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Committee raises minor visibility questions but does not object to sixth cooling tower at 770 Broadway
Summary
Owner Renato Realty Trust proposed adding a sixth rooftop cooling tower at 770 Broadway; committee members generally found the unit minimally visible and appropriate for staff‑level review, with a recommendation to maintain a modest set‑back from a prominent masonry water tank.
Representatives for Renato Realty Trust presented a proposal to install an additional rooftop cooling tower at 770 Broadway. The building currently has five cooling towers; the applicant’s team proposed placing a sixth unit adjacent to the existing array to increase the building’s cooling capacity for tenants.
Simon Young of Spector Group and engineer Kurt Groner of Goldman Colchman Associates explained that the sixth unit would match the existing units’ aesthetic but is slightly shorter (about one foot shorter) and would be supported by existing steel framing. The team provided photographs and photo‑montages showing visibility from several vantage points: it would be clearly visible in the sliver of view from Eleventh Street and Broadway but largely not visible from closer or westward block faces. The presenters said structural review confirmed adequate roof framing and weight capacity.
Committee members, including Doris, Brian and Anita, had no substantive objections. Some asked that the new unit remain set back from a historic masonry water tank on the roof so that the tank remains the more prominent rooftop feature; applicants confirmed the new tower is shown set back approximately one foot from that masonry element in the drawings. Several commissioners noted the installation could be handled at the staff level because the work is utilitarian and minimally visible from the public way.
The committee did not register opposition to the proposed cooling tower and did not require a return presentation; committee comments requested the team maintain the shown set‑back from the water tank and verify final dimensions in the staff review process.
The committee’s response allows the applicant to proceed to the staff‑level LPC review stream; any required DOB, DOT or building‑systems approvals remain separate.
