How a $180 Million Parking Lot Could Change N.Y.C.âs Historic Character
Will a skyscraper at the South Street Seaport set a precedent for development in historic districts?
This parking lot has been protected as a historic landmark since 1977. Now a developer has been given permission to build a tower on it.Credit.Karsten Moran for The New York Times
By Amy Sohn
May 6, 2021
For more than 40 years, real estate developers have been intoxicated by an asphalt trapezoid at 250 Water Street. It has East River proximity, high visibility from the Brooklyn Bridge and the Brooklyn Heights promenade and â as far as open space in downtown Manhattan goes â it is big: nearly 50,000 square feet. But this particular lot, whose spots ran about $20 an hour on weekdays, is in the South Street Seaport Historic District, which means that anyone seeking to build even a toolshed there must first secure permission from the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Smaller Plan For 250 Water Street In South Street Seaport Approved By Landmarks Commission
arrow A rendering of the proposed 25-story building for 250 Water Street as seen from the Brooklyn Bridge. Skidmore Owings & Merrill rendering for Landmarks Preservation Commission
A contentious $850 million proposed development in the South Street Seaport district that was ultimately scaled back due to community opposition won approval from a key city agency Tuesday, according to reports.
The Howard Hughes Corporation’s bid to build a 25-story mixed-use tower at 250 Water Street was approved 6-2 by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the body that would need to greenlight any proposal in the historic district, the Real Deal reported.
The Howard Hughes Corporation CEO David O’Reilly (LinkedIn via David O’Reilly)
If any pigs were seen flying over Lower Manhattan Tuesday, this would explain it: An $850 million development planned for the South Street Seaport Historic District was approved.
The third time before the fussy Landmarks Preservation Commission was the charm for the Howard Hughes Corporation as the board voted 6 to 2 in favor of its downsized but still sizable project at 250 Water Street.
The company’s proposal was among the most controversial in recent city history, with throngs of New Yorkers weighing in about how it would save the nearby Seaport Museum, provide affordable housing and blend in seamlessly with the historic district and Financial District on either side. Plenty of others decried the design, saying the building would overwhelm the area with its height and bulk.
Rendering of project at 250 Water St.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission approved a controversial tower in Manhattan s South Street Seaport in a 6-2 vote on Tuesday, clearing the way for the Howard Hughes Corporation to move forward with its plans for 250 Water St. We appreciate the [commission s] thoughtful feedback and are gratified that the commissioners have deemed our 250 Water St. proposal appropriate for the Seaport Historic District, Saul Scherl, president of Howard Hughes New York tristate region, said in a statement. We worked hard to produce a design that is responsive to the commission s comments and preserves the project s crucial benefits: deeply affordable housing in one of the city s wealthiest neighborhoods and meaningful funding for the South Street Seaport Museum, the heart of the Historic District.
A Billion-Dollar Battle Over a Parking Lot at the Seaport
For decades, development of a scruffy lot on the edge of the South Street historic district has divided residents. Now our critic supports a new plan.
In the South Street Seaport Historic District, the fate of a lot the size of a city block has been battled over for decades. It is currently used as a parking lot.Credit.Zack DeZon for The New York Times
April 27, 2021Updated 8:41 a.m. ET
The other morning I boarded a No. 2 train to check out a parking lot at the South Street Seaport Historic District.