Preservation Alert
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
May 6, 2008
www.gvshp.org
This morning the Landmarks Preservation Commission issued a stunning rebuke of this proposal to demolish nine buildings in the Greenwich Village Historic District and replace them with 1.3 million sq. ft. of luxury condos and a new hospital, including two of the largest buildings ever proposed for a historic district. The Commission urged preservation of the Smith, Raskob, Nurse's Residence, Spellman, and O'Toole buildings, and urged a complete re-working of plans for development on the remaining sites to match the scale and character of the surrounding neighborhood. The Commission did open the door to the possibility of the hospital building a tower on top of the O'Toole building, but even there urged a more sensitive scale and design than currently proposed.
This left St. Vincent's and their development partners the Rudins three options: file a hardship case to seek approval for demolition and new construction not allowed by the Landmarks Preservation Commission; file new plans (presumably radically different than the current ones) and go through the public hearing process again; or drop the plan entirely. St. Vincent's has since stated they will file a hardship case to seek permission to demolish the O'Toole building and construct the new hospital on the site; this will require a new set of public hearings and St. Vincent's proving through an open and public process that retaining the O'Toole building is not feasible for them to do and fulfill their charitable mission.
The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation thanks the literally thousands of people and dozens of preservation and neighborhood groups from across the city whom we reached out to and who joined us in urging that this unprecedented plan be changed. It is deeply gratifying to know that our voices have been heard and made a difference -- THANK YOU! We will keep you informed as the process continues.
Read more coverage of the Landmarks Preservation Commission decision on St. Vincent's/Rudin redevelopment plans from:
New York Times / New York Sun / NY1 / New York Observer / Business Week / Forbes
The Real Deal / Gothamist / City Realty / Syracuse.com / Houston Chronicle
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, go to www.gvshp.org/membership.htm
Preservation Update
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
April 16, 2008
www.gvshp.org
Photo from yesterday's hearing and stickers worn by opponents of the current plan
Dear Friend,
Yesterday's Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) hearing on the Rudin/St. Vincent's plan was again a big success -- thank you to the more than 100 people who were able to attend. The hearing room was packed, and speakers ran 7-to-1 against the current proposal. After ending the public hearing, members of the Commission asked tough questions indicating deep skepticism about some elements of the plan, and the Chair of the Commission stated that "aspects of this proposal should be rethought and restudied."
Click
here and
here for coverage of yesterday's hearing from
Metro NY,
here for coverage from the
NY Sun, and
here for a report from the
NY Times.
However, no decision has yet been made, and the LPC will discuss the proposal further at another meeting in May (date TBD; the public will be allowed to attend, but not testify at, this meeting). GVSHP will be submitting further information to the LPC in response to arguments made by St. Vincent's and Rudin, and we will let you know when the next meeting has been set and what you can do to help. While the final outcome is still very much to be determined, clearly the hundreds and hundreds of people who have turned out to testify before or write letters to the LPC, the Community Board, or elected officials have already had an impact, and we have every intention of continuing to work hard to affect the ultimate decision in this precedent-setting case.
Thank you for your support and participation, and let's keep the momentum going! See updates below for more information about the project and go to
GVSHP's YouTube page to view our 360 degree animated views of the proposed developments in context.
Andrew Berman, Executive Director
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
212/475-9585 x38
232 East 11th Street
New York, NY 10003
Preservation Update
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
April 11, 2008
www.gvshp.org
Help KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING!
Please come to the
CRITICALLY IMPORTANT
Continued Landmarks Preservation Commission Public Hearing on the proposed Rudin and St. Vincent’s
demolitions and luxury condo & hospital development
Tuesday, April 15
9:30 am
at NYU's Kimmel Center
60 Washington Square South, 10th floor
Bring Photo ID to enter; sign up as early as 9 am to speak
--------------------------
This may be the last opportunity to testify before the LPC before they make a decision on this application. ANYONE who did not speak or have their testimony read at the last public hearing can and should testify on Tuesday.
Even if you cannot testify, we need you there to let the Commission know HOW STRONGLY the public feels about this precedent-setting proposal.
----------------------------
Please go to www.gvshp.org/StVincentsLetter.htm for sample testimony you can use on the 15th OR for a sample letter to send to the LPC if you have not already written to them.
See updates below for more information on the Rudin/St. Vincent's proposal.
I hope to see you on Tuesday.
Andrew Berman, Executive Director
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
212/475-9585 x38
232 East 11th Street
New York, NY 10003
Preservation Update
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
April 4, 2008
www.gvshp.org
Dear friend,
The Landmarks Preservation Commission's continued hearing on the Rudin and St. Vincent's luxury condo and hospital development plan will be Tuesday, April 15th at 9:30 am at NYU's Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square South, on the 10th floor (you can arrive as early as 9 am to sign in; bring photo ID to enter). ANYONE who did not testify at the last hearing on Tuesday or have their testimony read for them can speak at this hearing. WE STRONGLY URGE YOU TO TESTIFY if you have not already; if you have, please come to show support. IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE A STRONG TURNOUT AT THIS HEARING TO CONTINUE THE MOMENTUM FROM THIS TUESDAY'S HEARING.
As at the last hearing, testimony should be limited to 3 minutes and focus on the issue of the "appropriateness" of the proposed demolitions and new developments for this historic district. Bring 10 copies of your testimony to submit (or to leave if you cannot stay to testify). Go to www.gvshp.org/StVincentsLetter.htm for a form letter which can be used as sample testimony; please also go to www.gvshp.org/StVincentsLetter.htm to send a letter to the Landmarks Preservation Commission if you have not done so already.
