<< Back
Landmarks
53-57 West 23rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue (north Side) –Application to replace ground floor store front and building entrances add signage and flag poles.
At the scheduled monthly meeting of Community Board Five on Thursday, September 12, 2013, the Board passed the following resolution by a vote of 38 in favor; 0 opposed; 1 abstaining:
WHEREAS, 53 West 23rd Street is located in the Ladies Mile Historic District, and
WHEREAS, The building was designed in 1915 by W.H. Birkmire for Nameloc Construction Company, and has a terra cotta facade with large windows that define the appearance of this loft building that is little changed with the exception of modifications to the original lobby entrance, and
WHEREAS, The building's three-story base and fourth floor served as the New York City headquarters of Morimura Bros., a Japanese emporium and import export firm and has its name affixed in raised metal letters to the spandrel above the third floor and is visible in the 1917 photographs of the building, and
WHEREAS, The building owner, Adams &Co. proposes to remove the Circa 1960 Lobby entrance of black granite and stainless steel and reconstruct a new entry portal of terra cotta that recalls the original design, as follows:
- The west service doors with be replaced with a new building lobby entrance of glass doors,
- At the office entrance, new terra cotta piers and decorative arched entryway will frame new glass doors in a widened entry bay similar in design to the original,
- Existing original storefront, including decorative metal base, mullions and bulkhead is to be refurbished,
- The existing retail entry doors will be widened,
- The building name will be restored to the spandrel above the third floor in a manner similar to the letters that are visible in the 1917 photographs of the building but will reflect the name of the current owner Adams or a tenant,
- Two flag poles, one on the east and one on the western edge of the façade are proposed, and
WHEREAS, The design of the renovation parts 1 thru 5 are deemed generally acceptable, CB5 recommends that the owners do not add flag poles to the façade; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends denial of the application of 53 West 23rd Street for restoration work to include replacement of lobby entrance and installation of new glass doors, new storefront and signage and installation of two flag poles unless the applicant eliminates the installation of the two flagpoles at either end of the facade.