Depressing-albeit-unsurprising word is getting around about the strip of Univesrity Place which until recently served as the home of Bowlmor Lanes, a parking garage and a few retail tenants. The illustration at right is not a representation of what's to come, but I thought it looks suitably ominous enough to fit the bill.
Here’s the news:
The Macklowe Organisation has filed a permit to construct a 23 story, 308 foot tall building on the current Brevoort Garage (aka Bowlmor Lanes) building at 110 University Place. For context, the tallest nearby buildings are 10 to 12 stories tall
The following letter from Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation was disseminated in response to the news..
Dear friend,
I have some unfortunate news to share with you. Today William Macklowe filed for permits to build a 23-story, 308 ft. tall building at 110 University Place – you can view the permit application here.
We are very unhappy about this, as I am sure are you. Earlier this year, GVSHP wrote to Mr. Macklowe urging him to build a more contextually designed building on this site (see attached letter). Sadly, the zoning for the site does allow a building of this scale.
GVSHP has been working with neighbors and local elected officials both on outreach to Mr. Macklowe to try to persuade him to keep any new development on this site in scale with the neighborhood, as well as to propose and pursue zoning changes and landmark protections for this area that would prevent more such developments in the future. However, to be clear, because both zoning changes and the enactment of landmark protections are a very long process, these are measures we are pursuing to prevent further such changes in the future, not to prevent this development from moving ahead, which would be virtually impossible to do through these means.
We are and will continue to be in touch with local leaders and elected officials about next steps. However, I wanted you to be aware of this news, unfortunate though it is, as soon as possible.
Andrew Berman
Executive Director
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
232 East 11th Street, New York, NY 10003 T: (212) 475-9585 x38 | F: (212) 475-9582
www.gvshp.org
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