Landmarks Panel Punts on Alterations to Historic Telephone Building Opposed by CB1
The City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) considered, in its November 28 meeting, a proposal by the owners of the historic AT&T Long Lines Building (at 32 Avenue of the Americas, in Tribeca) to “activate” the structure’s ground-level walls by puncturing the brick facade to create additional (and valuable) street-facing retail space.
This proposal was rejected by Community Board 1 (CB1) in October, in a resolution that said the quantity and breadth of these changes would modify the building “in an overwhelming and overbearing manner.” That measure urged the LPC, which has final say over changes to landmarked structures, such as the Long Lines Building, to veto the proposal.
The building’s owners want to enlarge existing windows and create new ones. The plan would pierce the facade with new entrances, and extend the building’s footprint by enclosing 640 square feet of sidewalk space at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Lispenard Street, creating a new pavilion.
When this resolution was quoted at the November 28 LPC meeting, Julie Rosen (a preservation consultant with the firm Higgins Quasebarth & Partners, which helped formulate the plan) disputed that it reflected the view of CB1, saying, “we’d first like to respond to the CB1 testimony and just let all the Commissioners know that the final resolution does not actually represent our experience at the Landmarks Committee. Based on the discussion that was held and the vote that was taken, we thought the project was actually very well received and that the committee was supportive of the project, with some design caveats. And so, we were disappointed and a bit surprised that they wound up changing their stance when they ultimately presented a negative resolution to the full board.”
In a discussion among the LPC members that followed, commissioner Michael Goldblum said, “there should be a little bit more retention of historic fabric” of the original building. Commissioner Stephen Chu said, “I feel quite strongly that two added windows on Church Street are not appropriate.”
Apart from these specific objections, most LPC commissioners were broadly supportive of the proposal to modify the exterior of 32 Avenue of the Americas. At the conclusion of the hearing, the LPC declined to vote or render a decision, but the agency’s chair, Sarah Carroll, said to the team representing the building’s owners, “We have a few things we want you to look at before we come back for a vote. Look at the widening of some of the openings, particularly new openings. With some of those refinements, we will be able to have a vote. We’ll welcome you back as soon as you are ready.”