The latest round between residential developers and the city’s landmarking process is taking place on the Lower East Side, where property owners have asked the community board to oppose a landmarks designation for a historic former bank building.
Brook Jones — whose family has owned the old Provident Loan Society building at 225 East Houston Street, on the corner of Essex Street, for more than 25 years — told Community Board 3’s Landmarks Committee on Wednesday night that the designation would derail a years-long effort to preserve the building’s early-20th century architecture while building a 12-story residential building on top.
The designation “would be devastating for our family,” Jones told the committee Wednesday night, adding, “It would be a terrible financial hardship for us,” according to DNAinfo.
Tribeca-based architects Rogers Partners would lead the redevelopment of the 1912 building, constructing a residential component above the former bank building with a design influenced by artists Jasper Johns – who reported once lived and worked in the building.
The plans would restore and keep the original building’s architectural features intake while gutting the interior for use as a commercial space. But an effort to landmark the site began in October after a rendering of the residential component surfaced online, sparking fears that the owners would demolish part or all of the building.
While the community board committee did not object to the redevelopment plan, it drafted a resolution supporting a request, submitted to the Landmarks Preservation Commission in October, to determine whether the building is eligible for landmarking.
The full Community Board 3 will vote on the committee’s recommendation Dec. 22. [DNAinfo] – Rey Mashayekhi