Sincerely,
Andrew Berman
Executive Director,
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
Preservation Update
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
April 1, 2008
www.gvshp.org
Dear friend,
Hundreds of people turned out for today's Landmarks hearing on Rudin and St. Vincent's Hospital's plans.
More than 90% of the speakers opposed the current plans; so many people signed up to speak, after more than six hours of public testimony dozens had still not be called, and the hearing will be continued in two weeks. In addition to scores of Villagers, representatives of dozens of neighborhood groups from across the city came or submitted testimony to state their opposition to a plan which would set a terrible precedent for any New York City landmark district, and
several elected officials submitted testimony outlining some of the concerns which GVSHP had long been advocating.
Click here and
here for coverage of today's hearing.
GVSHP submitted testimony to the Commission outlining the troubling precedent which would be set if the current plan were approved, along with documents we created illustrating why the existing buildings should be preserved and why the proposed new buildings are inappropriate for the neighborhood.
GVSHP also submitted two 360 degree massing animation videos showing what the proposed new buildings would look like in context to illustrate just how out of scale they would be; the videos can also be viewed on GVSHP's YouTube webpage.
Results are also in from an on-line survey about the St. Vincent's/Rudin project conducted by State Senator Tom Duane, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, and Community Board #2, and the news is very good. Nearly 1,600 people responded, and more respondents listed "Preserving the Smith-Raskob, Nurses Residence, Reiss, and Spellman buildings" as their #1 priority, and among their top three priorities, than any other issue (GVSHP had urged its members to list this as their number one concern) (see pgs. 4-7). Additionally, every issue that a majority of respondents cited as "very important" were ones addressed by the
"Community Alternative Plan" which GVSHP and ten other community groups had formulated in response to the Rudin/St. Vincent's plan (see p. 2-3), while all "additional concerns" that were cited as having been listed by a significant number of people -- opposing an upzoning, fearing setting a bad landmarks precedent/undermining neighborhood character, and insistence that any new developments be architecturally compatible with the Greenwich Village Historic Districts -- were issues GVSHP has long championed and encouraged its members to speak out about, including in this survey (see p.3-4).
Hopefully your participation in the survey will help lead to positive changes to the plan.
NEXT STEPS for St. Vincent's/Rudin:
- Please come to the continued Landmarks Preservation Commission Hearing on St. Vincent's/Rudin plan Tuesday, April 15th at 9:30 am at NYU's Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square South, on the 10th floor (you can arrive as early as 9 am to sign in; bring photo ID to enter). Anyone who did not testify at today's hearing will be allowed to testify; even if you did testify, we need you to attend to continue to show the Commission how strongly we feel about this issue.
- WRITE TO THE LPC urging them to reject the current proposal -- go to www.gvshp.org/StVincentsLetter.htm for sample letters you can use.
Andrew Berman, Executive Director
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
212/475-9585 x38
232 East 11th Street
New York, NY 10003
Preservation Alert
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
March 29, 2008
www.gvshp.org
Dear friend,
Late Friday the Landmarks Preservation Commission announced that they do not expect to begin taking testimony from the public at Tuesday's hearing on the Rudin/St. Vincent's proposal until about 1:30 pm, because the opening presentation by St. Vincent's and Rudin of their proposal is expected to take 3 HOURS, after which the Commission will take a 1 hour lunch break.
This may affect your plans in terms of when you want to arrive at the hearing (
click here for hearing location and other details).
The hearing still begins at 9:30 am with speaker sign-in starting at 9; if you can make it that early, we still encourage you to do so. It will be very helpful for us to have a strong presence throughout the hearing, and the earlier you sign in, the earlier you get called to speak. We believe the hearing will likely go well into the afternoon, and possibly later.
Since not everyone can take all or most of the day off, you may want to come at 1 pm or later, after the public testimony has begun. We understand that no matter how late you arrive, if the hearing is still going, you can sign up to speak. You can also sign up to speak and come back later, closer to when you believe you will be called.
Even if you cannot stay long enough to be called to speak, we still strongly urge you to come, EVEN IF ONLY FOR A FEW MINUTES. Your presence will be important because:
- You can submit written copies of your testimony to the Commission even if you don't speak
- You can sign a speaker's card indicating "opposed" or "in support," and therefore your position is noted even if you can't wait until you are called to testify
- You can wear a sticker GVSHP will provide indicating your objections to the proposal; it's important that the Commission, the media, and elected officials see how many people share these concerns
If you have questions, please do not hesitate to call or e-mail us; we will do everything we can to help ensure that your voice is heard in this critically important process.
Sincerely,
Andrew Berman, Executive Director
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
212/475-9585 x38
232 East 11th Street
New York, NY 10003
Preservation Alert
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
March 24, 2008
www.gvshp.org
Please come to the
CRITICALLY IMPORTANT
Landmarks Preservation Commission Public Hearing on the St. Vincent’s/Rudin Development Plan
Tuesday, April 1 at 9:30 am
at Borough of Manhattan Community College
Theater One, 199 Chambers Street (at West Street)
Bring Photo ID to enter; arrive as early as 9:00 a.m. to sign up to speak
Take the 1,2,3 or A,C to Chambers Street, or the R,W to City Hall
March 24, 2008
Dear friend:
The most important hearing YET on the plan by St. Vincent’s Hospital and the Rudin Company to demolish nine buildings and construct 1.3 million sq. ft. of luxury condos and new hospital facilities will be held by the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on Tuesday, April 1 at 9:30 am at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, 199 Chambers Street. The proposed demolitions and new development cannot move ahead without the approval of the LPC, which is charged with protecting the character of New York City’s historic districts, including the Greenwich Village Historic District within which these sites are located.
