Six-story building inches closer to vacant Canal Street spot

Gene Kaufman presented the new plan, which won Landmarks approval

431 Canal Street
431 Canal Street

The third time is the charm for a six-story mixed use development at the vacant 341 Canal Street. 

Plans for the six-story building, designed by Gene Kaufman, were previously approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2007, after which the project went bankrupt. Then, when Kaufman returned to the Landmarks and Preservation Commission in 2012, the plan got a thumbs down. Finally, on round three, the LPC re-approved plans for the project.

The building will have retail on the first floor and residential units on the higher floors. The latest design is more respectful to the surrounding buildings, the LPC ruled, and matches the height of The Other Buildings On Greene Street.

The Historic Districts Council approved of the new plan, but expressed concerns about the building fitting in with the rest of the neighborhood.

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“HDC appreciates the overall design of this building, the rhythm of its window openings and the divergent use of materials to clad the two street façades,” the council said in a statement. “Concerning the latter feature, the limestone spine along the building’s corner seems like a strange way to resolve the intersection of the two façades, and calls out the difference in materials a bit too much. HDC also requests that the applicant work with staff on the use and detailing of the black granite at the base, which seems unusual in this district, where cast-iron storefronts are typical.”

Community Board 2’s Landmarks and Aesthetics Committee has also approved the plan, as long as Kaufman redesigns the corner of the building.

No completion date has been announced for 341 Canal Street. [Curbed] – Claire Moses