Hearing for 215 ft.-tall Gansevoort office tower April 28th
The request for variances for a proposed development at 437 West 13th Street (at Washington Street) in the Meatpacking District, to allow a glass office building 55% larger than zoning allows and triple the allowable retail space, will be heard by the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) on Tuesday, April 28th. The BSA will decide whether or not the owner receives these variances, or exemptions from the local zoning restrictions.
GVSHP has been strongly opposed to the variances, which were largely approved by the Community Board 2 Zoning Committee and then overturned (see below) by the full Community Board 2 following opposition by GVSHP and other opponents of the plan. The proposed 215 ft. tall building would be completely out-of-scale for the neighborhood, and its almost entirely-glass facade, 215 ft. tall blank northern wall, and three-story big box retail space in its base would be totally out-of-character for the neighborhood. The plan also involves demolition of an Art Deco historic market building within the Gansevoort Market National Register Historic District; the building was also within the proposed NYC Gansevoort Market Historic District (which would have prevented demolition), but was removed from the district approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission after heavy lobbying by the owners.
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