If at first you don't succeed, try, try againit's so often the way applications to the Landmarks Preservation Commission go, and such was the case with six-story-tall 31 Bond Street, in the midst of a reported $4.125 million condo conversion. The building will be getting a new penthouse and rear façade, thanks to Tuesday's vote of approval.
The LPC held a hearing on the building back in August and had no problem with the minor changes proposed for the front entrance, but they weren't ready to approve the changes to the roof and the rear. The revised design from Soho-based Matthew Baird Architects showed off the smaller penthouse, a chimney cut down by nine feet, roof mechanical equipment relocated to be out of sight, and a new rear façade that's much more open and glassy than the front.
Without much fuss, the commissioners approved the plan. Commissioner Frederick Bland credited the design team, saying it was better now and was "too visible" before.
The current building was acquired by Good Property Co. in 2013 for $16 million, and plans filed with the Department of Buildings call for the converted building to house three units: two triplexes and one duplex. A past building on the lot was the site of a grisly murder, but that doesn't make one of the last development sites on coveted Bond Street any less valuable.
—Evan Bindelglass is a local freelance journalist, photographer, cinephile, and foodie. You can e-mail him, follow him on Twitter @evabin, or check out his personal blog.
· All 31 Bond Street coverage [Curbed]