Rawlings Architects Rendering for 40 Bleecker St..
It looks like Broad Street Development has adopted Rawlings Architects design for a 12-story, 61-unit plus groundfloor retail for 40 Bleecker St.
As you may recall, 40 Bleecker St. was omited from the NoHo II Landmark District, though it does remain in the Special Little Italy District-Part B. From 1949 to 1985 the building functioned as an orphanage/protection facility for children. In 1985 it converted to a six-story apartment building with groundfloor offices.
It is currently classified as a Special Little Italy District C-6 and with the addition of the building facing Houston St. to the zoning lot, Broad Street Development jury-rigged the Houston Corridor regulations to apply to the Bleecker St. side. Clever.
By transferring the allowed Houston side bulk, the Bleecker St. side will be 12-stories with the top three stories incrementally setback and crowned with three apartments and a duplex penthouse with long expanses of private outdoor space. The building will top off around 150 feet tall. Amenities will include limited private parking, a swimming pool, fitness center and landscaped courtyard.
CityRealty has complete coverage.
40 Bleecker St. Missing Little Italy Requirements
But, with this recently circulated design, we believe they missed a few regulatory details according to Article X, Chapter 9 Zoning Regulations for Special Little Italy District
109-331
Building facades
For all #buildings# within Area B, the exterior materials of the
front wall shall be predominantly of masonry.
(12/11/07)
109-332
Treatment of the ground level wall
For a #building# wall facing a #narrow street#, at least 25
percent of the total surface area of such #building# wall up to a
height of 12 feet above #curb level# or to the ceiling of the
ground floor, whichever is higher, shall be transparent.
Transparent areas may include storefronts subject to Section 109-
50 (SPECIAL REVIEW PROVISIONS). Door or window openings within
such surface areas shall be considered transparent. Such openings
shall have a minimum width of two feet.
In addition, any portion of such #building# wall 20 feet or more
in length, which contains no transparent area at ground floor
level, shall be covered with vines or similar planting in
permitted front wall recesses, or be treated so as to provide
visual relief from large expanses of blank walls. Planting shall
consist of shrubs, ivy or creepers and shall be planted in soil
having a depth of not less than 2 feet, 6 inches, and a minimum
width of 24 inches.
The interiors will be designed by Ryan Korban. Broad Street has also tapped Edmund Hollander, the landscape architect with whom it worked on 215 Sullivan Street.
We are making inquiry with Borough President Gale Brewer’s Land Use office regarding the masonry and store-front landscaping issues in this design.