<< Back
Land Use, Housing & Zoning
ULURP # C050520 ZSM, application by 1515 Broadway Fee Owner LLC (“Owner”) for a special permit to allow for an attended public parking garage pursuant to sections 13-562 and 74-52 of the Zoning Resolution at 1515 Broadway
WHEREAS, 1515 Broadway is a 1.7 million square foot, 54-story, mixed use building located on the west side of Broadway, between 44th and 45th Streets, and occupied by Viacom, the Minskoff Theater, the Astor Plaza Cinema and other tenants; andWHEREAS, 1515 Broadway was built in 1971 and issued a Certificate of Occupancy for 225 accessory parking spaces, however, it now houses approximately 386 parking spaces used for both accessory and public parking uses; and
WHEREAS, The owner
-
acquired 1515 Broadway in 2002,
-
became aware of the non-conforming parking garage during exploration of alternative uses of the ground floor area in the winter of 2003-2004,
-
initiated an application to legalize the pre-existing use in early 2004 and pursued several revision of the application with the Department of City Planning until early 2005,
-
filed a Environmental Assessment Study in March 2005,
-
filed a ULURP application in June 2005, and
-
received a certification of the application in March 2006; and
WHEREAS, Approval of the Special Permit will not
-
change the existing use of the garage
-
add any additional parking spaces to the garage
-
nor increase vehicular traffic in the area and further parting in the Theater District during business and theater hours is needed; and
WHEREAS, Community Board Five has received a letter from the Times Square Alliance supporting the application; and
WHEREAS, Although the Community Board has frequently disapproved applications to legalize existing illegal uses, because the owner did not create the illegal use and has attempted in good faith to rectify it, and because issuance of a Special Permit will not change the actual use of the garage nor add to vehicular congestion in the area; therefore be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the special permit to allow 386 parking spaces at 1515 Broadway.
The above resolution passed with a vote of 25 in favor, 0 opposed, 3 abstentions.