CB2 Likes 10 Bond Street, Wants No Liquor on Street Level

The Land Use Committee of Community Board 2 didn't lavish praise on Annabelle Selldorf's plans for 10 Bond Street like the Landmarks Preservation Commission did, but they did like the revised design. Only a few points about the 7-story, 11-unit condo building gave the board pause. They wanted assurance that the 2,700-square-foot retail space along Lafayette Street would not be turned into a bar or restaurant. Owners/developers Abram Shnay and his son, Scott, said that they ideally want to have something like an art gallery, fashion boutique, or furniture store, but they were reluctant to write off food and drink completely. In turn, the board asked for a size limit stipulation, so if a restaurant did move it, the space would have to be split so it only occupied up to 1,500-square-feet. The Shnays said this sounded good, but they'd get back to the board with a hard number by the full board meeting on September 20.

Along Bond Street, the building has a street level maisonnette unit with a garage. The front is clad in mahogany so the garage blends with the building, but the board didn't like that this would be taking away a street parking space. Or, as chair Tobi Bergman candidly said, "I have a garage, so I'm against other people having one." But the townhouse currently standing has a garage, so there's already a curb cut on the property.

Once the project gets all the required approvals, it will still be a little while before we see this building rise from the ground. The garage and townhouse currently on the lot need to be torn down, then there are some remedial clean-up efforts that need to happen. Back in the day, there was gas station, and, like was the norm, the old tanks were filled with cement and left in the ground, so they need to be removed. Additionally, 10 Bond needs a special, more sturdy foundation because the subway line runs alongside the property on Lafayette and a gas line cuts across the corner.
· Starchitect Annabelle Selldorf's New 10 Bond Street Plan Revealed [Curbed]
· 10 Bond Street coverage [Curbed]