WE NEED YOU TO COME TO AND TESTIFY AT THIS HEARING . This case is entirely precedent-setting – no one has ever proposed demolishing nine buildings in a New York City historic district, and no one has ever proposed a development of this scale in any historic district.
The hearing is likely to take several hours, so please plan now if at all possible to stay there long enough to testify. If you cannot stay that long, you can also submit written testimony at the hearing. If you do testify, you will be asked to submit 10 copies of your written statement, so please bring copies of your testimony regardless. Testimony should be limited to 3 minutes.
- Whether or not you come to the hearing, we also ask that you write to the Landmarks Preservation Commission IMMEDIATELY to express your concerns about the current proposal. Go to www.gvshp.org/StVincentsLetter.htm for an electronic version. You can also use the sample letter as the basis for your testimony at the LPC hearing on April 1st.
Please note that the LPC hearing on April 1st ONLY deals with the issue of the ‘appropriateness’ of the proposed demolitions and new development in relation to the character of the Greenwich Village Historic District; it does NOT deal with other very important issues like the impact the proposal would have on traffic, noise, environmental concerns, school overcrowding, affordable housing, or the finances or functioning of the hospital. All of those issues are supposed to be dealt with through other processes, but are not under the jurisdiction of the LPC to consider at this hearing, and thus testimony and letters at this time to the LPC should focus exclusively on the “appropriateness” issue.
For more information on the St. Vincent’s/Rudin proposal, see updates below. I hope to see you on the 1st.
Sincerely,
Andrew Berman
Executive Director
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
212/475-9585 x38
232 East 11th Street
New York, NY 10003
Preservation Alert
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
March 19, 2008
www.gvshp.org
Dear Friend,
I thought you might be interested in a letter to the editor I wrote which was published in this week's Crain's NY in response to their recent editorial supporting the Related Companies plan for Pier 40 and the St. Vincent's/Rudin condo and hospital development plan -- see http://gvshp.org/documents/CrainsStVin3-08.pdf.
Andrew Berman, Executive Director
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
212/475-9585 x38
232 East 11th Street
New York, NY 10003
Preservation Alert
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
March 14, 2008
www.gvshp.org
Dear friend,
GVSHP has just been informed that the Landmarks Preservation Commission's (LPC) hearing on the St. Vincent's/Rudin development proposal has been set for Tuesday, April 1 starting at 9:30 am at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, 199 Chambers Street, in Theater One. This proposal -- the largest ever presented to the Landmarks Preservation Commission in its 43-year history -- has enormous implications for Greenwich Village and for the nature of landmarks protections throughout New York City. I thus urge you, if at all possible, to reserve the morning of April 1 to come to the LPC to testify on this extremely important application.
The hearing will be on St. Vincent's and Rudin Management's proposal to demolish nine buildings in the Greenwich Village Historic District AND to replace them with a new 330 ft. tall hospital, a 265 ft. tall apartment building, a 12-story apartment building, and two rows 5-story residences (testimony will be heard about both the proposed demolitions and the new developments). The hearing is expected to take hours, so please leave as much time as you can to attend and speak (you will also have the option of dropping off written testimony or sending in testimony if you cannot do this).
Please note that the LPC has made a special hearing JUST on this application, rather than having it heard as part of a full day's schedule of hearings on a range of items, which is their usual procedure. Normally the exact time discussion of any item begins might not be known in advance, but this will not be the case with this hearing. The hearing will also be moved from the LPC's usual hearing room to accommodate the larger than usual expected crowds (their hearing room only holds about 50). These are very important changes from their normal practices which GVSHP had asked the Commission to consider for this critically important hearing, which we believe will make it much easier for the public to participate in the hearing and have their input heard and considered. We are very grateful to the Commission for considering our input and structuring the hearing in this way.
I will have more information soon about the hearing, but please reserve this date on your calendar now so that you might be able to attend. Thank you.
For more information about the Rudin/St. Vincent's proposal, see updates below.
Andrew Berman, Executive Director
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
212/475-9585 x38
232 East 11th Street
New York, NY 10003
Preservation Update
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
February 26, 2008
www.gvshp.org
Last night's hearing on the Rudin and St. Vincent's 1.3 million sq. ft. luxury condo-hospital plan was a big success -- more than 500 people attended, by far the majority expressing opposition to some of the troubling elements of the current plan. The Community Board is expected to vote on the proposal in March and the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which must approve the plan, is expected to hold their first hearing in April. We will provide more details as soon as they are available. If you have not already filled out the on-line survey re: the St. Vincent's/Rudin proposal, please do -- see http://gvshp.org/StVincents.htm#4Feb08.
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, go to www.gvshp.org/membership.htm
Preservation Update
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
February 19, 2008
www.gvshp.org
VERY IMPORTANT SECOND
Public Hearing on St. Vincent’s and Rudin
Luxury Condo/New Hospital Development Plan
Monday, February 25, at 6:30 pm
at P.S. 41 -- 116 West 11th Street, west of 6th Avenue
(due to large expected turnout, we recommend you arrive and sign in to speak early,
to help ensure you get a chance to testify)
Next Monday, February 25 there will be a SECOND very important Community Board hearing on the plan by St. Vincent’s Hospital and the Rudin Company to build 1.3 million sq. ft. of luxury condos and new hospital facilities on the site of the current St. Vincent’s hospital (see updates below).
