By Lincoln Anderson
Waterfront development continues
Touting it as the new “Condo Coast,” developers continue to chip away at the old industrial Greenwich Village waterfront to replace it with a new “edifice complex” — a string of new designer buildings for an upscale market.
Even as residents and preservationists rush to try to landmark the waterfront and Far West Village, news came last week that Related Companies has reached an agreement to purchase the Superior Ink building on a 33,000-sq.-ft. lot at West St. between Bethune and W. 12th Sts., just north of the Westbeth artists housing complex.
Only four months ago, The Villager first reported that the former Pathfinder socialist press building at Charles St. was being demolished by developers Izak Senbahar and Simon Elias for a third Richard Meier-designed apartment tower — to complement the two just-completed ones by Meier at Perry St.
Four blocks to the south, the Olsen twins and other celebrity types are getting ready to move into Morton Sq., a sprawling new condo complex on West St.
The Superior Ink deal was first reported by New York magazine. David Wine, Related’s vice president of residential development, confirmed the report.
“We’ve contracted to purchase the site,” Wine said. “We plan to build a signature residential building. The West Village has been an incredibly vibrant and attractive residential community for a long time. This is obviously one of the last opportunities on the waterfront. It follows in the footsteps of very successful developments in the neighborhood.”
Wine said he couldn’t comment on the project’s design yet or whether it will be 100 percent market-rate rental apartments or condominiums.
“We don’t know anything about the specifics of the building at this point,” he said. “We plan to meet with people in the community as part of the process of developing the property.”
He declined to reveal the purchase price.
The site has an M-1 manufacturing zoning, which prohibits residential use. Wine said Related would try to get the property rezoned for residential use, though conceding rezoning is a lengthy process. The Superior Ink building, where ink for lithographers and printers is still produced, would not be incorporated into the project but demolished, he said.
While Wine said the new Hudson River Park, the Village segment of which opened over the summer, has helped add to the river’s allure, he downplayed its impact.
“I think Hudson River Park has contributed to the appeal of the neighborhood,” he said. “I would say Hudson River Park really transformed some of the parts farther to the south. But Westbeth as an anchor — and the side streets — this part of the West Village has always been great.”
Related’s other local projects include 1 Union Sq., a 22-story condo tower planned on Cooper Union’s Astor Pl. parking lot, the Tate at 23rd St. and Tenth Ave. and the Sierra on the former W. 14th St. Armory site. Related also built the new AOL/Time Warner building on Columbus Circle.
Told that residents living behind the Superior Ink building are angry their river views will be blocked and that most Villagers are horrified by high-rise development along the waterfront, Wine said, “I’m sure we’ll be listening to their concerns,” adding, “I’m sure we’re going to hear the concerns of the city.” He declined to say what the concerns of the city regarding the Village waterfront might be.
Superior Ink said only their chief financial officer, Harold Rubin, could comment but he was not available as of press time.
A resident of 380 W. 12th St., a 50-unit, converted former cold-storage building that is eight stories tall — after having two stories added on — said they started hearing talk a few months ago that someone was trying to buy the ink factory. They checked building records, tried to talk to Superior Ink’s owners, but couldn’t find out anything.
Superior Ink’s building is four and a half stories tall; Related’s will surely be taller.
“I’m on the fifth floor and I have a complete view of the river,” said the woman. “And it’s more than that: There’s light and air. Five apartment lines are going to be affected, and the apartments in the middle don’t have windows on the side streets.”
Aubrey Lees, former chairperson of Community Board 2 and current chairperson of the board’s Landmarks Task Force, said saving the waterfront from development will be the Task Force’s top priority when on Feb. 26 they have their first meeting with new Landmarks Preservation Commission Chairperson Robert Tierney.
“We’re trying to impress on Mr. Tierney the importance of preserving the Far West Village and waterfront,” Lees said. “The development is increasing even as we speak. Everybody’s been talking about it for a while, but now we’ve got to focus on it. I’m sure Mr. Tierney will be receptive about this — he lives in the Village,” she noted.
A statement from Landmarks said: “Over the past few years, the commission has been working with community groups and local officials in the Village to address preservation interests, such as the Gansevoort Market Historic District, which was designated a few months ago. We are aware of the concerns for the waterfront area and will listen to the task force’s proposal at our next meeting.”
An urgent town hall community forum is planned, titled “Save the Far West Village From Overdevelopment,” on March 10 at 75 Morton St. at 7 p.m. Co-sponsors are Board 2, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, Greenwich Village Community Task Force and the Federation to Preserve the Greenwich Village Waterfront and Great Port.
Zack Winestine, co-chairperson of the G.V.C.T.F., said it’s crunch time for waterfront.
“I think there’s a feeling among all the activists and all the groups in the Village that this is make or break now,” Winestine said. “We’ve been worrying about the future for a long time — and the future is here.”
Winestine said the Superior Ink building, while not beautiful, is “pleasing” to the eye with its old smokestack, and feared it will be replaced by “another nondescript tall building.” By the same token, praising the area’s existing income mix, he feared it will be replaced by a homogenous population of wealthy celebrities.
Winestine said they will focus on landmarking the waterfront and Far West Village from 14th St. to Barrow St., where residents have recently noticed interior renovations being done on the old abandoned Keller Hotel owned by the Gottlieb real estate company. However, city records don’t show the Keller having been sold.
Andrew Berman, G.V.S.H.P.’s director, said they had been keeping an eye on the Superior Ink site, always fearing it could become a development site.
The Society was part of the coalition that won the recent landmarking of the Gansevoort Meat Market. “We’re prepared to do a huge push this year around preserving the waterfront,” Berman said. “What’s happening with Superior Ink shows what we’re facing.”
Berman said the new designer waterfront buildings are simply in the wrong location, if not downright ugly.
Of Morton Sq., he said, “It’s hideous. Morton Sq. is kind of your worst nightmare of what new development would look like.”
Of the Meier Perry St. towers, he said, “Even those who call it elegant architecture would have to admit it looks woefully out of context in the Far West Village — towering over two- and three-story brick houses.”
Down in Hudson Sq., Rip Hayman, owner of the Ear Inn building on Spring St., finds the changes bewildering. Around the corner on Greenwich St. two stylish, new, glass-sheathed residential buildings are being completed, the Greenwich St. Project by architect Winka Dubbledam, and the 14-story 505 Greenwich St.
Hayman said local developer Nino Vendome plans to demolish his two-story warehouse building next to the Ear Inn next month to do ground tests for his planned Philip-Johnson-designed apartment tower. Hayman said preliminary tests show bedrock is far down — 95 ft. below the surface — so extensive pile driving will be needed.
Hayman moved into the Ear Inn building in 1973 as a college student. Jokingly calling 505 Greenwich St. “Co-op City South,” he said, “It’s like New York City finally moved into Woho — West Houston.
“Literally, no building has been built around here since 1946,” he said, referring to the U.P.S. building across Houston St.
“Why anybody would pay $1 million to live here when you have to walk 10 blocks to get a cup of coffee,” he wondered.
Very likely, they won’t be walking.
