LPC Approves Condo Building On East Village Gas Explosion Site

EAST VILLAGE, NY — The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to approve a condo building Tuesday to rise from the rubble of the 2015 East Village gas explosion that killed two and injured 19, real estate website Curbed first reported.

The approval comes after the commission rejected the initial July 10 proposal and sent architects back to the drawing board for a design that better fit the neighborhood's character and commorated those who died in the explosion.

Plans call for the Morris Adjmi Architects-designed building on Second Avenue and East Seventh Street to including 21 apartments from one through three-bedrooms.

Commission members originally took issue with the building's sullen grey brick, its large corner windows and the visibility of the building's penthouse, a commission spokeswoman explained.

Come Tuesday's hearing, architects returned with a design for a brighter facade and swapped out the large corner windows for a more traditional design common to the neighborhood. A plaque commemorating those hurt in the blast will also be installed beside the ground floor retail space on Second Avenue.

Images courtesy of Morris Adjmi Architects