More than 800 people came to the last hearing, sending a strong message that the current plan was NOT acceptable, and must be substantially changed. Many people expressed the same concerns about the plan as GVSHP:
-
that it involved unnecessary and precedent-setting demolition of landmarked historic buildings
-
that the two very large new proposed buildings were totally out-of-scale for the neighborhood
-
that it involved an unacceptable upzoning and increase in density
-
that there are alternatives for building a new hospital that are compatible with the character of our neighborhood
As a result, the Landmarks Committee of the Community Board voted unanimously to recommend REJECTION of the current proposal. It is now critical that we convey our message again loud and clear at this second hearing, so the full Community Board adopts our recommendations. I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO ATTEND AND TESTIFY AT THE HEARING ON THE 25th (feel free to use the above bullet points as part of your testimony).
Because so many people turned out to the last hearing to express opposition to aspects of the current plan, not everyone who attended got to testify. Those who testify this time will likely only get 1-2 minutes to speak, so I strongly recommend bringing written copies of your full comments to submit, in case you are not called to speak in time, or are not given enough time to read your full testimony. (GVSHP has urged the Community Board to reserve as much time as possible at this hearing for testimony from the public.)
Another important reminder: State Senator Tom Duane has set up an on-line survey about the St. Vincent’s/Rudin proposal. The survey can be found at http://tinyurl.com/2kukud, or by going to www.tomduane.com and clicking on “Latest News: Community Survey on St. Vincent's Redevelopment.” I urge you to fill out this survey as soon as possible -- Senator Duane has said he will consider feedback from the survey when “negotiating for concessions” on the plan.
When responding to the survey, it is vitally important that you to list “Retaining current Smith-Raskob, Nurses Residence, Reiss and Spellman buildings for reuse” as “Very Important” and as a “Top Priority.” These are the historic, landmarked buildings which the plan would demolish to make way for a huge luxury condo complex, including an ENORMOUS 265 ft. tall apartment block. Ensuring that these buildings are re-used rather than demolished will preserve the integrity of our landmark district, minimize demolition and new construction on the site, and eliminate the enormous planned apartment block. You can also list reducing the size and height of the proposed new buildings as “Very Important” and “Top Priority.” Also, under Question #2, “Do you have concerns that were not included in the prior question?,” I urge you to add that you “oppose any upzoning or increase in overall density on the sites.”
The current Rudin/St. Vincent’s proposal would be by far the largest development in Greenwich Village in over 50 years, and set far-reaching precedents for our neighborhood and for our landmark and zoning protections. It is CRITICAL that we secure changes to the plan now. To find out more, go to www.gvshp.org/StVincentsPlans.htm and www.gvshp.org/documents/StVinTestimony.pdf, or call us at 212/475-9585.
Preservation Update
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
February 4, 2008
www.gvshp.org
Dear friend:
I have two very important updates for you regarding the enormous, precedent-setting St. Vincent's Hospital/Rudin Luxury Condo development proposal:
1) State Senator Tom Duane has posted an on-line survey for the public to respond to about the proposed St. Vincent's/Rudin development. I strongly urge you to take this survey as soon as possible -- Senator Duane says that the results will help guide his direction as he anticipates "negotiating for concessions" on the plan.
The survey asks for feedback about many of the issues raised by GVSHP and included in the "Community Alternative Plan" ( www.gvshp.org/documents/StVinTestimony.pdf) -- the size and height of the proposed hospital building and large new proposed residential building on 7th Avenue, traffic, construction issues, public space at the Triangle site, and impact upon schools, among other issues.
However, one very important issue the survey asks about which might easily be overlooked is "How important to you is preserving the Smith-Raskob, Nurses Residence, Reiss and Spellman buildings?" These are the historic, landmarked buildings which St. Vincent's development partner the Rudins want to demolish to make way for a huge new luxury condo complex, whereas GVSHP has urged these buildings be retained and reused. Retaining these historic buildings will not only preserve the integrity of our landmarks regulations and of our neighborhood's character, but it will limit the amount of demolition and new construction, and eliminate the huge proposed 265-ft. tall luxury condo apartment building planned for the east side of 7th Avenue. I THEREFORE STRONGLY URGE YOU to rank this as "very important" (question #1) and a "top priority" (questions #3-5). Please also be sure to list other issues about the height and bulk of the planned new developments as "very important" and a "top priority."
Additionally, the survey asks in question #2 if you have other concerns which were not included. I strongly urge you to add that "there should be no upzoning, and no increase in overall density, on these sites." These sites are already some of the most densely developed in all of Greenwich Village, which was allowed to accommodate the hospital, a public health facility. The proposed plan turns most of the hospital's land over for luxury condo development, and yet asks that the overall density of development be INCREASED through a significant upzoning, which would set a very troubling precedent for our neighborhood.
Please not only fill out the survey, but pass it along with these instructions to friends, family, and neighbors to fill out as well.
2) Please come to the next Community Board #2 public hearing on the St. Vincent's/Rudin proposal, on Monday, February 25th at 6:30 pm at P.S. 41, 116 West 11th Street. It is critical that we again have a large turnout calling for significant changes to the proposed plan. Please plan to get there early to sign in to speak and stay late in order to get an opportunity to be heard. The enormous turnout at the last hearing made a very big impression, but we MUST continue to show big numbers if we are going to affect changes to this plan.
For more information about the St. Vincent's/Rudin proposal, see updates below.
I hope to see you on the 25th.
