Sky Loft in Tribeca developer clears hurdle

The Tribeca developer who was forced to rebuild two duplex penthouse units in his landmarked mixed-use project Sky Lofts, is moving forward with plans to convert four more floors in the building at 145 Hudson Street at Hubert Street to residences from commercial condominium units, city records show.

The application from developer Stanley Scott and his 145 Hudson Street Associates to convert the seventh through 10th floors to residential from commercial, was officially accepted by the city, or certified, Sept. 21, Department of City Planning documents show. The certification is the first step in the approval process for the city agency. The proposal next has to go before the local community board, followed by a review by the City Planning Commission.

Currently the four commercial floors are unused, a source familiar with the project said, but zoned for commercial use only. The ground through sixth floors consist of commercial condominium units. The 11th through 14th floors hold 22 residential units plus the two penthouse apartments, city records show.

It is unclear how many apartments would be built on the four new residential floors.  

The development, which lies in the Tribeca West Historic District, has struggled through a series of challenges. In 2005, the city Landmarks Preservation Commission forced the developer to tear down two luxury rooftop penthouse condo units after they were ruled to be seven feet too tall, and the residential sales were initially very slow. But ultimately sales improved. One of the penthouses sold in February for $30 million.

Scott did not respond to a request for comment.