Since August, there has been a stop-work order in place at 402-406 Warren Street, the buildings that are being redeveloped as the Galvan Foundation's Hudson Public Hotel.
The stop-work order was triggered by violations to the certificate of appropriateness granted by the Historic Preservation Commission in March 2023. The following is the list of violations identified by Code Enforcement Director Nick Fox.
On September 14, Walter Chatham, advising architect for the project, submitted a new application for the project which reflected things that had already been done, many of which were in violation of the original certificate of appropriateness. The HPC has discussed the project a few times since then, and at a special meeting last Friday, it appeared the HPC had reached some conclusions about what should be done.
The HPC seemed to agree early on that, although the certificate of appropriateness specified that the corrugated metal siding on the walls of the building not visible from the street "shall be unpainted galvanized or ungalvanized metal," they did not have a problem with the black painted metal that had been installed.
Other violations were not as easily dismissed. Ninety-five windows were installed without approval from the HPC. The configuration of all the windows is two-over-two--two panes in the upper sash and two panes in the lower sash. The HPC had not deemed that configuration appropriate to the building. Chatham argued that because all the renderings presented during the original review process showed two-over-two windows, the HPC had given tacit approval to that configuration.
At the October 23 meeting of the HPC, Matt McGhee maintained that the original buildings--402-404 Warren Street and pair of townhouses facing North Fourth Street--were Greek Revival, built at a time when it was not yet possible to make large panes of glass, and hence the original windows would have been six-over-six. McGhee suggested that the original buildings should have six-over-six windows and the new infill buildings should have two-over-two.
This picture, which is believed to date from 1866, is the oldest visual documentation of the building. Unfortunately, it does not provide clear evidence of the configuration of the windows, and, given that it was likely taken three or more decades after the building was constructed, it is possible that the windows on the building's primary facade may have been updated.
At last Friday's meeting, the HPC agreed that the Greek Revival townhouses on North Fourth Street should have six-over-six windows, and the two-over-two windows already installed would be appropriate for the other buildings.
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| Photo: Matt McGhee |
The building's colonnade was also a topic for discussion at Friday's meeting. The original certificate of appropriateness contained the following condition, which was not met:
The applicant shall return to the Historic Preservation Commission for approval of specifications and details for all windows, doors and light fixtures. The applicant shall also provide additional information on existing storefront marble at the time windows and doors are reviewed.
As Gossips reported in August, two of the three original marble elements were removed, and the third is now covered over with new material.
At last Friday's meeting, Cara Cragan, the architect member of the HPC, presented what she called a "more detailed approach" to the colonnade. Using 701 Warren Street as a model, whose relevance to 402-404 Warren was noted by McGhee, Cragan suggested there should be marble at the bottom of the colonnade openings. This, she said, would make the colonnade "reminiscent and reverential of what was originally there."
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| 701 Warren Street--Photo: Matt McGhee |
Chatham cited possible "water issues" are a reason not to include the marble piece at the bottom of the windows in the colonnade.
Cragan also recommended detailing in the application of the marble veneer, which Chatham referred to as "little cushion capitals."
Cragan suggested that the infill structures--at 406 Warren Street and on North Fourth Street between 402-404 Warren and townhouses--be whitewashed or stuccoed to distinguish them from the historic buildings. In the original proposal, these buildings were to have a "slurry wash." Cragan expressed the opinion, "Stucco feels like a clearer distinction." HPC member John Schobel, however, commented, "We have so much brick and clapboard on Warren Street, but no stucco. Limewash [i.e., whitewash] feels more in keeping with the context."
The HPC has its regular meeting on Friday, November 13. Chatham is expected to have new drawings of the enhanced colonnade, as well as pictures of the proposed doors, for presentation at that time.
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