On Greenwich Street, Second Try No Charm for Proposed Building

 by Carl Glassman

Hoping to placate the people who live nearby, Samuel Ramirez, Jr. returned to Community Board 1 last month with a design for a shorter version of the building he wants to put at the northwest corner of Hubert and Greenwich streets
Samuel A. Ramirez, Jr., at a commun-

The dozen or so residents who showed up at the meeting were not won over, to say the least, by the nine-story structure, which would house his family's bond trading business, Samuel A. Ramirez & Co., Inc. As David Reynolds, a resident of nearby 424 Greenwich St., bluntly told Ramirez: "Your building will stand three or four stories above everyone else and destroy the block."

This was Ramirez's second try for the approval of nearby residents. He first appeared before them and the board's Tribeca Committee last May with a design for an 11-story building on the lot, now occupied by a garage. Because the lot is zoned for just six stories, he needs special approval from the city, which he is more likely to get with the support of the community board.

But the committee strongly backed the residents, and this month the community board is likely to pass a resolution opposing the nine-story building. "We're not really happy about giving variances on the [height]," said Albert Capsouto, the Tribeca Committee's chairman.

On Jan. 13, Ramirez plans to go before the city's Board of Standards and Appeals in hopes of winning the variance. The city must make an exception not only for the additional height, but also for partial residential use, which CB1 does not oppose.

Ramirez wants five floors of the building for the family bond business,

with the top two floors used as residences for his family and for his parents, who are partners in the business. Two other floors would be rented or sold for residential use and there would be retail on the ground floor.

To obtain a variance, the developer must show that he would suffer a financial hardship if his building conformed to zoning. Ramirez would not comment on the board's position other than to say he disagreed with it. But his lawyer, Howard Weiss, said he was "incredulous" at the opposition. He cited the Landmarks Preservation Commission's approval of the building design as evidence that it was an appropriate addition to the area and said that its proposed height matches the Globex building across Greenwich Street.

"If you look around the district, we're not out of context," he said.

Soil conditions and other problems with the site, will add $3.4 million to the cost of construction, Weiss said, making it necessary to add the additional floors in order to make the building financially feasible.
Rendering of proposed building at 408 Greenwich St., designed by Morris Adjmi. It would house the residences and business of Samuel A. Ramirez, Jr., and his family.

Most opposition came from residents of the five-story 399 Washington Street, whose rear windows will be blocked by the new building. They insisted that approval of the building would set a precedent for future developments, further altering the character of north Tribeca.

"Either you're building [according to zoning laws] or you're trying to alter the neighborhood," said Jon Steinberg, a long-time resident of 399 Washington St. "And this is a danger to all of us."