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Landmarks
136 Fifth Avenue, application to demolish an existing two-story structure and construct a new two-story building
WHEREAS, 136 Fifth Avenue is a remnant of a four-story row house in the Ladies’ Mile Historic District built in 1850, altered in 1982 and converted for commercial use from 1900 to 1950; and
WHEREAS, The top two stories of the building were destroyed by fire in 1960 and the lower remaining stories are now vacant but had been occupied by Andrews Coffee Shop; and
WHEREAS, The applicant, Apple Computers, seeks to tear down the existing building and replace it with a two-story retail building comprised of a glass facade made of three tiers of low-reflective, clear glass abutted panels, with an exposed structure located nine feet behind the glass facade; and
WHEREAS, A previous application relating to the reconstruction of the façade was not approved by Community Board Five in March 2005; and
WHEREAS, The current design is striking and attractive, but the proposed all-glass facade would be too modern and not appropriate to the Ladies’ Mile Historic District; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That Manhattan Community Board Five recommends denial of the application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for 136 Fifth Avenue.
The above resolution then passed with a vote of 19 in favor, 7 opposed, 2 abstentions.