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LPC grants five‑year temporary permit for pink storefront at 247 Bleecker Street
Summary
The commission extended a temporary permit allowing a business to retain pink paint on a nonhistoric storefront in Greenwich Village for five years, citing the busy, colorful Bleecker Street context and the reversible nature of the treatment.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission on June 10 approved a five‑year temporary extension allowing a tenant to keep a pink paint treatment on the storefront at 247 Bleecker Street in the Greenwich Village Historic District Extension 2.
Preservation staff explained the applicant had obtained a one‑year temporary permit in 2024 and entered an escrow agreement to repaint the storefront a neutral color at the end of that permit; the tenant renewed her lease for five years and requested the painted finish be continued for the lease term. Business owner Natalie Acopian described the pink finish as an essential brand element for her boutique, Colorful Natalie, and said the pink storefront aligns with the street’s long history of colorful commercial storefronts.
Speakers who cited precedent included members of the public and commissioners who noted several previously approved colorful storefronts on Bleecker Street. Manhattan Community Board 2 recommended mixed approval, supporting signage but opposing the color. Commissioners balanced the reversibility of paint, the storefront’s modern infill character and local context and approved a five‑year temporary permit, conditioned on an escrow agreement that requires repainting to a neutral color at permit expiration unless a new approval is obtained.
The resolution limits the permit to five years; at expiration the tenant must repaint the base neutral or apply for continued approval.
