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Landmarks

March 2014, Landmarks Committee

1230 Avenue of the Americas (between 48th and 49th Streets) APPLICATION to replace storefront infill.

At the regularly scheduled monthly meeting of Community Board Five on Thursday, March 13, 2014, the following resolution passed with a vote of 38 in favor; 0 opposed; 1 abstaining:

WHEREAS, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, also known as the Simon & Schuster Building (originally U.S. Rubber Company Building and Addition), an individual landmark within Rockefeller Center, is an office tower designed by the Associated Architects and built in 1939 with an addition designed by Wallace Harrison and Max Abramowitz and built in 1954-55; and

WHEREAS, The applicant proposes to modify and replace the storefront infill at two bays on West 48^th Street; and

WHEREAS, At the Westerly bay the applicant proposed to:

• Remove non-historic masonry cladding and replace it with new granite baseto match the historic condition, and
• Remove non-historic awning, and
• Install a new double bronze and glass doors, transom and two flanking windows with bronze frames to match existing, and
• install translucent film inserts and partitions on the inside of the storefront glass which would provide differing levels of opacity at each window and which would be completely removable and reversible, and

WHEREAS, At the Easterly bay the applicant proposes:

• no change to the bronze frame and like the westerly bay,
• install translucent film inserts and partitions on the inside of the storefront glass which would provide differing levels of opacity at each window and which would be completely removable and reversible, and
• on the interior install a light cove and interior access doors to accommodate interior programming; and

WHEREAS, The application is a modest proposal for largely restorative and reversible work similar to and harmonious with the existing storefronts, signage, and windows in Rockefeller Center; and

WHEREAS, Similarly appropriate store-front modifications have been approved repeatedly by both Community Board Five and the LPC, therefore be it,

RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the application to modify and replace storefront infill at 1230 Avenue of the Americas.