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Landmarks
1501 Broadway, application for new 43rd Street main building entry doors and stone surround.
WHEREAS, 1501 Broadway, located in Times Square and granted landmark status in 1985, was built in 1926-27, and is recognized as an important building in the development and history of the Broadway theater district; and
WHEREAS, The building was designed by the firm of Rapp & Rapp, acclaimed as the designers of elaborate movie theaters during that period; and
WHEREAS, Beyond its value in theatrical history, 1501 Broadway is architecturally significant as a particularly strong example of the innovative setback skyscraper type of the 1920s; and
WHEREAS, 1501 Broadway was the tallest structure on Broadway north of the Woolworth Building at the time of its completion; and
WHEREAS, The owners have, in recent years, been granted approval for work on various components of the structure, including the marquee and signage; and
WHEREAS, The current application comprises requests for new entry doors at the 43rd Street frontage and the stone surround; and
WHEREAS, The design includes use of bronze and Indiana limestone, and proposes to replicate the historical bronze molding from the Broadway façade; and
WHEREAS, The proposed alteration is harmonious to both the historic record and the careful renovations made to the building to-date; and
WHEREAS, The materials being proposed for 43rd Street have been chosen to match original building materials and the Broadway façade; and
WHEREAS, Community Board Five urges LPC to work with the building owner to develop a master plan for ground floor alterations that will offer a comprehensive alteration agreement rather than the piecemeal approach chosen so far; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the application for new 43rd Street main building entry doors and stone surround for 1501 Broadway and urges applicant to develop a master plan.