East 10th Street Historic District Closer to Reality

By Kevin Korber of Village Confidential

EV Grieve is reporting that the hearing for a proposed East 10^th Street Historic District has been expedited by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in response to Magnum Real Estate Group’s purchase of one of the townhouses located in the district. The hearing was moved up after the LPC had heard of Magnum’s plans to build a rooftop expansion on the townhouse.

The building in question, 315 East 10^th Street, was purchased from The Education Alliance, and Magnum intends to convert the building back to a residential space. However, a permit request was recently filed for the construction of a fifth floor on top of the existing four-story building.

Upon hearing of the request, the LPC expedited their hearing for the East 10^th Street Historic District in response, stating that the planned rooftop expansion to 315 East 10^th Street “could potentially affect the character of the district.”

The East 10^th Street Historic District is a row of buildings along East 10^th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B on the north side of Tompkins Square Park. The buildings in the district date back as far as the mid-19^th century; 315 East 10^th Street was built in 1847, according to the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation.

The LPC has a maximum of 40 days to vote on the approval of the historic district while the Department of Buildings reviews the permit applications on 315 East 10^th Street.