Victory at Former Florent, 69 Gansevoort in the Meatpacking District
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(l.) The historic R&L storefront just a few years ago and (r.) its current conditions, renovated with compromising changes to the stainless steel storefront. |
GVSHP is pleased to report that after repeated outreach to the City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), we have gotten the agency to not only issue violations for unpermitted alterations to the façade of this iconic building in the Gansevoort Market Historic District, but also to rescind permits for changes we argued it had issued erroneously.
Earlier this year, the LPC issued staff level permits for work to be done on the façade of this structure. When the work was done and the scaffolding removed, GVSHP found that historic features of the façade had been eliminated. GVSHP immediately reached out to the LPC and discovered that some of the work had not been permitted by the LPC, but some had been through staff level approvals. But according to the Landmarks law, staff level approvals are never supposed to be granted for work that eliminates contributing historic features of landmarked buildings – such changes should only be considered through a public hearing process, where the public can provide feedback and the decision is made by the full Landmarks Preservation Commission.
While the LPC initially agreed about the unpermitted work and issued violations, they also initially denied our contention that approvals should never have been issued at staff level for some of the changes. However, after continuing to press the Commission on this issue, we are happy to report that they have reversed themselves and now agree that the staff permits were issued incorrectly, have rescinded them, and are taking follow up action. Thanks also go to State Senator Hoylman, Assemblymember Glick and City Councilmember Johnson for also reaching out to the Commission about this issue.
GVSHP will continue to closely monitor this site and the LPC, to ensure that the façade is restored and no further permits are granted for changes without the appropriate review. In 2003 GVSHP got this and much of the rest of the Meatpacking District landmarked, which was the first expansion of historic district protections in Greenwich Village since 1969. Read more about GVSHP’s preservation efforts in the Meatpacking District here.
Next: 5/3/19
Previous: 9/14/2016
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