MEATPACKING DISTRICT — Madewell was wrongly allowed to go through a less rigorous landmark review process and will now have to face more stringent regulations going forward as the company builds its Gansevoort Street store, the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission said.
The storefront at 69 Gansevoort St. — formerly the beloved Florent restaurant — lies in the landmark-protected Gansevoort Market Historic District, and is described in detail in the LPC's own historic designation report.
Preservationist group Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation wrote the LPC a letter on Sept. 12 arguing that "significant changes were made to the character of the storefront," so the project should have gotten a full public hearing and review by the commission.
Instead, it was approved at staff level, without public scrutiny.
Letter 1: GVSHP to LPC by DNAinfoNewYork on Scribd
In reply, the deputy counsel for the agency insisted it was appropriate for the project to be reviewed only by staff, but said he shared Berman's "concerns regarding the noncompliant storefront work," suggesting the Madewell architect did work the staff had not authorized.
"A site visit was made by a member of the Commission's enforcement staff and a warning letter was issued on Sept. 13 for work that is noncompliant with the permit," LPC Deputy Counsel John Weiss wrote in a letter dated Sept. 22. "The project's architect has assured enforcement staff that corrective work will be undertaken to bring the storefront into compliance."
Letter 2: LPC to GVSHP by DNAinfoNewYork on Scribd
In a subsequent letter dated Sept. 29, Berman argued that the staff-level permits violated LPC's own rules by allowing significant chages to the façade, including a new door.
Letter 3: GVSHP to LPC by DNAinfoNewYork on Scribd
The LPC was apparently persuaded, as Weiss replied three weeks later that staff reviewed the permit and found it should have gone through a more thorough review.
The LPC rescinded their staff-level approval of the project and Weiss wrote that the applicant will either have to go through the public hearing process for the work they have already done, or modify the work to make it more in line with the previous façade.
Letter 4: LPC to GVSHP by DNAinfoNewYork on Scribd
"We’re very glad the LPC has recognized the mistake and is now seeking to correct it. This is of course an incredibly important site in the Meatpacking District and we want to do everything we can to see it preserved," Berman said. "It took weeks and weeks of pressing the LPC, but we are glad we got to this point.
"We are of course going to continue to closely monitor the situation until the building has been appropriately restored," he added.
The LPC and Madewell did not respond to requests for comment.
