City Planning gives Chelsea Market expansion the go-ahead — mostly

Jamestown Properties’ controversial plan to expand the Chelsea Market finally got the green light today, although not without significant alterations. The City Planning Commission gave its unanimous approval for the project – despite opposition from Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and ambivalence from City Council Speaker Christine Quinn —  on the condition that Jamestown give approximately $12.7 million to the High Line, some $6.3 million to affordable housing in the area and reduce the scale of the additions, the New York Observer reported.

“We are gratified by the City Planning Commission’s thoughtful and balanced approach in consideration and approval of Jamestown’s application to expand the Chelsea Market,” Michael Phillips, Jamestown COO and expansion project manager, said in a statement.

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City Planning required that Jamestown nix its plan to build a 12-story Hotel On Ninth Avenue and reduce an addition, also on the Ninth Avenue side, to 135 feet from 160 feet. On the 10th Avenue side, the commission required that the new addition’s roof-line be pushed back 15 feet and another 10 feet back at the 185-foot mark, with smaller insets along the way up to a final height of 230 feet, keeping the building from severely encroaching on the High Line. In total, the modifications reduce the square-footage of the additions to 285,000 square feet from 325,000 – the market currently contains roughly 1.2 million square feet.

“With these modifications, I believe this will be a great addition to the West Chelsea neighborhood,” City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden said. “The additional office space will serve what has become a destination for creative and technology industries, and this new development will provide critical amenities to the High Line.” [NYO]Christopher Cameron