In 2015, LW! pressed the Landmarks Preservation Commission to maintain the original boundaries of the Riverside-West End Historic District Extension II. Unfortunately, after a vote, they did not, hence the “de Blasio Diet” where every building that was not through-block to West End Avenue of the proposed extension was carved out. In the months prior to the vote, there were a lot of properties flipped along the Broadway corridor and these ultimately call within the guidelines of the Mayor’s MIH/ZQA Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and Zoning for Quality and Affordability guidelines which increase the height allowable–even in contextually zoned districts with the promise of a certain percentage of affordable units. Without MIH/ZQA, the former limit along much of the Broadway corridor ranges in base height of 125-150 feet along the street wall and a cap of 210 feet over-all. This morning’s Crains New York Business reports that two more properties are slated for re-development. 2503, and 2505 Broadway, each a one-story “tax-payer” building will be redeveloped with up to 80,000 square feet of residential space with financing from Michael Dell.
