Big Makeover Plan for Landmark Former One Chase Manhattan Plaza

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At left, the existing black granite base of One Chase Manhattan Plaza at the corner of Liberty and William and, right, the proposed glass storefronts and entrances for that corner. The current base, 18 feet high at this corner, "is not enlivening the street and is not welcoming its neighbors to the plaza," SOM architect Frank Mahan told CB1. Photo and rendering: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

The former One Chase Manhattan Plaza occupies the block bordered by Nassau, Liberty, William and Pine streets and shares the block with the residential building at 20 Pine Steet (in orange).

The current southeast corner, at Pine and William streets. Photo: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

The southeast corner as proposed, with new storefronts and entrances to provide access to the ground floor below. Rendering: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

The original parapet and plaza. Photo: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

The original northwest corner, at Nassau and Liberty, which also shows the original, solid parapet that Community Board 1's Landmarks Committee said they would like to see return as part of the project. Photo: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

The existing northwest corner at Nassau and Liberty streets. Photo: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

The proposed northwest corner. Rendering: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

The proposed west plaza. A new sculpture, by whom SOM architect Frank Mahan said will be an "A-list" artist, will be placed there. The piece would be positioned as a focal point for people entering the plaza from two new entrances. Rendering: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Proposed plaza lighting would create a glow at the base of the building and at the Naguchi Courtyard (mostly hidden in this image by 20 Pine Street building at right.) Trees are proposed to be uplit. Rendering: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

A scant number of structures built in the city since the mid-20th century have achieved landmark status. Sixty-story One Chase Manhattan Plaza, with its distinctive dark granite base and elevated plaza, is one of them.

Completed in 1964, the building was an architectural pioneer of glass and steel among the masonry canyons of the Financial District.

The landmark’s new owner, China-based Fasun Property Holdings, has big plans for its $725-million purchase, now called 28 Liberty. The company wants to cater to a residential population that has grown more than tenfold since the building was completed. Its proposal includes transforming much of that black granite into glass storefronts, with the addition of 200,000 square feet of retail at street level and three floors below.

The company also proposes to refurbish the plaza, restoring the landmarked Noguchi Sunken Garden, adding new lighting and benches and increasing access to the plaza with two new stairways.

The Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) plan, to be presented to the Landmarks Preservation Commission on April 7, was unveiled by its architect Frank Mahan last month to Community Board 1’s Landmarks Committee, who was unanimous in its praise for the overall project.

“This is a huge improvement,” said committee member Corey Sharples. “I think everyone here really appreciates the restoration and the investment.”

While the committee and later in the month the full board passed an advisory resolution in support of the plan, there were major misgivings about the brightly lit storefronts shown in the renderings.

“I know you’re trying to make it open and inviting and light,” committee member Vera Sung told Mahan, “but there’s too much illuminated glass.”

“It’s overwhelming,” added fellow committee member Susan Cole.

The committee also rejected a proposal for a glass parapet along the perimeter of the raised plaza. The original parapet, a solid wall-like structure, had been replaced by the current partial-glass parapet before One Chase Manhattan Plaza was designated a landmark in 2009.

Bring back the old parapet, committee members said.

The original parapet, a solid wall-like structure, had been replaced before One Chase Manhattan Plaza was designated a landmark in 2009.

“We want that parapet to be close to or matching the original,” said committee chair Bruce Ehrmann, noting that the structure was a major reason that One Chase Manhattan Plaza had been declared one of the rare modernist landmarks.

“It’s probably the most important design element of this building.”