FRIENDS Testimony:

After a ten-year battle to get this portion of Lexington Avenue designated, the Preservation Committee at FRIENDS approaches applications along this thoroughfare with extreme caution. We were pleased to see the proposal’s material choice of wood and the inclusion of bulkhead and transom elements, but the folding glass doors and revolving door were functional choices that have no relation to the historical context of the district. The intent of extending the Upper East Side Historic District was to protect the fragile character of the neighborhood’s architecture. Our Preservation Committee found that this proposal detracts from this character and that the existing storefront is more appropriate for the historic district. We ask the Commission to either work with the applicant to model their storefront on previously-approved precedents in the district or to require the applicant to maintain the existing storefront.