By Nicole Breskin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
TRIBECA – Robert De Niro may be used to getting his way in Hollywood, but officials at the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission aren't about to let the actor push them aside.
De Niro pledged last year to redesign a penthouse he co-developed atop the Greenwich Hotel after residents complained that it was taller than what had been approved by the commission.
Now, after more than a year has gone by without any modifications to the penthouse, nor any indication of a revised design, the Hollywood giant and his business partners are being hauled in front of officials to explain.
“They’ve been asked to come back to us with a revised proposal,” commission spokesperson Elisabeth De Bourbon told DNAinfo. “Nothing has been done.”
The commission is scheduled to meet with representatives of the Greenwich Hotel on Oct. 9. It is not known if De Niro or his partners will be present at the meeting.
De Niro's publicist and the architects for the Greenwich did not respond to questions.
Last year, the star of “Raging Bull” personally apologized to members of Community Board 1 for the penthouse height infraction. The community board had initially supported the project in 2004.
Michael Levine, the director for land use and planning for Community Board 1, told DNAinfo the board was “very upset” with the hotel and the additional space allocated for the penthouse.
“We feel taken advantage of,” said Levine, who plans to meet with commission officers in the upcoming weeks to discuss next step. “We don’t like developers violating an agreement.”
Tribeca residents, however, were polarized about De Niro’s penthouse predicament.
Long-time resident Ellen Miller hoped the actor would revise his plan, but remained skeptical.
“He should be a law-abiding citizen like the rest of us,” said Miller, who has lived across the street from the hotel in Tribeca since 1976. “But I’m not sure he will be doing anything because of who he is.”
But Linda Freeman, 58, said she didn’t see a problem with the building’s height and liked the celebrity’s positive influence on Tribeca.
“His buildings are exclusive, but they’re beautifully done and bring people to the neighborhood,” Freeman said.
The “Goodfellas” star founded the Tribeca Film Festival in 2002, establishing the Tribeca Film Center and the Tribeca Film Institute. De Nero also had a hand in bringing trendy restaurants Nobu and the Tribeca Grill into the neighborhood.
