We’ll have a full report from last night’s Seward park redevelopment planning session in the days ahead. But since architectural renderings (even if they are just for demonstration purposes) cause an endless amount of fascination, we wanted to put these images up this morning.
City officials and their architectural firm walked committee members through four possible scenarios for the Essex Street Market, which is part of the larger redevelopment site. One option is leaving the market in its current 1940 building north of Delancey Street. The drawings you’re looking at now depicts another option — building a new, larger facility within a mixed (commercial and residential building) on the southeast corner of Delancey and Essex streets.
The building would have about twice as much space as the present market and include an outdoor courtyard opening onto Broome Street. It would be built on two levels, plus have storage and maintenance facilities in the basement.
No decisions were made last night. Next month, the committee will begin deciding what aspects of the overall Seward park plan will be included in a comprehensive environmental assessment set to get underway in the fall.
And to be absolutely clear: THESE RENDERINGS WERE CREATED TO FACILITATE LAST NIGHT’S CONVERSATION. THEY DO NOT REPRESENT AN ARCHITECTURAL PLAN FOR A NEW MARKET!
Proposed floor plan: the market would be located on two levels. Part of the ground floor in a new building would be taken up by the lobby of the residential complex sharing SPURA Site #2.
Improvement.
Isn’t there enough SPURA work to be done on fallow parking lots? How about getting that work done first – where nothing has to be torn down – and then come back to this landmark. If they can get the easy stuff done without totally politicizing this, then maybe the community might trust them a lil’ bit, but right now they have very little in the way of community believers.
I didn’t realise the Essex Street Market was broken. To a casual user, it seems to be working. Why does it need fixing?
Storefronts in the LES are ‘changing hands’ or just shuttering at an anxiety-raising rate; *AFFORDABLE* [to both landlords AND tenants] housing AND commercial space is desirable and the only thing (IMHO) worth proposing for the long run.
The historical Essex Street Market is worthy of preservation, and that may include investment in renovation under some, if not all, of the potential Landmarking Rules. If the SPURA studies indicate viability of additional commercial / retail space, then investment in existing space should be HIGH on the options list, right above restoring one or both of the currently inactive Essex Street Market buildings – one south of Delancey and one north of Rivington. Augmenting these structures to become integral to the bases of ‘high rise’ structures may satisfy supporters of Historical Landmarks AND supporters of development.
Peace – Hesch
As a 30 year resident,I would like to see the Essex Street market remain as it is.It is part of the character of the neighborhood.Why turn it into some yuppie/hipster hangout.Leave it alone!
I WANT MY NEIGHBORHOOD BACK!!!! :(…. Some of us cannot afford to live here any longer !!!
ENOUGH!!!!
they are ugly and would just make any nice new residential bldg look like crap