High Line office tower trimmed

The Romanoff family, the developers of a proposed office tower near the High Line, has cut the size of the building at 437 West 13th Street in response to criticism from preservationists. The Romanoffs originally wanted to build a 215-foot, 12-story office building that extended over the High Line, but they have reduced that to a 201-foot building that will no longer extend over the park. The building will also no longer have the cellar that would have been constructed below the High Line. The Romanoffs had originally said that the High Line would increase their construction expenses, and they sought a variance to increase the building’s size in the hope of recouping a fair return from the property. The Board of Standards and Appeals will hold another hearing on the project in September.