B.S.A. Gives the Nod

Yesterday, the Board of Standards and Appeals gave the go-ahead to continue construction on an eight-story residential development at 163 Charles Street in the far West Village. The neighborhood was recently down-zoned after a concerted push by area residents and activist groups, most notably the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. GVSHP executive director Andrew Berman has been at the forefront of many battles around the nabe; after the down-zoning, he's been trying stop projects that were conspicuously started right before the height limits went into effect. But with limited success. Artist Julien Schnabel just received a pass to continue construction on his 12-story tower on West 11th Street; Diane von Furstenberg's former studio and residence at 387-91 West 12th Street, which was sold for $21 million to Coalco, a Russian-owned development company, was slated to be the site of a 150-foot Christian de Portzamparc-designed glass-box tower. That project is in limbo. 163 Charles is just east of the three Richard Meier-designed towers that started the rush to build--and limit the height of--new buildings in the neighborhood. (City Realty) -Matthew Grace