Preservationists Battle Bergdorf Goodman Over Future Of Midtown Headquarters

7:30 am on November 6, 2015 By Evan Bindelglass

The future of the Bergdorf Goodman department store was one of the subjects of a contentious public hearing at the Landmarks Preservation Commission on Thursday. The commission is in the process of dealing with its 95-item backlog and began held the first day of public hearings for properties in Manhattan (the second and final hearing is November 12). Not surprisingly, the battle pitted preservationists against the building’s owner.

Read More
Museum of Natural History

Reveal For Museum of Natural History’s Six-Story Expansion, Upper West Side

6:30 am on November 6, 2015 By Reid Wilson

Board members have approved and revealed renderings for the 218,000 square-foot expansion and overhaul of the American Museum of Natural History, located on the Upper West Side between West 77th and 81st Streets, the New York Times reports. The expansion includes the planned six-story-tall Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation, which will be designed by Jeanne Gang, of Studio Gang Architects. The overhaul includes significant reconfigurations of 10 existing buildings and upgrades to the park surrounding the museum. The plan, which must be approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, is expected to take roughly 18 months, with opening planned by early 2020.

681 Franklin Avenue

Reveal For Six-Story, Eight-Unit Residential & Retail Building At 681 Franklin Avenue, Crown Heights

6:00 am on November 6, 2015 By Reid Wilson

In the last few days of 2014, YIMBY reported on applications to construct a four-story, eight-unit mixed-use building at 681 Franklin Avenue, in northwestern Crown Heights, six blocks from the Franklin Avenue stop on the 2, 3, 4, and 5 trains. Now, Curbed and DNAinfo have renderings for various versions of the project. The building will actually appear as six stories and stand 60 feet tall, thanks to two mezzanine levels which weren’t included in the previous floor count. The building will also include 2,134 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

30 Belvedere Street

Four-Story, Seven-Unit Residential Building Planned At 30 Belvedere Street, Bushwick

4:30 pm on November 5, 2015 By Reid Wilson

David Salem, doing business as an anonymous LLC, has filed applications for a four-story, seven-unit residential building at 30 Belvedere Street, in northern Bushwick, two blocks before the Myrtle Avenue stop on the J, M and Z trains. The building will total 4,663 square feet, which means units will average a rental-sized 666 square feet apiece. Boaz Golani’s Bronx-based BMG Design Build is the architect of record, and the lot is currently vacant.