The BroadsheetDAILY – 5/2/22 – Tribeca Loft Buildings to Share a Rooftop Addition

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Ever Upward

Tribeca Loft Buildings to Share a Rooftop Addition

Above: A historical view of 62 and 64 Reade Street in 1864. Below: A rendering of the facade of the buildings, with the new addition to the rooftop.

The owners of a pair of adjoining buildings within the Tribeca South Historic District plan to add two stories to top of the pre-Civil War structures, which requires approval from the City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). The buildings at 62-64 Reade Street (located on the north side of the street, between Broadway and Church Street) are typical of the loft-and-store structures that were common in the neighborhood throughout the nineteenth century.

The building at 62 Reade is Italianate-style, designed by Isaac Duckworth in 1860. The structure next door, at 64 Reade, is also Italianate, and was built in in 1856, by an architect whose name is lost to history. Both had exterior fire escapes installed in 1917, in response to the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist fire, which resulted in 146 deaths.

A close-up view of the new floors that developers hope to add to the building.

At the March 10 meeting of the Landmarks Preservation Committee of Community Board 1 (CB1), architect Eran Chen recalled that the two structures were purchased in 1955 by a husband-and-wife team, who punctured the walls between 62 and 64 Reade Street, effectively combining them into a single building, which became the headquarters for their business, manufacturing time-card machines. The couple lived in the top floor of the building, above their factory. (Although the founders are long deceased, their company survives to this day as National Time Recording Equipment, now based in New Jersey.)

Purchased by the current owners in 2021 for $11.5 million, the buildings at 62-64 Reade are slated to be combined into a single residential structure, while one of the two fire escapes will be removed, with the remaining one extended to the proposed rooftop addition. Mr. Chen noted that the remodeled building will include six new residences.

Adding new floors to historic structures in Tribeca has become commonplace, as preservation consultant Jacqueline Peu-Duvallon pointed out at the CB1 meeting. Ms. Peu-Duvallon noted that more than half a dozen buildings on the same block have undergone the same process in recent years.

At its March meeting, CB1 enacted a resolution recommending that the LPC approve the proposed changes, while also voicing concern about the removal of one of the fire escapes. The LPC is slated to vote on the proposal in later this month.

Matthew Fenton

Heróyam Sláva!

On Tuesday, May third, the Church Street School for Music & Art will hold an evening of music to support ongoing aid efforts for Ukraine. The performance will be headlined by Ukrainian-born violinist Nadia Khodskovska, and feature faculty members from the Church Street School. The benefit concert, which starts at 7pm, will be held at the school’s 41 White Street headquarters. All funds raised will be donated to Razom, a non-profit Ukrainian-American human rights organization, to support the refugee relief effort. Tickets are priced at $25. To make a reservation, or request more information, please email tobywine@churchstreetschool.org or browse: churchstreetschool.org

Letters

To the editor,

[Re: Anti-Inundation Perambulation, April 28, 2022]

The anti-inundation works will only displace floodwaters towards the residential areas of Battery Park City. Remember Archimedes and his bath. We do not need a 30-foot levee with more buildings for the museum and restaurant. Keep the wonderful architecturally designed and prize-winning pavilion and trees.

Cynthia Martin

_________________________

To the editor,

I serve on the board of directors of Southbridge Towers, a New York City housing cooperative with about 5,000 residents, mostly senior citizens. Some of us have noticed that Urban Assembly Maker Academy is requesting reopening Brooklyn Banks Park, located on the north side of the Brooklyn Bridge. Many at Southbridge have had previous noise issues from skate boarders in the park who have contests and bring amplified sound. The park was originally designed as a quiet, restful space.

Perhaps the school principal, Amy Piller, did not notice the James Madison Park across the street from the school, which I find most often empty. We certainly respect the school’s purpose, and perhaps if the NYPD headquarters reduced its footprint in the neighborhood, we would all have more welcoming open space.

