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Landmarks
880-888 Broadway and 34-38 East 19th Street, application for the restoration of the façades of both buildings
WHEREAS, 888 Broadway, the ABC Carpet & Home building aka the W. & J. Sloane Store and Warehouse is a two-building complex located at the southeast corner of Broadway and East 19th Street with an additional wing extending through the block to East 18th Street, in the Ladies Mile Historic District; and
WHEREAS, The building, designed by William Wheeler Smith, was built in 1882-1898, for William and John Sloane, experienced weavers from Scotland; and
WHEREAS, The building built in the Commercial Palace style, is highly expressive of the internal brick and iron structure, and ornamentation is derived primarily from Renaissance and Baroque sources with Gothic details; and
WHEREAS, The building has been home to ABC Carpet & Home since 1974; and
WHEREAS, The building was acquired by Normandy Real Estate Partners in partnership with ABC Carpet & Home in 2017; and
WHEREAS, The applicant is proposing to convert the building from retail to commercial office space; and
WHEREAS, Floors 3 to 6 will be converted to office space, while the cellar to floor 2 will retain a retail use; and
WHEREAS, As part of their conversion, the applicant is proposing to do alterations, conservation, restoration, to the building including:
Alterations to existing accessible retail entrance
New freight elevator doors on East 18th street and East 19th Street
New office lobby and entrance on East 19th Street
Façade restoration and conservation
Restoration of the wrought iron flower metal freeze at the base of the building, including along the entire East 19th street facade
Louvers removal to be replaced by windows matching existing windows on East 18th Street and East 19th Street
New directly illuminated sign blade on East 19th street
New flag pole on East 19th Street
New rooftop elevator bulkhead
Replacement of existing exterior stair
New rooftop mechanical equipment
New office rooftop addition, railing and roof deck
WHEREAS, The applicant proposes to use historic materials, matching originals when possible; and
WHEREAS, The proposed rooftop structure and mechanical equipment will be minimally visible; and
WHEREAS, The applicant has agreed to install a sign blade with direct lighting and has abandoned their initial idea to install an internally illuminated sign blade; and
WHEREAS, The applicant has agreed to re-introduce the historic wrought iron metal frieze on East 19th Street, which is currently missing; therefore be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the application by 880-888 Broadway to do various alterations, conservation and restoration of their building.