First look at proposed Greenwich Village tower by Robert A.M. Stern

If there’s one neighborhood in NYC where new developments face the most challenges it’s Greenwich Village. One of the city’s first historic districts and once home to preservation godmother Jane Jacobs, the low-scale community is arguably the most vocal and steadfast in the city. But it looks like Madison Realty Capital didn’t get the memo, as they’ve tapped starchitect Robert A.M. Stern to design a hulking, 27-story condo tower at 14 Fifth Avenue, just a block north of Washington Square Park, according to NY Yimby. And while Stern’s signature classy, limestone design fits in well with the stretch’s other apartment buildings, the proposed 367-foot height will likely not sit well with locals. However, at this point, the tower is merely conceptual and will still require a public review need Landmarks Preservation Commission approvals.

In total, there will be 36 condo units spread across 89,812 square feet. Floors two through 13 will have two units each, while those higher levels will contain full-floor residences; Floors 24/25 and 26/27 will be duplexes. Though the renderings make the tower look like it’s a mile higher than everything nearby, Yimby points out that One Fifth Avenue across the street is 340 feet.

Nevertheless, local preservationists are already unhappy. In a statement to 6sqft, Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, said, “Any developer who would think a tower of this grossly out-of-context scale would ever muster approval in the Greenwich Village Historic District is sadly deluded. Plans have not even yet been filed for this project; any development in the Greenwich Village Historic District would have to go through a long and in-depth public hearing and review process, where the local community would have ample opportunity to make its feelings and opinions about the proposed design known. If this developer thinks this proposal would receive anything less than vociferous opposition from the public and affected community, he’s in for a rude awakening.”

As previously mentioned, no plans have been approved and because of the site’s location within the Greenwich Village Historic District, they will need to go through the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

[Via Yimby]

All renderings via Robert A.M. Stern Architects