Demarest Building Explained

Demarest Building
Address:339 Fifth Ave
Location Town:New York City
Location Country:United States
Coordinates:40.7478°N -73.9847°W
Owner:Pi Capital Partners
Start Date:1889
Demolition Date:2021
Height:four stories
Architect:James Renwick Jr.

The Demarest Building was a four-story structure at 339 Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, designed by Renwick, Aspinwall & Russell and constructed for coachbuilder Aaron T. Demarest. An 1893 fire destroyed property in the building, which was later used for other purposes.

Description

The Demarest Building is located on the northeast corner of Fifth Avenue and 33rd Street in Midtown Manhattan, just east of the Empire State Building.[1] The building has been compared stylistically to Carnegie Hall.[2]

History

A July 26, 1893 fire destroyed property at the building.[3] [2] [4] The building was later converted to other uses.[5] [2]

By 2015, developer Pi Capital Partners planned to replace the building and neighboring structures with a new residential tower.[6] In 2019, Pi Capital filed plans for a 26-story mixed-use development on the site of the Demarest Building,[7] [8] with 82 apartments.[8] This prompted preservationists and groups, including the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, to petition the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) to designate the building as an official city landmark, thereby protecting it from demolition. The LPC expressed concern that the building's exterior had been altered too frequently throughout its history and the old building was not saved.[7] [9], it is being replaced by a 21-story, 82-unit mixed-use building with commercial space at the base and up to five residential units on each floor.[10]

Sources

Notes and References

  1. News: The Rise-but rarely the fall-of the Elevator. Ross, Wendy. March 21, 1995. The Washington Post. limited. July 14, 2021. The Otis brothers had installed the first two successful electric elevators in the Demarest Building in New York in 1889. July 17, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210717184708/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/1995/03/21/the-rise-but-rarely-the-fall-of-the-elevator/e4adcb4e-0e16-4dc4-9c78-a2739b4dd03b/. live.
  2. News: . Echoes of Carnegie Hall on Fifth Avenue . Christopher . Gray . August 3, 2008 . 8 .
  3. News: Destructive Fire in Demarest's Carriage Warehouse in New York. Middletown Times-Press. Middletown, New York. 3. July 26, 1893. . July 14, 2021. July 17, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210717184659/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81418947/middletown-times-press/. live.
  4. Web site: A.T. Demarest. . 2012 . Coachbuilt. Coachbuilt.com, Inc . December 23, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161008185436/http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/d/demarest/demarest.htm. October 8, 2016.
  5. News: Friedmann opens office in New York Monday, promising he'll treat the Rich and poor alike. The Evening Republican. Meadville, Pennsylvania. 1. March 1, 1913. . July 14, 2021. July 17, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210717184657/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81442297/the-evening-republican/. live.
  6. Web site: First Look: 339 Fifth Avenue . New York Yimby . Fedak . Nikolai . February 17, 2015 . October 8, 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161008185814/http://newyorkyimby.com/2015/02/first-look-339-fifth-avenue.html . October 8, 2016.
  7. Web site: Colangelo. Lisa L.. September 17, 2019. Fifth Avenue's 1890s Demarest Building faces demolition as preservationists fight back. September 14, 2020. AMNY Newsletter. en-US. September 30, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200930063821/https://www.amny.com/real-estate/demarest-building-nyc-1-36414155/. live.
  8. Web site: Manrodt. Alexis. July 29, 2019. Pi Capital Partners planning Koreatown project. January 30, 2023. The Real Deal New York. en-US.
  9. Web site: Franklin. Sydney. December 18, 2019. Preservationists fight to save Midtown Manhattan's 19th-century Demarest Building. September 14, 2020. The Architect’s Newspaper. en-US. September 18, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200918100225/https://www.archpaper.com/2019/12/preservationists-fight-to-save-midtown-manhattans-19th-century-demarest-building/. live.
  10. Web site: Pham. Diane. September 17, 2019. New Look for 335 Fifth Avenue, the 21-story tower replacing the Demarest Building. July 14, 2021. Urbanize New York. Urbanize Media, LLC. July 17, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210717184653/https://urbanize.city/nyc/post/new-look-335-339-fifth-avenue-21-story-tower-replacing-demarest-building. live.

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