Andrew Berman, Executive Director
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
212/475-9585 x38
232 East 11th Street
New York, NY 10003
Preservation Alert
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
January 23, 2008
www.gvshp.org
Dear friend,
Because the turnout was so large, and because the public was not given an opportunity to speak until more than an hour and a half into the hearing, many people had to leave without being able to participate. Thank you to everyone who was able to stick around, and we regret that many who tried were not able to participate in last night's hearing. The Community Board announced they will have a second hearing on this proposal on Monday, February 25th at 6:30 pm, and GVSHP has reached out to the Board to urge that next time the public be given much more time, starting at the beginning of the hearing, to provide their feedback on the proposal.
Nevertheless more than 100 people spoke at last night's hearing, which lasted for nearly four hours, and by far the majority urged that changes be made to the current plan to make it more compatible with the scale and character of the Greenwich Village Historic District (see GVSHP's written testimony at www.gvshp.org/documents/StVinTestimony.pdf). Many also spoke in favor of the the 'Community Alternative Plan,' a set of principles supported by a broad cross-section of neighborhood groups (including GVSHP) which seeks to illustrate ways that the hospital could proceed with their modernization plans while responding to community concerns (see www.gvshp.org/documents/StVinAltPlanSum.pdf).
In addition to the hundreds of Villagers who turned out, GVSHP is especially grateful to our friends at the citywide Historic Districts Council and neighborhood preservation groups from Chelsea, the East Village, and the Upper West Side who joined us last night in expressing their serious concerns about the precedent which would be set by this proposal, and the impact it would in turn have on their neighborhoods as well. The hearing and concerns about the hospital and Rudin's plans received very positive coverage on Channel 4 News, in the NY Post ( www.nypost.com/seven/01232008/news/regionalnews/village_hosp_plan_blasted_743735.htm) and on WNYC (see www.wnyc.org/news/articles/92324).
HOW TO HELP:
- We encourage you to send comments on the St. Vincent's/Rudin proposal to the Community Board and to the elected officials who co-sponsored last night's hearing. Go to www.gvshp.org/StVincentsLetter.htm for sample letters and contact information.
- SAVE THE DATE: Please be prepared to come to the new Community Board #2 Public Hearing on Monday February 25, at 6:30 pm (location TBD). We hope that meeting will provide a better and fuller opportunity for public input, and will let you know further details as they become available.
For more information on the St. Vincent's/Rudin proposal, see below.
Andrew Berman, Executive Director
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
212/475-9585 x38
232 East 11th Street
New York, NY 10003
Click here for GVSHP testimony at January 22, 2008 Community Board 2 meeting.
Click here for images of St. Vincent's / Rudin proposal and the Community Alternative Plan
Article: 'Condo debate at St. Vincent’s heats up,' The Real Deal, January 20, 2008.
Preservation Alert
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
January 9, 2008
www.gvshp.org
On January 22 there will be a very important public hearing on the plan by St. Vincent’s Hospital and the Rudin Company to build 1.3 million sq. ft. of luxury condos and new hospital facilities on the site of the current St. Vincent’s hospital. This is the largest proposed development in Greenwich Village in more than 50 years, since Robert Moses’ superblock urban renewal projects south of Washington Square in the 1950’s.
The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) has very serious concerns about the current plan. The proposal would include: wholesale demolition of all the current buildings on St. Vincent’s campus, although they are all within the Greenwich Village Historic District (and some are as much as 85 years old); increasing the overall density of development on these sites by 22%; and construction of two of the largest buildings ever in Greenwich Village (one 265 feet tall and the other 321 feet tall, each about ½ million square feet; for comparison to St. Vincent’s current largest building, see www.gvshp.org/StVincentsPlans.htm). In addition to our concerns about the appropriateness of the development for this location, we also have very serious concerns about the precedents it would set regarding the demolition of landmarked buildings in historic districts like Greenwich Village, and using institutions to leverage ever-larger high-rise developments in our neighborhood.
Fortunately, this plan must be reviewed and voted upon by several government bodies before it can move ahead, and public hearings, with testimony from the public, must take place before any decisions can be made. Because the sites in question are within the Greenwich Village Historic District, the proposal must be approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and because St. Vincent’s and Rudin are seeking special zoning changes to allow larger development, the City Planning Commission and the City Council must also approve this plan.
GVSHP recognizes the importance of St. Vincent’s plans to modernize its hospital. We are therefore seeking to find ways to address both the very strong concerns about neighborhood preservation shared by many in the community and the concerns about the need of the hospital to modernize. We have been working with a coalition of neighborhood groups which have put forward a “Community Alternative Plan” which we believe would balance these concerns – allowing construction of a new hospital building, while preserving and re-using the historic buildings on the St. Vincent’s campus, and not increasing the overall density of development on the campus (see www.gvshp.org/documents/AltPlan.pdf and www.thevillager.com/villager_243/alternativehospital.html.
The upcoming public hearing is a critical opportunity to voice your concerns about the current plan, and support reasonable alternatives that can work for the neighborhood and the hospital. Please join us:
Public Hearing on St. Vincent’s/Rudin
Luxury Condo & New Hospital
Development Plan
at PS 41 (116 West 11th Street, west of 6th Avenue)
Tuesday, January 22 at 6:30 pm
(due to large expected turnout, we recommend you arrive and sign into speak at 6 pm,to ensure you get a chance to testify)
The hearing is the first of several being held by Community Board #2 and our local elected officials. The Community Board will vote on the plan after its public hearings; the Borough President and Council Speaker will also eventually vote on the plan; and the other elected officials’ positions will affect the approval process. Therefore it is very important that they hear from you, starting with this hearing.
