What do we have here? Lo-Down contributor/reader Mitch Weinstein snapped this photo outside 183 East Broadway, a construction site idled in the spring of 2009 by a “stop work order” from the Department of Buildings. According to the DOB’s web site, the owner was granted permission to repair “a portion of the brick facade” and to close the gap between the building and 185 East Broadway, the tenement next door. But that’s all — the stop work order is still in effect.
Incidentally, the owner went before CB3’s zoning committee this month, seeking support for a variance. The original plans called for a 12 story residential building (with a community facility). The city stopped the project, due to zoning violations. Not only would the “sliver” building have exceeded height restrictions, but it also illegally covered the entire lot, all the way through to Henry Street. Wai Sun Realty now wants to put up a 7-story building, which would still be in violation of zoning laws.
Committee members made it clear they were not inclined to support the variance, so the owner withdrew the request. While the community board’s approval is not required, it would have helped bolster the developer’s application. Committee Chair David McWater said he doubts the Board of Standards and Appeals will rule in favor of Wai Sun Realty, but he wouldn’t be surprised to see the owner come back with a revised plan.
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