John Ost

Aesthetic Outpost

New Arts Colony Emerges Half a Mile from Lower Manhattan Shoreline

Governors Island no longer has a “season,” in the sense that Lower Manhattan’s equivalent of Central Park is now open year-around. But spring, and the prospect of summer, are still the highpoint in the annual calendar of this treasured public amenity, and a growing collection of public art has become one of the principal reasons to visit.

Anti-Inundation Perambulation

Resiliency Walking Tours

In a few months, construction will begin on the South Battery Park City Resiliency Project, a flood barrier system that, within a couple years, will extend from the north side of the Museum of Jewish Heritage through Wagner Park and across Pier A Plaza. The Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) is making efforts to educate the public about its resiliency plans. One of the best ways to understand the changes in store for the Battery Park City landscape is to take a BPCA-led resiliency walking tour.

Amending the Authority

Niou and CB1 Push Longer Leases, Caps on Cost Hikes, and a Voice for Residents

State Assembly member Yuh-Line Niou has introduced a pair of bills in the Albany legislature that closely track recent resolutions by Community Board 1 (CB1), and address a trio of issues that have long vexed local leaders.

‘It Would Be an Abomination’

Local Leaders Consider Pragmatic and Aesthetic Aspects of Cobblestones

Community Board 1 (CB1) is weighing whether to recommend that the City tear up historic cobblestone streets in Tribeca and resurface them with asphalt. A resolution debated at the Board’s March meeting notes that the City’s Department of Transportation (DOT) rebuilt seven local cobblestone streets more than a decade ago, and observes, “it almost immediately became apparent that the cobblestone work on these streets was poor, as they began to deteriorate, including loose blocks, disintegrating mortar, and emerging depressions.”

CALENDAR

Monday, May 2

3:30pm-5pm

Wagner Park

Young stewards explore the wondrous ecosystem of the Hudson River. Practice the skills required to operate a rod and reel and experience the thrill of catch-and-release fishing. Identify our native fish for data submission to research groups to help monitor the health of our local waters. Water testing and other fun projects will augment the study. Registration required, email: registration@bpca.ny.gov

Tuesday, May 3

10am-11am

Meet at the BPCA, 75 Battery Place

In celebration of NYC’s Circular City Week, join BPCA and the TRUE zero waste certification team for a walking sustainability tour offering an in-depth look at zero waste efforts in Battery Park City. Stick around after the tour to get hands-on experience performing a waste audit. Registration required, click into the event to sign up.

10:30am-11:30am

6 River Terrace

Join in on the fun featuring easy-to-follow Latin dance choreography while working on your balance, coordination and range of motion.

12pm

Online; Museum of Jewish Heritage

In the award-winning documentary short Zaida, Sophie Parens tells the story of her grandfather, Holocaust survivor Dr. Henri Parens. Born Henri Pusnizowski in Lodz, Poland in 1928, Dr. Parens survived two French detention camps until his mother encouraged him to escape. At age twelve, Henri was on his own. A year later, Henri made it to Pittsburgh where he became a celebrated psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. Join the Museum for a screening of Zaida, followed by a conversation with Sophie about her film, her grandfather’s legacy, and our responsibility to continue his life’s work. Free; suggested $10 donation.

Wednesday, May 4

10am-12pm

Rector Park East

Observe and sketch the human figure. Each week a model will strike short and long poses for participants to draw. An artist/educator will offer constructive suggestions and critique. Drawing materials provided.

2pm-4pm

Wagner Park

Embolden your artwork amidst the flower-filled and seasonally evolving palette of BPC’s verdant gardens. An artist/ educator will provide ideas and instruction. Materials provided, and artists are encouraged to bring their own favorite media.

