During the 2016 land use review process of the Water Street Text Amendment, Community Board 1, and our offices expressed significant concerns about the merits of granting horizontal enlargements within arcades for which buildings had previously received floor area bonuses. Among the most concerning of these sites in the Water Street Sub-district were the arcades and plazas at 200 Water Street. The original plaza design featured a vibrant public space which was, for many years, beloved by the public with lively art and interactive sculptural components. Unfortunately many elements of this original design have been removed and the current plaza does not live up to its full potential. The applicant’s proposal for the redesign of this space does not reflect this historic context or seek to incorporate any of the original elements of the design despite the community’s clear preference for the current plaza and its creative elements.

Furthermore, the applicant is creating additional residential units by way of the required double-height infill. In no way was the intention of the Water Street Text Amendments to increase the number of residential units in luxury buildings. We strongly oppose new luxury units—especially those built at the expense of public space.

The project is also seeking an open air cafe certification from the Chair of CPC pursuant to ZR 37-73, which would consist of 8 moveable tables and 24 movable chairs. The applicant estimates that this would take up approximately 5 percent of the entire plaza. We believe that this is an underestimation of the impact that a plaza café would have at this location, which is a critical point of pedestrian flow in the district. That is why we strongly oppose the granting of an open air café at this location at this time.