LPC Approves Reduction of Coignet Stone Lot

Yesterday the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously to reduce the size of the landmark Coignet Stone Company Building’s lot on 3rd Avenue and 3rd Street. The proposal was to reduce the lot from approximately 125 feet to 55 feet on the 3rd Avenue side, and from 55 feet to 40 feet on the 3rd Street side to allow more room for the construction of the planned Whole Foods. At the public hearing last month, preservationists spoke out against shrinking the lot, with the Historic Districts Council saying, “It is troublesome that after years of planning by Whole Foods, the company is now only dealing with the fact that it owns a designated site and is asking the landmark to bear the brunt of the project.” Whole Foods does not own the building but promised to restore it and began some renovation work last year. It sounds as though the BSA was waiting for this LPC decision to come through before voting on Whole Foods’ variance request, so this clears the way for that to happen next month.
Preservationists: Don’t Shrink Gowanus Landmark’s Lot [Brownstoner]
LPC Hearing on Reduction of Gowanus Building’s Lot [Brownstoner] GMAP