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.
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City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden, in a letter to the Board of Standards and Appeals, asked the board to deny zoning variances requested by the owner of 437 West 13th Street in the Meatpacking District, where Darryl Romanoff hopes to build a 12-story glass office tower. The Romanoff family is seeking zoning variances because the High Line covers about 27 percent of the property. The Romanoffs say that will mean additional construction expenses that will lower their return on their investment, so they want to build a higher tower. Preservation advocates say that the proposed project is out of scale with the area and calls for demolition of a historic building. The Board of Standards and Appeals is set to consider the issue again June 16…. [more]