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114 Fifth Avenue (btw. 16th and 17th streets) - modifications to ground-floor openings on the Fifth Avenue and West 17th Street elevations, construction of rooftop bulkheads, and installation of mechanical equipment
At the scheduled monthly meeting of Community Board Five on Thursday, June 13, 2013, the Board passed the following resolution by a vote of 41 in favor; 0 opposed; 1 abstaining:
WHEREAS, 114 Fifth Avenue (S/W corner of West 17th Street) is an 18 story commercial and retail building, designed by Maynicke & Franke, constructed in 1909, known as the Merchants' Exchange Building and is located in the Ladies' Mile Historic District; and
WHEREAS, The owners have applied to LPC for approval of modifications to ground-floor openings on the Fifth Avenue and West 17th Street elevations, construction of rooftop bulkheads, removal of an exterior fire stair and installation of mechanical equipment on the rooftop; and
WHEREAS, The owners propose changing the non- historic metal and glass entrance doors and to create a new steel and glass secondary entry door at what is now the service entrance to the building on West 17th Street; additionally, the proposal would provide for an additional retail store entrance in one of the bays on West 17th Street in the event that future tenancy required such an entry; and
WHEREAS, The proposal includes a 5 ft. wide, 10 in. high canopy projecting over the new secondary entrance which is not historically justified and deemed inappropriate by CB 5; and
WHEREAS, The owners propose removing an existing exterior fire stair at the rear of the building which removal will not be detrimental to the building's appearance; and
WHEREAS, The modifications include construction of rooftop bulkheads, extending an elevator's mechanical room height to provide to provide rooftop elevator access, a new cooling tower and other rooftop mechanical equipment room changes required for LEED certification, all of which are minimally visible from the public way as indicated in photographs of rooftop mockups, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the Certificate of Appropriateness for 114 Fifth Avenue (btw. 16th and 17th Streets) for modifications to ground-floor openings on the Fifth Avenue and West 17th Street elevations, construction of rooftop bulkheads, and installation of mechanical equipment in accordance with the Plans and Specifications presented to CB5 with the exception of the proposed canopy on West 17th Street which is deemed historically inappropriate.