Amidst Demolition, What of Landmark Burg Bank?
[nggallery id=”54164″ template=galleryview] As Curbed provided visual evidence of on Monday, two floors of an un-landmarked wing of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank on Broadway and Driggs are in the process of being demolished. The big question–aside from why a portion of the building, even if it’s not landmarked, is being demolished–is what’s going to become…
[nggallery id=”54164″ template=galleryview]
As Curbed provided visual evidence of on Monday, two floors of an un-landmarked wing of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank on Broadway and Driggs are in the process of being demolished. The big question–aside from why a portion of the building, even if it’s not landmarked, is being demolished–is what’s going to become of the landmarked section. As the photos above show, the inside of the landmark is in the process of being spruced up. Even though the building’s new owner, 175 Broadway Hospitality LLC, runs a hostel, a contractor at the site said the plan is to get a new bank into the property. (It used to be an HSBC before that bank sold it off.) Multiple attempts to reach the property’s owner for clarification have been unsuccessful, but it’s difficult to imagine the LPC green-lighting a plan to chop the space up so it could accommodate a hostel.
Burg Demolition Won’t Affect Landmark Bank [Brownstoner] GMAP
Last photo in set from Property Shark.
All even more amazing when you remember that this building is early 1870s – a good 20 years before the Beaux Arts style took over the rest of the country. Post’s design (only the small portion at the far right in the photo above) is powerful, robust and classically accurate – and way ahead of its time.
each of the oval windows in the dome feature a etched pattern with the intertwined letters WSB. The details are amazing. this would be a cherished building anywhere. London, Paris, Rome, you name it.
The main bank building is really wonderful. I recently had time to really look at it, and take pictures of the detail, and I have even more respect for the beauty of the design than I did before. I’m glad the interior is landmarked, and I hope whatever ends up in there honors the space. As for the addition, I hope whatever goes in next also honors the space.
Ah, so the fallback it is?
This building reminds me somewhat of the the Église du Dôme, where Napoleon is buried in Paris.
also would never get permits and approvals, space isn’t right, all kinds of egress issues for legal hostel use can’t do it any other way in this building, too visible plus doing a hotel next door, got bigger fish to fry
I been all over that building when it was for sale, can’t be a hostel. Physically wouldn’t work. have you been in the rooms upstairs, or next door to the banking hall? Awesome nightclub dude.
It’s a designated interior and exterior landmark, that’s the understanding about preservation. The agreement regarding the non-landmark portion was that it wasn’t a landmark!
Hostel would be possible, utilizing the non-landmarked bank interiors (I don’t think anyone thinks they’re going to fill the banking hall with bunk beds) and a new building to the west, but it’s probably not the highest and best use.
Bank is unlikely – banks don’t need that much space these days and they want a retail presence on the street (HSBC has vacated both grand Williamsburgh Savings Bank interiors; look where HSBC wound up on Bedford or across the street at Sparrow to see what banks want these days).
So that leaves retail (Apple!), or, the fallback for owners with white elephant interior spaces, a catering hall.
“Won’t be a hostel, not wanted and not possible.”
Are you just typing words you enjoy? Cuz there’s no basis in reality for this thought.