Prince Street Lot Boxed and Ready for “Paradis Des Fruits” Building

The estate of William Gottlieb is notorious for leaving its property assets fallow for lengthy periods of time. All over the city, including 47 Prince Street, which was a favorite photo subject of ours for years. Now the corner real estate is boxed in plywood wrapping just in time for the holiday season; a gift that many probably don’t want.

Back in August, the New York Post reported that French cocktails chain Paradis Des Fruits is presently planning a new building onsite. The facility will rise twenty-eight feet and include a mezzanine level, an architectural feature that helped secure DOB permission. You see, 47 Prince is zoned M1-5B, which doesn’t allow for Group 6 retail. However, the language cites that in said districts, “only uses listed in Use Groups 7, 9, 11, 16, 17A, 17B, 17C, or 17E shall be allowed below the floor level of the second story of such buildings.” Since the proposed building is only one story (on paper), the retail limitiation set forth in current code apparently does not apply here. Semantics.

So instead of Shack Shack, which was vehemntly smacked down by the mighty NIMBY arm, we now have upcale cocktails and juices.

Permits for the new strcture were filed with the DOB back in October. Gene Kaufman is the architect. Get ready for the glitz-and-glam come November 2013.