Diagrammatic Massing proposed to fill Columbus Avenue blockfront from West 66th-West 67th Streets.

Model by George Janes & Associates.

To those who’ve been following our efforts to include the newly vacated ABC site in the Lincoln Square Special District, and to those just becoming aware of the changes on the horizon for that site, here is a brief update on where things lie. 

But first, a history refresher: In 1993, amendments were made to the original 1961 Lincoln Square Special District (LSSD). These excluded the ABC properties in order to provide them with more flexibility in their operations. The result is a block of mid-town zoning in Lincoln Square.

When ABC sold its campus to Silverstein Properties in 2018, LW! began a zoning text amendment proposal and later partnered with co-applicant CB7 to include those properties within the LSSD. While that proposal was moving through the City-outlined process, an election intervened and the application stalled. 

CB7 and LW! were supported in our efforts by a number of local elected officials. Our Elected Officials, Congressman Jerry Nadler, State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, State Assembly Members Tony Simone and Linda B. Rosenthal, Borough President Mark Levine and Council Member Gale Brewer (linked) urged the DCP chair, Daniel Garodnick to support the proposed amendment, and they even reiterated our worst-case scenario as follows: 

“George Janes & Associates created a potential scenario of what could be built as-of-right with no special permit, no change to the Special District, and no community involvement. Standard towers break the sky exposure plane and cover no more than 40% of their zoning lot. Height is only limited by engineering.” 

On May 21, CB7 held a Housing and Land Use Committee Meeting (linked) to discuss the status of the ABC Campus. While largely voicing agreement with our proposal, the Executive Director of the Department of City Planning voiced their concern as follows:

“The resulting mass, the bulk from the proposal was kind of monolithic and while [it] did not have a height limit it would have resulted in buildings of maybe let’s say the 350 to 450 [foot] range. It would have been very imposing…from an urban design and city planning perspective.” *

*City Planning did not concede that a 1200+ foot tower might be monolithic. although ~4x the size of the joint CB7-LW! proposal.

The developer, followed in addressing the Committee and his remarks confirmed our concerns when describing his company’s intention to build a 1200+ foot tower along Columbus Avenue (as well as a 300-350 foot tall structure along West 66th Street).

If realized, the Columbus Avenue structure will be the tallest building on the island of Manhattan north of Billionaire’s Row, on the same block as the National-Register-Listed Artist Colony Block (linked), so designated, mainly in recognition of its design typology, which is based on a specific sensitivity towards light and air.

The developer further added that even though it was not required, they are offering 7 West 66th Street and 30 West 67th Street (both in the Upper West Side/Central Park West Historic District) to be adaptively reused as workforce housing. 

THEY DON’T HAVE TO. As they explained:

“We’re doing this voluntarily because I really don’t think that at this point that we have to do it. I think we have to move forward and get our building built before anything can happen that would stop it.”

But that’s not all; the developer also suggested that they could even put the planned West 66th Street 350 ft building on top of the 1,200+ ft building. Because there are no limits on what they can do, they did offer the cold comfort that they weren’t planning to do that, even though, without proactive measures by the Department of City Planning, they could.

As the meeting wound down, the Executive Director of the Department of City Planning, having listened to the developers' suggestions of what it could do, decided that the size and shape of the new buildings could be left to contract negotiations between CB7 and developers! Thus, alleviating DCP from completing the (very similar to our own) Zoning Text Amendment, which would regulate the building’s bulk.

One wonders which residents would have the resources for that negotiation or the enforcement of such a contract should it ever be drafted.

We urge the Department of City Planning to certify our Zoning Application, amend it if necessary, or expedite writing their own.

We urge our Electeds to continue to support the community as they did with a united voice (linked) and we urge the Department of City Planning to adhere to their strategic pillars (linked) by developing inclusive plans, prepare for disasters, support meaningful housing creation, and support land use applications.

Stay tuned for an updated ABC page in the coming days. 

Diagrammatic Massing showing proposed development in context to Billionaire's Row.

Model by George Janes & Associates.