105-Foot Tower Proposed Next to Merchant's House Museum

An application before the Landmarks Preservation Commission would replace the existing garage at 27 East Fourth Street with a 105-foot building beside the Merchant’s House Museum, according to the commission’s presentation materials and a Village Preservation campaign update dated September 25. City property data lists Kalodop II Park Corp. as the owner of the lot; we have not tied the application to any other company.

The proposal was first heard in March. Per Village Preservation, the commission neither voted on nor discussed it after overwhelming public testimony in opposition. The application is now back before the commission.

Why it matters

For a developer or broker, this is a test of how far a new-construction application can rise beside an interior and exterior landmark inside the NoHo Historic District Extension. A 105-foot building next to a rowhouse museum sets a height reference for every other infill site on the block. Any approval would likely come with conditions on construction protection.

The museum’s side of the argument is about the building next door. Preservation experts cited by Village Preservation say construction would do extensive and irreversible damage to the landmark, and Crain’s reported it could force the museum to close for years. We have not independently verified that claim.

The numbers

The application describes a building of about 105 feet, which outside accounts, including 6sqft, put at nine stories with retail and office space. We have not confirmed the story count or the garage’s height from the primary filing. The commission’s presentation PDF is the record for the design. We could not confirm square footage, a land price, or a construction budget from public filings this morning, so no per-square-foot figure is possible yet.

NYC’s PLUTO property data lists Kalodop II Park Corp. as owner of Manhattan lot 1005440072. An ACRIS search of that lot returned no recorded documents in range, so we have not confirmed a current ownership structure, any developer or operator tie, or a DOB NOW job filing number, and we do not state them here.

What’s next

The commission decides whether to approve, modify, or reject the application. Nothing in the record we reviewed shows an outcome. A stronger museum-protection plan would be the likeliest route to a vote. Follow other NoHo filings in our New York coverage.