Anything that goes on at the “Minerva Building Site,” aka 614 7th Avenue, is of interest because of the development’s role in galvanizing citizen opposition to out-of-context development in Greenwood Heights and the South Slope. Not to mention the fact that the building was actually stopped because it would have blocked the historic view from the Minerva statue at the top of Battle Hill in Green-Wood Cemetery to the Statue of Liberty. Plans for the site were resubmitted earlier this summer and were rejected by the Department of Buildings. (Such rejections, however, are often formalities during the early part of the approval process.)

Concerned Citizens of Greenwood Heights send word that:

after the ridiculous filling for 11 buildings on 100X100 lot over the summer, they are beginning to refile at 5 lots, 40′ tall, 3 floors plus basement (not sure if they are still attempting a curb cut in front of every building).

Still seems odd for the site, considering they have 4 buildings on 7th Ave and 1 on 23rd St. But, perhaps they are remodeling their plans along the lines of our Fedders-style neighbor at 716 6th Ave down the hill. Filed as 6 buildings, but just one big structure with accessory parking underneath.

The height still seems problematic at the corner, as I assume they will not want to set back. We checked the renderings we obtained from 2005 (from Green-Wood’s Battle Hill to the Statue of Liberty) and 40′ won’t cut it for the full view corridor from Minerva to Liberty…again. And some how I doubt they are going to use their allowable 20% open space coverage in the front of the property on 23rd St at the corner (which may not even be legal). Still no approved plans, but an underpinning plan from their PE filed. I guess to underpin the POS foundation that is currently there.

Given the history of the site, there will be coverage of this development every step of the way.