The owners of Gourmet Garage received permission from the Landmarks Commission to put a ramp, rather than stairs alone, at this door of the Franklin Street side of their store. The main entrance is on Broadway. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib
A Landmarks approval despite community board opposition
Despite opposition from Community Board 1 [1], Tribeca’s new Gourmet Garage will have its ramp when it opens soon at 366 Broadway.
In a unanimous decision on Aug. 4, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to approve a proposed ramp for what will serve as an exit on the Franklin Street side of the historic, 114-year-old building. The owners said they need the 20-foot addition to the building to make it easier for shoppers with strollers and carts to leave the store, rather than make their way all 125 feet from the registers to the front door. Any visible addition to the building, located in the Tribeca East Historic District, needs approval from the Landmarks Commission, which takes the community board’s opinion into account.
CB1’s Landmarks Committee said the ramp was unnecessary, in part because the building already has required handicap access at the Broadway entrance and the ramp, they said, would be a large, unnecessary addition.
But unlike the community board, which unanimously opposed the ramp last month, the commissioners expressed no concerns, saying in its resolution that structure would not detract from the historic features of the building.
The store, long awaited by residents in eastern Tribeca, is expected to open in late August or early September, according to co-owner Andy Arons.
.jpg "Architect’s drawing shows the configuration of the proposed ramp and stairs on what will be the Franklin Street side of the store. Drawing courtesy of Gourmet Garage")
Links:
[1] http://tribecatrib.com/content/proposed-gourmet-garage-exit-ramp-meets-community-board-resistance