Some Small Boxes, and Maybe a Big Box

The New York Observer, November 17th, 2006

Community Board 2 approved a couple of new developments last night at its monthly meeting. Most interesting, architectural-wise, is developer Global Building Modules' project at 372 Lafayette Street at the corner of Great Jones Street. The proposed six-story building will have a red metal structural frame housing prefabricated modular boxes, similar to shipping containers. There will be eight units above first-floor retail. Details are sketchy, but it looks like three units will have somewhat less than 1,200 square feet, and the remaining five will be somewhat larger. GBM needs a variance from the Board of Standards and Appeals because the lot is currently zoned for manufacturing, in which residential and ground-floor retail uses are not permitted.

Additionally, the proposed building will exceed the floor-area ratio by .01, according to community-board documents. GBM is claiming hardship because of the proximity of a subway line at the site, and the narrow width of the lot. The developer has pledged not to permit advertising on the building, nor will a bar or restaurant lease the first-floor retail space. Next up, the board voiced no objections to a variance request for a new building at 408-414 West 13th Street/13-15 Little West 12th Street. The five-story building will be a commercial-condo development for floors two through five, and the first floor will be retail, what real-estate firm RKF calls an "incredible big box opportunity" with frontage on both West 13th and Little West 12th Street--"the only building in the heart of the meatpacking district with frontage on two streets." The developer is seekng a variance from the B.S.A. on the rear-yard requirement in an M1-5 zone, claiming that construction-loan costs would be prohibitive. The B.S.A. still has to vote on both these projects before the variances are granted, and the community board's decision is strictly advisory.

-Matthew Grace