Zinc Building - 475 Greenwich Street - Tribeca - Condo - by GreenbergFarrow

[billyblancoNYC]

Always wondered when this would be developed. Can you believe they're "concerned" about 8 stories, instead of 6...


http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_25...atriangle.html



Downtown Express photo by Brett C Vermilyea


Site of proposed new building

A Tribeca developer plans to build a new eight-story residential condo with ground floor retail space on the vacant triangle bounded by Greenwich, Watts and Canal Sts.


The architect, Shael Shapiro, and land use attorney, Jay Segal, representing the owner, Fabian Friedland, told the Community Board 1 Tribeca committee on Oct. 2 that the project would require a variance from the Board of Standards and Appeals because current zoning does not allow new residential buildings.


The preliminary concept plan calls for a total of 48,000 sq. feet and about 19 apartments in a project built to a floor to area ratio of six, or eight stories. Current zoning allows new commercial buildings with a F.A.R. of five, which would allow a six-story building on the site.


“In general we support residential development,” Albert Capsouto, chairperson of the committee, said last week, “but we don’t support increases in bulk.” Marc Ameruso, a Tribeca committee member who lives across the street from the site, said, “We’re glad to see something built on the lot to replace the derelict buildings there and we appreciate getting information early, but we’re concerned about the height of the project.”


A two-story former auto repair garage and two other buildings, one four stories and the other three stories will be leveled to make way for the project.


“It’s a unique site. There’s water at the seven-foot level – probably the old canal on Canal St.,” Shapiro said last week. The east-bound tube of the Holland Tunnel also underlies the site and rises to the surface on Canal St. three blocks away. There is no design yet for the building and the B.S.A. variance application has not yet been filed, Segal and Shapiro said.

[kliq6]

As ive said many times hear, Community Board One SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, as a person who works for a construction company, weve seen manny projects die in lower manhattan because of them

[NYatKNIGHT]

They should have proposed a 10 or 12-story bldg., then let the Community Board "have their way" bringing it down to 8 stories. They don't feel they're doing their jobs if they don't knock off a couple of floors every proposal.

I thought that triangle was supposed to be one of the new downtown parks, guess not.

[ZippyTheChimp]

The site to be developed is one block west of Hudson. The park triangle borders West St.

From a previous issue of Downtown Express:

Canal Park on track

Construction of the new Canal Park at West St., a reincarnation of the triangular park that disappeared in 1920 to make way for the Holland Tunnel, will begin sometime in November, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Parks and Recreation.


The new park, covering two thirds of an acre, will be twice as large as the first one built in 1888, and unlike most new Downtown park projects, it will not be funded out of the $25 million Lower Manhattan Development Corp. fund designated for Lower Manhattan parks.


The $2.5 million construction cost of the new Canal Park, located at the western end of Canal St., comes from the New York State Department of Transportation as part of the Route 9A project. Last December, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe paid tribute to the Canal West Coalition, a neighborhood group that has lobbied for the park for the past three years, for moving the project forward.


Construction on what is now a triangle with a broken stone and earth surface will take about 18 months. The Parks Department spokesperson said the date in November for groundbreaking has not yet been determined.

[ZippyTheChimp]

http://www.downtownexpress.com/

Canal St. developer wins neighbor and C.B.1 approval

By David H. Ellis

The developer of a planned condominium complex on an abandoned Canal St. lot earned Community Board 1’s recommendation during the June 3rd Tribeca Committee meeting in his attempt to win a variance from the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals.

After several months of consulting with neighbors over the site at 500 Canal St. at the corner of Greenwich St., architect Shael Shapiro, owner Fabian Friedland and land use attorney Jay Segal presented a series of concessions to board members and an audience of approximately two dozen Tribeca residents last week in the hopes of winning the approval of both groups.

“We have understood the concerns of the people in the area and we have agreed to modify that proposal which we think will meet the satisfaction of most of the people in the area,” said Segal.

These modifications, which resulted from a handful of meetings with potential neighbors, included scaling back the building height from 111 to 98 feet, and a reduction in the setback from 85 to 75 feet. As outlined in the original plan, which was presented in October, the building would still offer a retail space on the ground floor and 19 to 21 units covering about 48,000 square feet and would maintain the original amount of living space. By building a new residential structure on the site, which is currently zoned for commercial buildings with a floor-to-area ratio, or F.A.R., of five, the developers are required to obtain a special permit or variance from the Board of Standards and Appeals.

The new building, which would have a F.A.R. of six, would be located on a parcel of land that is currently occupied by overgrown weeds, faded newspaper pages and a complex of two and three-story abandoned buildings that previously housed a custom ceramic tile company and car audio installation store. Due to the awkward shape of the plot and the building’s location directly above the Holland Tunnel, committee members believed that it met the B.S.A. economic hardship and unique site requirements.

