Preservationists have fought to landmark the former Yuengling Brewery complex in West Harlem, but some of the late 19th century buildings may bite the dust for a 12-story commercial and community facility building at 460 West 128th Street.
Developer Janus Property has filed plans for a 194-foot-tall building that would occupy a sizable piece of the old brewery complex between Amsterdam and Convent Avenues. The development would span 428,105 square feet, divided between 321,767 square feet of commercial space and 106,338 square feet of medical offices.
Retail would fill the first floor, and the next four floors would be devoted to medical facilities. The remaining seven floors would be offices. Tenants would have access to outdoor terraces on the second and ninth through 12th floors.
Bryant Park-based architecture firm HOK will design the project. They’re also working on a glassy, 21-story condo tower on the opposite side of the park, at the corner of Lexington Avenue and East 86th Street.
Janus has already filed plans to knock down the weathered two-story brick building at 460 West 128th Street. The owners of the Yuengling Brewery built the structure in 1883 to produce and store ale, according to the LPC’s fact sheet.
However, the more architecturally distinct building to which it’s attached—a two-story stable with a pitched roof at 454-458 West 128th Street—could remain. We haven’t found demolition applications the other five buildings for the complex.
The block-long collection of industrial buildings has languished on the calendar of the Landmarks Preservation Commission for 25 years. The LPC finally held a hearing on the properties last November, and they will decide whether the complex will become a landmark during a public meeting next week.
The developer, which is based around the corner in the renovated Sweets Laboratories building, has a track record of fixing up decrepit industrial properties in the neighborhood. They revamped the iconic, five-story Mink Building into space for non-profits and artists. And they’re working on a new 11-story office tower, the Taystee Building, on the site of the former Taystee Bakery.
Update: The LPC informs us that DOB permits for calendared buildings can be held up to 40 days, during which the commission can move to designate the property. The owner can request a sign off from LPC to get the permit before the 40 days. Sign offs are issued within 1.5 days on average. The owner can also wait out the 40 days.
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