For more information about the St. Vincent’s/Rudin development proposal, see updates below, or call or e-mail GVSHP.
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, go to www.gvshp.org/membership.htm.
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
December 27, 2007
www.gvshp.org
A public hearing on the St. Vincent's/Rudin plan for a 1.3 million square foot luxury condo/hospital development on 13th, 12th, and 11th Streets between 6th and Greenwich Avenues has tentatively been scheduled for Tuesday, January 22nd, at 6:30 pm at PS 41, 116 West 11th Street (just west of 6th Avenue). This is the largest proposed development in Greenwich Village in more than 50 years, since Robert Moses' superblock developments south of Washington Square Park. Last week St. Vincent's and Rudin announced that they would be filing their current plans AS IS, WITHOUT CHANGES at the end of the year, thus beginning the two year public hearing and approval process. We are deeply disappointed that Rudin and St. Vincent's have not made any changes to their plan to respond to community concerns.
The hearing on the 22nd will be held jointly by Community Board #2 and City Council Speaker Quinn, Borough President Stringer, Congressman Nadler, State Senator Duane, and Assemblymember Glick (the project must be approved by the City Council; the Borough President and Community Board have advisory votes on its approval; and the other elected officials will almost undoubtedly take a position on the applications before the city agencies which must approve it -- therefore this hearing is an important opportunity to share your concerns with them and urge them to call for changes to the current plan).
PLEASE BE SURE TO SAVE THIS DATE ON YOUR CALENDAR -- more information will follow when available. For more information on the St. Vincent's/Rudin plan, see www.gvshp.org/StVincentsPlans.htm.
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, go to www.gvshp.org/membership.htm.
Preservation Update
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
December 17, 2007
www.gvshp.org
The St. Vincent's Community Working Group meets again this Wednesday, Dec. 19th from 6 to 7:30 pm in the Cronin Auditorium, 10th floor, St. Vincent's Hospital, 170 W. 12th Street.
The meeting is open to the public and provides an opportunity to ask questions and make comments about the current proposal for development of 1.3 mil. sq. ft. new hospital space and luxury condominiums on the site of St. Vincent's Hospital (for more background and information on the current proposals, see below and http://www.gvshp.org/StVincentsPlans.htm). We strongly urge you to attend this meeting. An article appeared in this Sunday's NY Times City Section regarding concerns of GVSHP and other groups about the current proposal -- see www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/nyregion/thecity/16hosp.html?_r=1&ref=thecity&oref=slogin. To help, go to www.gvshp.org/StVincentsLetter.htm.
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, go to www.gvshp.org/membership.htm.
(Above) Relative sizes of the new St. Vincent's and Rudin buildings compared to the existing (see photo above right) Coleman Center.
Note: All figures are approximations based upon information provided by St. Vincent's Hospital.
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
November 19, 2007
www.gvshp.org
ST. VINCENT’S/RUDIN PLAN – NEW DETAILS AND IMAGES
St. Vincent’s/Rudin Development Update: Last week over 150 people attended the St. Vincent’s Community Working Group meeting about the hospital’s plan to demolish all eight of its buildings on either side of 7th Avenue between 13th and 11th Streets, and replace them with a new 330-ft. tall hospital west of 7th Avenue, and 650,000 sq. ft. of luxury residential development, including a 265 ft. tall building, on the east side of 7th Avenue. The overwhelming majority of those in attendance expressed concerns about the plan similar to those expressed by GVSHP – that the substantial increase in bulk, size, and height from the new development (which is mostly luxury housing), and the wholesale demolition of all the hospital’s current buildings (even those almost 85 years old and in context with the neighborhood), violates the character of Greenwich Village and the protections the Greenwich Village Historic District are supposed to offer, and that key elements of the plan should be reconsidered.
GVSHP has endeavored to supply clear and simple information about exactly what the plan – which would be the largest new development in Greenwich Village in fifty years – would do, and how it compares to the current conditions on the site. Please see www.gvshp.org/StVincentsPlans.htm for our latest graphs and images, which are approximations based upon information St. Vincent’s has supplied. St. Vincent’s has not yet formally filed their plans, which must be approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the City Planning Commission, and the City Council; we are urging that changes be made before they do so.
HOW TO HELP:
- SEND A LETTER URGING CHANGES BE MADE TO THE ST. VINCENT’S/RUDIN DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL NOW before it is filed with the City – go to www.gvshp.org/StVincentsLetter.htm and be sure to send copies the elected officials listed on the bottom of the letter.
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, go to www.gvshp.org/membership.htm.
Preservation Alert
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
November 9, 2007
www.gvshp.org
*PUBLIC MEETING on St. VINCENT’S/RUDIN REDEVELOPMENT PLAN NEXT WED., NOV. 14 at 6:30
Critical Opportunity to Provide Feedback on Largest New Development Plan in Greenwich Village in 50 Years
St. Vincent’s/Rudin Plan Public Meeting: St. Vincent’s Hospital will be hosting its “Community Working Group” on Wednesday, November 14th at 6:30 pm in its Cronin Cafeteria, 170 W. 12th Street. These meetings are open to the public and provide an opportunity to hear from the hospital and their development partners about their proposed luxury housing and hospital development, as well as to ask questions and provide feedback. Elected officials’ and Community Board representatives, who must ultimately vote on this plan, also participate in these meetings. As St. Vincent’s has announced their intention to file their application for approval of their proposal with the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in December, this may be the last opportunity to provide feedback in a public forum with the hospital before these proposals are finalized, and the formal public hearing and approval process begins. The plan for 650,000 sq. ft. of new luxury housing and a new 625,000 sq. ft. hospital (replacing about 1 million sq. ft. of hospital space currently on the sites) must be approved by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, the City Planning Commission, and the City Council. ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED IN THIS PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT IS STRONGLY URGED TO ATTEND THIS PUBLIC MEETING.
