The Lower East Side storefront at Orchard and Delancey Streets that was once home to the Moscot eyeglasses shop has been rumored as the site of a residential development for some time now—the first rumblings began back in 2012, in fact. And though plans for the incoming tower were filed some time ago, there hasn't been much progress, even as Rox Gallery moved into the space in 2013.
But now, Bowery Boogie has uncovered some very preliminary drawings of the 12-story tower created by SWA Architecture, listed as the architect of record on the project's DOB application. (The application was filed back in 2014 and was disapproved in 2015, so take all of this with a grain of salt.) While they don't reveal too much about the design, it does show how the proposed 120-foot residential tower will fit in on the block. A slender tower will rise from a stockier base, due to have commercial tenants and a restaurant. The residential portion will include a few normal apartments, as well as larger duplexes (of course).