Developers of 3 St. Mark's Place are looking to double the size of their proposed office building at 3rd Avenue to 10 floors with air-rights deal

Developers of 3 St. Mark’s Place are looking to double the size of their proposed office building at 3rd Avenue to 10 floors with air-rights deal
[Photo from Saturday]This past October, Real Estate Equities Corporation (REEC) filed new permits for 3 St. Mark’s Place (the address of the former Papaya King) for a 5-story, 29,030-square-foot building with ground-floor retail.These plans were actually smaller than the original specs reported for this northeast corner of Third Avenue and St. Mark’s Place. According to The Real Deal in November 2017, a seven-story office building was slated for this soon-to-be-demolished assemblage of buildings.In any event, hold everything on those 5-floor plans.On Feb. 13, reps for the developer will appear before CB3’s Landmarks Committee to discuss transferring the air rights from the landmarked — and under-renovation — Hamilton-Holly House across the street at 4 St. Mark’s Place.With these air rights and approved zoning variance, the Morris Adjimi-designed building at 3 St. Mark’s Place would rise to 10 stories. Here’s a look at the rendering posted to the CB3 site… This link will take you to the PDF on the CB3 website with details on the proposal.Here’s part of the pitch, per their overview:The Applicant is requesting the Landmarks Preservation Commission (the “LPC”) to issue a report to the City Planning Commission pursuant to Section 74-79 of the New York City Zoning Resolution to facilitate the construction of a ten-story building (the “Proposed Development”! located at 3 St. Mark’s Place … The special permit would (a) allow a transfer of 8,386 square feet of development rights from the zoning lot located at 4 St. Mark’s Place (which is occupied by the Hamilton-Holly House (the “Landmark”), an individual landmark, and (b) modify the provisions of ZR Section 33-432 to allow the Proposed Development to penetrate the maximum front wall height and sky exposure plane within the 20-foot initial setback distance on St. Mark’s Place. This waiver allows for a better relationship to the adjacent buildings on St. Marks Place and allows for better office floorplates.As a condition of the special permit, the owner of the Landmarks Building has agreed to undertake additional work — more expansive in scope than the originally approved work — to restore the Landmark Building to a sound, first-class condition, and to thereafter implement a cyclical maintenance plan for the Building. These commitments will be set forth in a restrictive declaration, binding upon the owner and its successor and assigns in perpetuity, implementing the approved continuing maintenance program.[Photo of 4 St. Mark’s Place from last month]The Feb. 13 meeting is the beginning of the review process, which requires an application to the LPC followed by an application to the City Planning Commission for the special permit. Back to the overview for the plan for more zoning jargon…In its report, LPC will comment on the restoration work and continuing maintenance plan as well as the manner in which the requested waiver of the otherwise applicable height and setback regulations contributes to a harmonious relationship between the Landmark and the Proposed Development. LPC is not reviewing the actual work on the Landmark because this work has been previously reviewed and approved. After the special permit application is filed with CPC and certified pursuant to ULURP, the request for 74-79 Special Permit will be referred back to the Community Board for the second step in the review.So this marks just the beginning of the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP). Read this primer on an explanation of the process.The CB3 Landmarks Committee meeting on Feb. 13 is open to the public (and is open to public comment). The meeting is at the JASA Green Residence, 200 E. Fifth St. at the Bowery. And this certainly isn’t the last we’ll hear on this variance request.REEC picked up the 99-year leasehold for the properties — 1 St. Mark’s Place, 3 St. Mark’s Place, 23 and 25-27 Third Ave. — for nearly $150 million, per The Real Deal in November 2017. The Continental was the last business on the corner, with the last call happening on New Year’s Eve.The corner assemblage is owned by the Gabay family.Previously on EV Grieve:Exclusive: After 40 years, punk rock mainstay Trash and Vaudeville is leaving St. Mark’s Place4 St. Mark’s Place is for saleMore residential units and a 5th-floor addition in the works for landmarked 4 St. Mark’s PlaceYou’ll be back: Look at the renovated Hamilton-Holly House on St. Mark’s PlaceThe Shake Shack effect? McDonald’s on 3rd Avenue at St. Mark’s Place has closed after 20 yearsReport: NE corner of St. Mark’s Place and 3rd Avenue will yield to a 7-story office buildingDemolition permits filed for northeast corner of 3rd Avenue and St. Mark’s PlaceEnd is nearing for the businesses on the northeast corner of 3rd Avenue and St. Mark’s PlaceThe Continental gets a 3-month reprieve New building plans revealed for 3rd Avenue and St. Mark’s Place