Upper East Side residents rejected a plan this week to expand a historic Fifth Avenue apartment building by an additional six stories, citing fears that the plan’s approval would set a precedent for the redevelopment of historic buildings.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission will vote Nov. 10 on whether the seven-story apartment building at 1143 Fifth Avenue, between East 95th and 96th streets near Central Park, should be expanded to 13 stories.
The plans, designed by Financial District-based Li/Saltzman Architects, would also modernize the building, making it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act while adding a rear garden and updated windows, according to DNAinfo.
But a few dozen residents showed up to Community Board 8’s meeting Wednesday to oppose the project, arguing that it would invite developers to alter other historic buildings in the area, disrupting the character of the building and the block.
The board voted 29 to 14 to deny the application, though Landmarks will have final say next month.
The property, which currently sits vacant, was built in the early 1920s and designated as part of the Extended Carnegie Hill Historic District in 1993. Brussels businessman Jean Claude Marian purchased the building from the French Consulate last November for $36.4 million. [DNAinfo] – Rey Mashayekhi