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Landmarks
576 Fifth Avenue – Request For Evaluation: Application For Landmark Designation Review.
At the regularly scheduled monthly Community Board Five meeting on Thursday, September 14, 2023, the following resolution passed with a vote of 30 in favor; 8 opposed; 1 abstaining:
WHEREAS, 576 Fifth Avenue, aka The Howard Building, is located in the Diamond District of Midtown Manhattan on the Southwest Corner of Fifth Avenue and West 47th Street; and
WHEREAS, 576 Fifth Avenue is a 12-story building constructed between 1905 and 1907 and designed by Maynicke & Franke in the Beaux Arts style; and
WHEREAS, The applicant, a proprietor of the Diamond District and founder of the Diamond District Preservation Group, is submitting this application to urge the Landmarks Preservation Commission to review and evaluate 576 Fifth Avenue for Landmark status, along with support from the Historic Districts Council; and
WHEREAS, There have been some alterations to the structure, including removal of the cornice and alterations to the lower two floors at the retail level, but the bulk of the building remains in original condition including terra cotta and wrought iron balconies, arched limestone pediments, and ornate relief detail featuring cornucopias, fruit, floral designs, and lion heads, among others; and
WHEREAS, As home to Howard & Co. Jewelers in 1907, 576 Fifth Avenue is largely hailed as the home of the first jeweler on a stretch that would soon become the world-renowned Diamond District; and
WHEREAS, Multiple forms of attempted contact have been made to notify the owners of this property, including public flyer postings, outreach to the local neighborhood business groups, transactional partners of its recent sale, and through the ownership’s website; and
WHEREAS, Community Board 5 recognizes that 576 Fifth Avenue has many original and historic architectural qualities in pristine condition and has also played an important role in the development of the Diamond District; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, Community Board 5 supports a Request for Evaluation by LPC for 576 Fifth Avenue.