/11,” Bankoff said. “We thought this is a real opportunity to bring these buildings back.”


Unlike city landmark preservation laws, which carry strict construction guidelines, a position on the national register places few restrictions on property owners. Developers are free to alter – or even demolish – any properties in the district and buy and sell property as they see fit.


SHiPO only steps in and makes recommendations, which could impact a development when a property owner taps state or federal funds for a project — such as Liberty Bonds and Community Development Block Grant funds.


And then there are the perks. Commercial or rental property owners are eligible for a preservation tax credit, which allows a 20 percent credit for substantial renovations, and non-profit organizations are eligible for historic preservation grants. There are no tax incentives for residential property owners, however.


“It’s largely honorific, but there’s a little icing on the cake,” said Kathleen Howe, a historic preservation specialist for SHiPO, referring to the tax incentives.


The handful of property owners, Community Board 1 members and other residents who attended the public hearing responded enthusiastically to the proposal. “I’m so happy that this project is going forward and I really hope it goes through,” said Nina Lavin, a Tribeca resident.


Bruce Ehrmann, chairperson of C.B. 1’s Landmarks Committee, suggested writing a resolution in support of the plan.

The proposal has not always received such a warm welcome. When SHiPO and H.D.C. first fielded the idea to C.B. 1 in Sept. 2003, it was met with marked resistance and skepticism.


“All the plans were in flux back then,” C.B. 1 member Roger Byrom told Downtown Express after the meeting, referring to the massive redevelopment changes facing the neighborhood in the months after 9/11. Board members worried, “Is this going to complicate things?”


Since the 2003 presentation, the neighborhood has changed its tune, as was evident at Tuesday night’s meeting. “There’s a lot of support from the people in this room,” said Byrom.


SHiPO sent letters to property owners in the historic district two weeks ago and has received few calls regarding the proposal.


The handful of residents who have called H.D.C.’s offices inquiring about the proposal, said Bankoff, are mainly property owners curious about the tax incentives.


With the community’s blessing, the proposal will appear before the state review board on June 15 and potentially join the 80,000 other New York State properties on the national register by the fall.

Ronda@DowntownExpress.com

Fulton St neighborhood study by LMDC presented to CB1
Slide presentation

[mkeit]

I was on Futon St near Bway on Saturday-what a dingy and depressing street.

[investor350]

Fulton Street has more charm than you will ever attain-meiskeit!

[citybug]

I was on Futon St near Bway on Saturday-what a dingy and depressing street.

Cmon, Don't slam my neighborhood. Fulton Street is such a historic area that it needs to be preserved. So many of these building were built during the turn of the century and are connections to the past. Sure, The Fulton Street area has deteriorated over the years but it's still one of the few Downtown areas that has character and "pinoche".

[TLOZ Link5]

Don't you mean "panache"?

[mkeit]

I guess panache includes having one of the few (only?) Pudgie's in NYC.

[BPC]

Fulton Street is a little dowdy these days, but if you look carefully at the architecture (except for that last block by the Seaport), you will see that underneath the layer of grime there could be greatness.

[TLOZ Link5]

I guess panache includes having one of the few (only?) Pudgie's in NYC.

Pudgie's was once quite noticeable in Manhattan. There used to be one on Second Avenue, a few blocks from my building. But this was a looooooong time ago.

[NYatKNIGHT]

Fulton Street is a little dowdy these days, but if you look carefully at the architecture (except for that last block by the Seaport), you will see that underneath the layer of grime there could be greatness.

We agree!

Fulton definitely has potential with a scrubbing. Could use better retail, but in time.....

[ZippyTheChimp]

Most of the problems are on the ground floor. Standards are needed for retail display. The neighborhood study calls for wider sidwalks. That means no parking.

Nothing needs to be knocked down, except if possible, the city should take a small area, and build a public plaza, somewhere between Nassau and Gold Sts.

Three notable buildings at Fulton-Nassue intersection:

The Fulton Building being converted to residences

http://www.130fulton.com/

The landmarked Bennett Building


124 Fulton

[Derek2k3]

[lofter1]

The Streets of Lower Manhattan

http://www.lowermanhattan.info/news/...ower_25650.asp




Conceptual drawings of proposed
renovations to Fulton Street

September 19, 2005

Lower Manhattan, particularly south of Chambers Street, is home to some of the city's most multi-functional streets in terms of traffic, utilities, parking, and pedestrians. Originally, the area was "mapped out" by the first Dutch settlers, when streets didn't accommodate anything wider than a carriage. Four centuries later, many streets throughout downtown still boast original street names, are laid out in almost identical patterns, and remain nearly as narrow as they began -- characteristics that make traffic and utility management more challenging here than in other parts of the city.

Each quarter, LowerManhattan.info produces a newsletter celebrating aspects of downtown that make the area a wonderful place to live, work, and visit. The latest issue showcases the streets of Lower Manhattan, providing a glossary of street names revealing their fascinating histories, interesting street facts, and detailed descriptions of the anatomy of a street. You'll also find useful information about the government agencies that keep streets flowing smoothly and the utilities they house in good form, descriptions of upcoming plans to revitalize major downtown roadways, and an information-rich map.

Copies of "The Streets of Lower Manhattan" newsletter are available now at many downtown businesses, organizations, residential buildings, and transportation hubs. For a full list of distribution locations, please click here. Pick one up, or download a PDF version

[NYCResident]

February 10, 2006
Fulton Street Redevelopment Is Approved
By THE NEW YORK TIMES

The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation's board voted unanimously yesterday to spend $38 million to redevelop the Fulton Street neighborhood into what the organization's president, Stefan Pryor, called "a vibrant, mixed-use, river-to-river corridor."

Planned improvements include new sidewalks and curbs, benches, lighting fixtures, plantings and signs. The area, to be called the Fulton Corridor, will extend from Church Street to Water Street. It includes not only intersecting streets and those adjacent to Fulton Street, but also the site of the planned Fulton Street Transit Center. The development corporation proposed grants to property owners who agree to restore building facades according to new guidelines intended to emphasize the neighborhood's historic character.

Among other improvements, the development corporation plans to renovate Titanic Park at Fulton and Water Streets. DeLury Plaza, at Fulton and Gold Streets, will be expanded into a larger park, and a children's playground is to be built at Burling Slip, a block south of Fulton Street and east of Water Street.