6pm

Online; Skyscraper Museum

In what the New York Times review calls a “marvelous new biography,” journalist Richard K. Rein chronicles the life of William H. Whyte, one of the most influential writers and analysts of American cities and society in the second half of the twentieth century. From his bestselling, seminal book The Organization Man of 1956, to the revelatory The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces of 1980, “Holly” Whyte’s work changed how people thought about careers and companies, cities and suburbs, urban planning and open space preservation. Whyte’s keen eye for urban observation and clear, insightful writing on human behavior in public space, both preceded and enabled the voice of Jane Jacobs to burst forth in print in the 1960s, first as her editor at Fortune, then as an instrumental figure in the publication of Death and Life of Great American Cities.

6pm-7pm

Immerse yourself in this meditative practice- surrounded by the Hudson’s peaceful aura. Strengthen the body and cultivate awareness in a relaxed environment as your instructor guides you through alignments and poses. All levels are welcome. Bring your own mat is encouraged.

CLASSIFIEDS & PERSONALS

Swaps & Trades, Respectable Employment, Lost and Found

To place a listing, contact editor@ebroadsheet.com

Lower Manhattan Greenmarkets

Tribeca Greenmarket

Greenwich Street & Chambers Street

Wednesdays and Saturdays, 8am-3pm (compost program: Saturdays, 8am-1pm)

Bowling Green Greenmarket

Broadway & Whitehall St

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8am-5pm (compost program: 8am-11am)

The Outdoor Fulton Stall Market

91 South Street, between Fulton & John Streets

Indoor market: Monday through Saturday,11:30am-5pm

CSA pick-up: Thursday, 4pm-6pm; Friday, 11:30-5pm

Outdoor market: Saturday 11:30am-5pm, May through Thanksgiving

Today in History

May 2

This is polymath Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man and shows what was considered ideal body proportions. Vitruvius was a Roman architect; da Vinci’s notes refer to him.

1536 – King Henry VIII accuses Anne Boleyn of adultery & incest

1776 – France and Spain agreed to give weapons to American rebels

1833 – Czar Nicolas bans public sale of serfs

1865 – President Johnson offers $100,000 reward for capture of Jefferson Davis

1908 – “Take me out to the Ball Game” registered for copyright.

1926 – US military intervenes in Nicaragua

1933 – In Germany, Adolf Hitler bans trade unions

1952 – First performance of John Cage’s “Water Music”

1955 – Pulitzer prize awarded to Tennessee Williams for Cat on Hot Tin Roof

1968 – Gold reaches then record high ($39.35 per ounce) in London

1969 – British liner Queen Elizabeth II leaves on maiden voyage to NY

1974 – Former Vice President Spiro Agnew disbarred

1988 – Jackson Pollock’s “Search” sold for $4,800,000

1994 – Dr, Jack Kervokian found innocent on assisting suicides

2000 – President Bill Clinton announces that accurate GPS access would no longer be restricted to the United States military.

2011 – Osama bin Laden, the FBI’s most wanted man is killed by United States special forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

2012 – Edvard Munch’s famous painting “The Scream” sells at auction for $119,922,500

Births

1729 – Catherine the Great [Catherine II], Stettin, Pomerania, Kingdom of Prussia, Empress of Russia (1762-96)

1837 – Henry Martyn Robert, parliamentarian (Robert’s Rules of Order)

1903 – Benjamin Spock, pediatrician

1912 – Axel Springer, German newspaper magnate

1945 – Bianca Jagger [Blanca Pérez-Mora Macías], Nicaraguan model and socialite who married Mike Jagger

Deaths

1519 – Leonardo Da Vinci, artist/scientist, dies at 67

1957 – Joseph McCarthy, anti-communist US senator (R-Wisc), dies at 48

1972 – J. Edgar Hoover, first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (1924-72) dies at 77

2011 – Osama bin Laden, leader of al-Qaeda (b. 1957)

2021 – Bobby Unser, auto racer, dies at 87

2021 – Jacques d’Amboise, ballet dancer, and choreographer, actor, and founder of the National Dance Institute.

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