GVSHP has expressed some very strong reservations about several aspects of this plan. The current proposal would consolidate most of the hospital’s current facilities spread among eight buildings into one new building of approximately 330 feet high and 288 feet wide. All of the hospital’s current buildings would be demolished, and east of 7th Avenue they would be replaced by luxury housing developed by the Rudin Family, including a 265 ft. tall, 207 ft. wide apartment building on 7th Avenue. GVSHP is very concerned about the size and height of these buildings (both of which would be substantially larger than the hospital’s current building, the Coleman Pavilion, and would be among the largest buildings ever constructed in Greenwich Village – see www.gvshp.org/StVincentsPlans.htm), as well as the plan to demolish all the hospital’s buildings, even those which are as much as 85 years old and merit the landmark protections of the historic district within which they are located (see www.gvshp.org/documents/Amoroso10-07Ltr.pdf for full text of letter to St. Vincent’s outlining our concerns).
HOW TO HELP:
- COME TO THE ST. VINCENT’S COMMUNITY WORKING GROUP MEETING on Wed. Nov. 14 at 6:30 pm in the Cronin Cafeteria of St. Vincent’s Hospital at 170 W. 12th.
- SEND A LETTER URGING CHANGES BE MADE TO THE ST. VINCENT’S/RUDIN DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL NOW before it is filed with the City – go to www.gvshp.org/StVincentsLetter.htm and be sure to send copies the elected officials listed on the bottom of the letter.
Preservation Alert
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
October 22, 2007
www.gvshp.org
GVSHP RESPONDS TO ST. VINCENT'S/RUDIN DEVELOPMENT PLAN
*CALL FOR SIZE AND HEIGHT OF LARGEST BUILDINGS TO BE REDUCED, AND HISTORIC BUILDINGS TO BE PRESERVED RATHER THAN DEMOLISHED
*Early Presentation of Draft Proposal by Hospital Gives Public an Opportunity to Call For Changes Before Plans are Formally Filed
Response to St. Vincent's/Rudin Development Plan: Last week, GVSHP wrote to St. Vincent's President and CEO Henry Amoroso in response to the 1.3 million sq. ft. redevelopment plan presented by the hospital and its development partners the Rudin Family for eight sites on both sides of 7th Avenue and along West 11th, 12th, and 13th Streets (see www.gvshp.org/documents/Amoroso10-07Ltr.pdf). While GVSHP would like to see St. Vincent's modernize its facilities for the 21st century, we had some very serious concerns about aspects of the plan, especially the size and height of the new hospital building (over 300 feet tall), the size and height of the planned new luxury apartment block (about 265 feet and around a half-million square feet), and the fact that the plan proposes demolition of ALL the existing St. Vincent's Hospital buildings on both sides of 7th Avenue, including several which are as much as 85 years old (to see images of the current St. Vincent's campus and the proposed new developments, see www.gvshp.org/StVincentsPlans.htm). The St. Vincent's/Rudin plan would be the largest new development in Greenwich Village in 50 years.
GVSHP has urged that the size and height of the two largest buildings in the plan be reduced. Additionally, GVSHP is calling for the hospital to preserve and reuse its older and more contextual buildings, as we believe landmarks law requires, rather than to demolish them wholesale. The entire St. Vincent's campus is within the Greenwich Village Historic District, within which buildings are only supposed to be demolished if they are without historic significance, completely out-of-character with the district, or so new as not to warrant landmarks protection. While some of St. Vincent's buildings clearly do fit this bill (such as the Coleman, Link, and Cronin buildings), others clearly do not, and could be preserved and reused. Were the Landmarks Preservation Commission to approve demolition of ALL of these buildings, it would substantially lower the bar for allowing demolition within historic districts -- a prospect with some extremely negative potential consequences.
St. Vincent's has said they do not expect to file their plans with the Landmarks Preservation Commission until December at the earliest. They will then need to participate in several public hearings on their plan, and get the approval of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the City Planning Commission, and the City Council in order for their plan to proceed. That process is expected to take about two years. Now is therefore a critical opportunity to ensure that concerns about the current proposal are heard and (hopefully) addressed BEFORE the plan is officially filed with the City, and the public approval process begins.
HOW TO HELP:
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WRITE TO ST. VINCENT'S HOSPITAL NOW URGING THEM TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE PROPOSED PLAN BEFORE THEY FORMALLY FILE THEIR APPLICATION WITH THE CITY -- go to www.gvshp.org/StVincentsLetter.htm for sample letters you can use. PLEASE ALSO SEND COPIES OF LETTERS TO AREA ELECTED OFFICIALS (see link for contact info).
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Come to the next meeting of the St. Vincent's Community Working Group on Wed., Nov. 14th at 6:30 pm in the Cronin Cafeteria of St. Vincent's Hospital, 170 W. 12th Street -- the development plan will be discussed and the public has an opportunity to ask questions and give comments. Local elected officials and the Community Board, who will weigh in on the plan, will represented.
