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Landmarks
160 Fifth Avenue, Application for a rooftop addition.
At the regularly scheduled monthly Community Board Five meeting on Thursday, December 14, 2023, the following resolution passed with a vote of 34 in favor; 0 opposed; 1 abstaining:
WHEREAS, 160 Fifth Avenue, aka the Mohawk Building, is a 9-story Offices/Store and Loft building completed in 1891-92 in a neo-Renaissance style; and
WHEREAS, The Simons Foundation (The Applicant), proposes to build a rooftop addition at 160 Fifth Avenue; and
WHEREAS, This addition includes a tall, one-story enclosed space on the north side of the roof with a movable north elevation wall system for an assembly space with a minimum of 150 seats, as well support spaces, and an ADA elevator; and
WHEREAS, The addition is set back 25 feet from the parapet on the West 21st street side and 20 feet on the 5th Avenue side, and due to the existing 10 -foot parapet lining on the roof, this addition will be modestly visible from a large distance; and
WHEREAS, This proposed rooftop addition also includes a two-story system, located towards the rear, with an elevator vestibule, meeting rooms, back of house/support spaces and restrooms; and
WHEREAS, This proposed upper roof plan has a sloped metal roof with a sky light at the downward slope and solar panels on the flat roof facing south along with mechanical equipment on the west side of the roof and an operable door system that faces north out onto the open space of the roof; and
WHEREAS, The proposed rooftop addition is minimally visible, with only a minor portion of the gray sloped edge of the addition is visible and this portion is contextually designed with other roof top features; and
WHEREAS, Overall only the edge or the side slope is minimally visible and are designed as a rooftop feature blending in the masonry and roof scape of surrounding buildings; and
WHEREAS, Existing water/cooling towers will be refurbished and reused; and
WHEREAS, The enclosure will be a matte gray finish, the decking will be teak wood and concrete pavers; the rear facades of the rooftop addition is clad in brick with textured terracotta panels on its north face and bronze metal panels, combined with mechanical equipment and the reactivated water towers SW corner; therefore be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the application for a rooftop addition at 160 Fifth Avenue.