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Plans Filed to Build 10-Story Addition on Top of Historic LES Building

By Lisha Arino | November 30, 2015 1:16pm
 An effort is underway to landmark the Provident Loan Society building at 223-225 East Houston St.
An effort is underway to landmark the Provident Loan Society building at 223-225 East Houston St.
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DNAinfo/Lisha Arino

LOWER EAST SIDE — The owners of the Provident Loan Society building on East Houston Street want to build a roughly 10-story addition on top of the building to make way for more apartments, according to plans filed with the city.

The owners of the now two-story vacant building, located on the corner of East Houston and Essex streets, filed for a permit to build on top of the neoclassical structure and to get a new certificate of occupancy Monday, building records show, and as first reported by Bowery Boogie.

The 41,000-square-foot addition, which is expected to cost about $14.9 million, would create 38 new residential units as well as a bicycle storage area, a fitness room and two “tenant recreation terrace[s],” according to the application for the 223-225 East Houston St. building.

The cellar and first floors would be used as commercial spaces totaling 6,800 square feet, records show.

Dunnie Lai, who was listed as the building’s owner, would not comment on the project.

“I don’t have any information,” she said before hanging up.

Local preservationists have already begun to fight the development. An online petition opposing the project was set up last month as part of a bid to landmark the historic structure, which served the area’s poorer residents in the earlier half of the 20th century before it reportedly became the home and studio of artist Jasper Johns. The petition had just over 200 supporters as of Monday.

A request for evaluation form has also been submitted to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which will determine if the building is eligible to receive the designation, a spokeswoman previously told DNAinfo New York.

Community Board 3's Landmarks Committee was scheduled to discuss the issue last month, but it was withdrawn from the agenda because there was not enough time to properly notify the owner, said District Manager Susan Stetzer.

The former Provident Loan Society building is back on the community board's agenda this month. The Landmarks Committee is set to discuss the issue at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 16 at University Settlement at 273 Bowery near East Houston Street.