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LPC clears off‑site restoration of cast iron front and approves reduced rooftop addition at 142 Green Street
Summary
The Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the off‑site disassembly, restoration and reassembly of the cast‑iron facade at 142 Green Street and a reduced rooftop addition after designers cut the addition’s height and mechanical screen by four feet.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Aug. 12 approved a proposal to dismantle the cast‑iron front of 142 Green Street in the SoHo Cast Iron Historic District, restore the elements off‑site and reassemble them, along with reconstruction of non‑historic rear facades and a reduced rooftop addition. The vote was unanimous. The project team told commissioners that the cast‑iron assembly shows rusting, misalignment and numerous penetrations from a later, non‑historic fire escape; previous interim repairs included fiberglass and plywood that have not performed well. Architects said off‑site restoration would permit full access for rust removal, structural repairs and priming of both faces of the cast‑iron units, a level of conservation not feasible on scaffolding. The LPC presentation included a historical comparison to a Fernbach‑designed twin (165 Mercer Street) that retains an original pressed‑metal cornice; team members said that cornice will serve as a template for a restored cornice at Green Street. The applicant also sought approval for a two‑story rooftop addition. Following June comments from commissioners about visibility, the team lowered the addition by a combined four feet — moving two floor heights down into the building body (reducing a 12‑foot floor to 11'6" and shortening the top story) and shortening the rooftop mechanical screen by one foot — and provided new visibility studies. LPC staff and several commissioners said the revision significantly reduced long‑range visibility, including from Bleecker Street, while maintaining a contemporary bronze‑clad addition that echoes the building’s vertical module. Commissioners supported removal of the non‑historic fire escape, restoration of the cast‑iron elements and reconstruction of the rear facade with red brick compatible with secondary facades in the district. LPC’s approval included a direction for the applicant to work with staff on storefront detailing. The motion to approve the overall package — facade restoration, rear facade work, excavation/underpinning for adaptive reuse and the reduced rooftop addition — passed 10–0.
