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Land Use, Housing & Zoning
Application # (M 140174 ZSM) for a modification to an existing public plaza and arcade at 10 East 53rd Streets
At the monthly meeting of Community Board Five on Thursday, December 12, 2013, the Board passed the following resolution with a vote of 34 in favor, 0 opposed, 1abstaining:
WHEREAS, The requested actions are sought in connection with the renovation of an approximately forty-year-old building. The proposed renovation will modernize the building, upgrade the arcade and plazas; and
WHEREAS, The site is located on a block (Block 1288) bounded by East 53rdStreet to the north, East 52nd Street to the south, Madison Avenue to the east, and Fifth Avenue to the west; and
WHEREAS, the plazas and arcade were constructed between 1969 and 1973 in connection with the development of a 38-story office building located on a through block site with frontages on East 52nd and East 53rdStreets; and
WHEREAS, On September 10, 1969, the City Planning Commission approved a Special Permit (CP-20841) granting a 22,341 zoning square-foot bonus for the 3,723.5 square-foot TB Arcade; and
WHEREAS, Along the interior of the arcade are entrances to three retail establishments and to the lobby for the commercial offices on the upper floors; and
WHEREAS, The plazas are located at the base of the building on each street frontage; the arcade connects the plazas and provides access to the ground floor retail spaces and the lobby for the office uses on the upper floors. Additionally, the combination of the arcade and plazas provide 24-hour through access from East 52nd to East 53rd streets. A loading berth and a 12' wide curb cut exist within in the plaza and were allowed under the 1961 Public Plaza standards.
WHEREAS, The arcade is proposed to be open daily from 8:00 AM to 10:00PM; and
WHEREAS, The arcade is open 24 hours a day today; and
WHEREAS, Lighting will be improved, the floor, walls and ceiling will be upgraded with a lighter color scheme and modern materials, new POPS signage will be installed including a 16" wide by 24" tall information plaque will be mounted on the building, adjacent to the arcade; and
WHEREAS, the modifications proposed in this application will provide additional public seating and make significant improvements to the plaza access; therefore be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the re-design at 10 East 53rd Street given the applicant's commitment in writing to revise the application to ensure the thru-block arcade is open from 6AM – Midnight 7 days a week.