“The committee found it valid that he has a hardship, one because of the configuration of the land, its proximity to Holland Tunnel and that the foundations required extra work,” said Albert Capsouto, chairperson of the C. B. 1 Tribeca Committee. “He was not unreasonable asking for the F.A.R.”

After speaking with residents, the building’s developers also agreed to forgo a cooling tower on the roof, to include landscaped areas measuring 500 and 700 square feet along Canal St. and to make a construction manager available by cell phone for neighbors to voice complaints. The plan would also prohibit nightclubs and bars from occupying the first floor. Although no merchant has committed to the 4,000 square foot space at this point, Friedland indicated the space could be divided, but the ideal tenant would be a gourmet food market such as Citarella.

Residents such as Ktziah Spanier, who lives at 466 Washington St. with her husband Sid and serves as the co-op president, were pleased that Friedland took an unorthodox route of consulting with the potential neighbors about the impact of the building’s construction.

“What Fabian has done for the community is absolutely wonderful,” said Spanier. “It’s been wonderful because people come and they build these buildings and they go back to their house in the suburbs and they leave us with a hole.”

As another part of the 18-month project, the developers agreed to form a design committee which would include two or three members of the community who would offer input regarding design materials and design treatment of the building.

“It’s a very rare occurrence where the developer solicits and reaches out to the neighbors, but he’s a neighbor himself,” said Capsouto regarding Friedland’s development. “If this sets an example for developers, I think it’s a good thing. It would probably only help them to get in touch with the community before they invest a lot of time and effort in a project.”

Downtown Express is published by
Community Media LLC.

Email: josh@downtownexpress.com

[Edward]

The site of 500 Canal Street. 16 July 2005.

[Fabrizio]

Great that community members in the neighboorhood care enough about aesthetics to keep on the backs of developers from crapping things up..... even over tiny details ( they all add up and make a difference). That´s why this area of Manhattan has become, and will continue to be, such a desirable adress.

[pianoman11686]

I'm pretty certain this is the same building. Update from http://cityrealty.com:

New condo project at Greenwich and Canal Streets 29-JUL-05

Douglaston Development has obtained a zoning variance for a 7-seven-story new condominium apartment building at 475 Greenwich Street on a triangular block bounded by Canal and Watts Streets in TriBeCa.

The site is directly over the Holland Tunnel and has been occupied by low-rise buildings that once housed a ceramic tile company and a car audio store.

In discussions with the TriBeCa committee of Community Board 1 the developers agreed last summer not to lease any of the project’s 8,000 square feet of retail space to nightclubs or bars.

Greenberg Farrow Architects are designing the building, a rendering of which has indicated that it will have many of its windows slightly angled, which will create visual interest.

The project will have 21 units.

Douglaston Development is currently building the 50-story residential tower at 325 Fifth Avenue and recently completed the handsome residential, two-building complex at 555 West 23rd Street.

[Edward]

The site of 500 Canal Street. 30 July 2005.

[Fabrizio]

Is it this building? If so, looks like it´s going to be a beauty, in good taste.... without a lot of trickery.

The fact that it´s freestanding and small, in this setting, will give it a more important look. It´ll be a jewel....small can look exclusive and chic. If it were taller, would it look as special?

http://www.douglastondevelopment.com...reenwich.shtml

[pianoman11686]

Yeah, Fab, that's got to be it. Douglaston Development, 21 units, triangular corner on Canal/Greenwich...it has been a little confusing but I think we've figured out that two different buildings (each on triangular lots) are going up at opposite intersections of Greenwich and Canal. The rendering confirms the location of the building (dually known as 475 Greenwich and 500 Canal), and it seems that, despite the lack of details in the rendering, the building will be a nice one. Good find, by the way.

[BigMac]

Douglaston Development

475 Greenwich Street



Douglaston Development and Montagu Square Development have joined together on this unique project. To be built on its own isolated parcel, 475 Greenwich Street will consist of 21 luxury condominium lofts and 5,000 square feet of retail space. Greenberg Farrow Architects has used this rare opportunity to build a free standing building to create a signature design. A zoning variance was secured to allow residential development on this site.

Levine Builders is providing general contracting services.

© Douglaston Development, 2005

[lofter1]

This site has been cleared down to dirt. Just a bare little triangle now with a few bricks scattered about and a cyclone fence all around.

Just waiting for the construction crew ...

[ablarc]

And how long do you suppose the wait will be? What's another few years anyway?

[lofter1]

The wawy construction costs are going through the roof, even if they start soon the budget will be 50% higher before they finish.