A historic spot got a little, well, less historic when an Arby's moved into the legendary Gage and Tollner space at 372 Fulton Street back in 2010. But as it turns out, it wasn't Arby's that local preservationists needed to worry about. The fast-food joint closed quickly, and it's the new tenant who has apparently made some, erm, modifications to the building's landmarked interior without the approval of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The commissioners met this morning to consider granting retroactive approval to those changes?and handed down a resounding and unanimous no.
The building's tenant, according to the owner's architect Rand Rosenbaum, installed a self-supporting display and lighting system and removed the arched entrance between the kitchen and dining room. But, Rosenbaum explained, the display and lighting don't penetrate the walls, and the removed arch and mirror are just in storage.
This meant nothing to the LPC, whose commissioners told the architect there was "no reason" the landmark features couldn't have been incorporated into the design. "Hiding something behind something is not a preservation strategy," said LPC vice chair Pablo Vengoechea. The tenant will need to present a new plan for the space to the LPC.
· Gage and Tollner coverage [Curbed]
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