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Landmarks
1 Madison Avenue, application for Renovations.
WHEREAS, The building located at 1 Madison Avenue, also known as the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Building (the "building"), is a Venetian style office building designed by Pierre L. LeBrun built in l907-09 and altered in 1960-64; and
WHEREAS, In 1989 the building was designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission as an individual landmark; and
WHEREAS, The applicant, One Residential Fee, LLC, purchased the building on April 29, 2005 from Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; and
WHEREAS, The applicant has retained the architectural firm of Polshek Partnership Architects and historic preservation consultants, Higgins & Quasebarth, to convert the building into condominium apartments, which was formerly occupied by commercial tenants and is presently vacant; and
WHEREAS, The applicant proposes to make various alterations to the building, as follows:
- Convert the building's windows from one over one to single pane, the manner in which they existed at the time the building was landmarked;
- "Drop" and convert into doors, 44 windows located on the 31st floor loggia and terrace on the 35th floor of the building which will not be visible from any thoroughfare;
- Install four new mechanical louvers in various existing masonry openings, to be located in less visible areas from the street;
- Install eleven new windows on the south and east elevation on floors nine through eleven of the building, which will only be visible from Madison Avenue and 24th Street;
- Install new doors at the entrance to the building on 24th Street, the only entrance to the building, and to recess the existing revolving door five feet so that the entrance is compliant with federal law, namely the Americans with Disabilities Act and Local Law 57 of the Municipal Code of the City of New York;
- "Drop" to a door one of three windows located on the building's Madison Avenue facade (the southernmost storefront window) to accommodate a restaurant to be located there; and
WHEREAS, Community Board Five, although having concerns regarding the depth of the recess proposed to the revolving door located at the building's entrance, respects the applicants' proposed changes and believes they are consistent with the overall integrity of the building; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends approval of the application for 1 Madison Avenue for renovations.
The above resolution passed with a vote of 37 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstention, 1 present not entitled to vote.