Building the Neighborhood’s Future
14-16 Gay Street Design Plans Revealed
By Brian J Pape, AIA, LEED-AP
This photo shows the gap where 14 & 16 Gay Street, 197-year old historic structures, were destroyed by unpermitted construction work. In the backyard, the properties connect to Christopher Street properties also getting renovated. Credit: Brian J. Pape, AIA.
What began as a routine construction permit for two of the oldest landmarked rowhouses in Manhattan soon turned into a full-fledged historic preservation disaster.
Celeste Martin, who died in December 2018 at a disputed age of 80 or perhaps the 90s, had holdings that included six connected, landmarked buildings on Christopher and Gay Streets that include two retail stores and 31 apartments, of which 28 were rent-stabilized. She also owned two townhouses on Waverly Place nearby.
The eight townhouses owned by Martin may have been valued at $25 million, but they were all in a state of disrepair, overwhelmingly rent-regulated, and the subject of more than $1 million in combined unpaid property taxes and city building violations, according to court filings. The properties became the responsibility of the city during probate.
According to research by the YIMBY blogsite article by Michael Young and Matt Pruznick, “the first revelations of 14 Gay Street’s precarious structural integrity came in early 2020, when the Department of Buildings (DOB) fielded numerous complaints about the building’s rundown state, including its leaning and bowing cellar wall. Further reports of shaking and vibrations followed in the summer of 2021, and DOB inspectors were dispatched along with forensic engineers to assess the property the following November” 2021. Un-permitted cellar repair work had deviated from engineering plans that were approved by the DOB and Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) for the 197-year-old building.
These buildings at center were also part of Celeste Martin’s holdings and needed major repairs when they went into probate. The developer has restored their historic appearance. Credit: Brian J. Pape, AIA.
The faulty work included “the near-complete removal of a critical load-bearing wall without the installation of sufficient supports, as well as illegal work that compromised the foundation walls of the adjacent 16 Gay Street, leading to further damage. Authorities deemed 14 Gay Street unsalvageable and at risk of total collapse, resulting in a full vacate order and demolition work beginning several days later under the supervision of the owner’s engineers.”
The developer Nazarian Property Group under the Gay Street Revival Initiative 1 LLC, purchased Martin’s properties along Christopher and Gay Streets buildings for around $12 million in April 2022.
According to YIMBY, this site now involves the reconstruction of 14 Gay Street, and the neighboring 16 Gay Street into a single residential building. The exterior will be clad in brick, and the building culminates in cornice-lined parapets matching the original configuration, including 14 Gay Street’s pitched roof and dormer, and includes using the original construction materials from the demolished structure.
Nevertheless, it seems inconceivable that LPC would approve a design that obliterates the former two-home façade with separate doorways for each.
This drawing for the façade of 14 & 16 Gay Street obliterates the doorway for 14 Gay Street. The diagram depicts the conjoined 14-16 Gay Street with the main entrance located above grade on 16 Gay Street. A second doorway is positioned below grade in an areaway with the black line in the diagram denoting the street level. Five basement windows will face the areaway and are largely in line with the grid of windows above, which will feature wooden shutters. Credit: Gay Street Revival Initiative 1 LLC.
