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Landmarks

229 West 43rd Street b/t 7-8th Avenue, application for signage on the 43rd Street façade of the former New York Times Building.

At the scheduled monthly meeting of Community Board Five on Thursday, March 14, 2013, the Board passed the following resolution by a vote of 33 in favor; 0 opposed; 1 abstaining:

WHEREAS, 229 West 43rd Street, originally the Times Annex, and headquarters of the New York Times Newspaper, originally built in 1912-13 to the design of Architects Buchman & Fox, was subsequently renovated and expanded twice before 1932 and the structure was Designated as an Individual  Landmark by NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission in March of 2001; and

WHEREAS, The building's main feature is an 11 story tower that rises above a richly detailed stone and masonry street wall that stretches for over 300 feet along the north side of West 43rd Street, the largest non theatre building in the area, which it has long dominated, giving physical substance to its name, Times Square; and

WHEREAS, The Applicant is proposing a retail signage plan for the ground and second floors, consisting of two types of signage: 

1. Transom signage at nine locations incorporated into the retail store front. This signage would be flush with the existing storefront consisting of lettering of less than 8" in height. The letters would be bronze pin mounted with a ¼" continuous light reveal. These signs would be back lit and match in material and appearance the existing storefront;

2.  Four banner signs projecting from the 2nd floor façade, two on either side of the main building entrance, one for each retail tenant. The banners would project 3'4" from the face of the building and be 2'-3" in width. Custom bronze armatures would be used to support the banners. The armatures will be finished to match the existing light sconces and the storefront below. The armatures will also conceal lighting for the banner signs in a manner that makes the lighting unobtrusive; and

WHEREAS, The Applicant presented drawings and renderings of the proposal and illustrated the intent as well as the context and relevant view corridors that clearly showed the design intent of the signage plan; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the new retail façade signage plan for 229 West 43rd Street, the former New York Times building.

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