Preservation Alert
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
October 12, 2007
www.gvshp.org
*ST. VINCENT'S/RUDIN DEVELOPMENT PLAN UNVEILED
On Wednesday, St. Vincent's Hospital and developers the Rudin family unveiled their initial draft plans for a new hospital and several new luxury housing developments on the current St. Vincent's Hospital site. The plan is to tear down all eight of their current hospital buildings east of 7th Avenue, and the O'Toole Building on the west side of 7th Avenue between 12th and 13th Streets (see www.gvshp.org/documents/BuildingInfo.pdf). St. Vincent's would consolidate most of their facilities from these eight buildings into a new hospital to be built on the site of the O'Toole Building, while all their buildings east of 7th Avenue would be torn down to make way for new luxury housing by Rudin, which would help pay for the new hospital. St. Vincent's 'triangle site' would not change substantially, though St. Vincent's has said they are willing to improve its public access and aesthetics.
The plan is not yet a formal proposal; these very substantial changes must receive several hearings at the Community Board, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), the City Planning Commission (CPC), and the City Council, at which the public will be able to testify. The plan must be approved by the LPC, CPC, and City Council in order to move ahead. The plan has not yet been filed with any of these bodies, though St. Vincent's/Rudin say they plan to do so later in the year.
If approved, the plan would be the largest new development in Greenwich Village in 50 years. The new hospital building on the west side of 7th Avenue would sit on a 60-75 ft. tall base, topped by an ovoid tower oriented diagonally from the northeast to the southwest corner of the site, rising to a total of 300 feet or 21 stories (plus mechanicals on top), with a small setback at the 18th floor. On the east side of the street, Rudin plans to tear down all of the existing buildings and replace them with a 21-story, 235 ft. tall (plus approx. 30 feet of mechanicals) residential building on 7th Avenue, with small setbacks, covering most of the site. The building would gradually step down on 11th and 12th Streets and would abut ten new townhouses that would be built on 11th Street and nine on 12th Street. To the east of the new rowhouses on 12th Street would be a new approx. 10 story apartment building. All together, this would include 400-500 new units of luxury housing. For perspective, St. Vincent's Coleman Pavilion, the largest of the hospital's current buildings (7th Avenue btw. 12th and 11th Streets) is 200 feet tall.
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St. Vincent's/Rudin are making additional presentations of their plan, open to the public, on Monday the 15th and Tuesday the 16th at 6:30 pm in their Cronin Auditorium, 170 W. 12th Street, the 10th floor. GVSHP strongly urges you to attend these presentations to see the plan for yourself at this preliminary stage.
Preservation Alert
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
June 8, 2007
www.gvshp.org
GVSHP RESPONDS TO BIG NEW DEVELOPMENT PLANS BY ST. VINCENT'S HOSPITAL
Public Meeting by GVBA on St. Vincent's Plans -- Wed., June 13
St. Vincent's Hospital: St. Vincent's Hospital has been working on plans for big changes to its properties on 7th Avenue, and 11th, 12th, and 13th Streets in the West Village. The hospital has announced their intention to modernize and consolidate all of their facilities into one building of as much as 600-650,000 sq. ft. building on the current site of their O'Toole Building (west side of 7th Avenue between 12th and 13th Streets) and sell off their remaining buildings on the east side of 7th Avenue to be demolished and redeveloped as housing by developers the Rudin Family. Because their entire campus falls within the Greenwich Village Historic District, any plans to demolish or build anew must go through public hearings and be approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Because St. Vincent's Hospital is also governed by special zoning regulations, any such changes must also be approved by the City Planning Commission and the City Council after extensive public hearings.
St. Vincent's plans would be by far the largest development ever in the Greenwich Village Historic District since it's designation, and the largest development anywhere in Greenwich Village in at least 50 years. Under their current thinking, St. Vincent's new building on the site of the O'Toole building could be two or more times the size of the Coleman Pavilion (CLICK HERE for Villager article), their largest current building (and about three and a half times the size of the O'Toole building, which it would replace). The residential development which would replace the current hospital facilities east of 7th Avenue would be somewhat smaller than the overall mass of the existing buildings on those sites.
GVSHP has been participating in a "Community Working Group" formed by St. Vincent's consisting of elected officials, community groups, and other interested parties to discuss St. Vincent's plans. GVSHP has also been working with neighbors of St. Vincent's to come up with "guiding principles" which we are urging the hospital to adopt to ensure that their new development plans are compatible with the character of the West Village (CLICK HERE for GVSHP's letter to St. Vincent and their repsonse). GVSHP and several neighboring block associations, buildings, and residents have expressed some substantial concerns about St. Vincent's current conceptual plans, and are hoping that at this early stage of the process the hospital will integrate these concerns into their planning. The Villager, in a recent editorial, echoed many of these concerns.
Greenwich Village Block Associations (GVBA) will be hosting a meeting with St. Vincent's officials on their plans, which will be open to the public. St. Vincent's will make a presentation, and the GVBA will allow some members of the public to ask questions. GVSHP urges you to attend this meeting to try to find out more and to express your thoughts or concerns about the project. We especially urge you to raise concerns about the possibility of the hospital building a single very large building on the O'Toole site, an increase in overall density in the area from the new residential development, and the demolition of all of the hospital's buildings, including its older, more contextual and historic buildings.
HOW TO HELP:
- ATTEND THE PUBLIC MEETING WITH ST. VINCENT'S ON THEIR EARLY-STAGE PLANNING FOR A NEW HOSPITAL AND NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT ON THEIR CAMPUS -- Wednesday, June 13 at Cronin Auditorium, St. Vincent's Hospital (enter at 170 W. 12th Street). The presentation begins at 7 pm, but you can sign in to speak starting at 6:30 pm.
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, CLICK HERE.
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