Nov 10 2006
Façade Maintenance Design (FMD), a New York City-based architectural and engineering firm that specializes in exterior rehabilitation and restoration, received a National Trust for Historic Preservation 2006 Honor Award for the restoration of the landmark 90 West Street building in New York City. The award was presented at a ceremony held last night at the Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The announcement was made today by FMD President Richard W. Lefever and Vice President Mark Anderson.
The Gothic landmark at 90 West Street, formerly known as the Coal & Iron Building, was designed by Cass Gilbert and completed in 1907. The 24-story building's exterior façade sustained serious damage on September 11, 2001 from falling debris upon the collapse of the nearby World Trade Center.
"The restoration of this building is a powerful symbol for the recovery of Lower Manhattan – the resurrection of its special historic places, and the potential for new life in this devastated area," said Wendy Nicholas, Director, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Northeast Office. "The National Trust salutes your vision, your perseverance in the face of daunting circumstances, and your commitment to the preservation of this important New York landmark."
"As members of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, we take great pride in our contribution to the restoration of Cass Gilbert's Lower Manhattan landmark," said Richard Lefever. "Our work is driven by our mission to restore architectural beauty and preserve and protect historical character. This mission perfectly fit the requirement of the Landmarks Preservation Commission that all exterior restorations on the 90 West building must be historically accurate."
Other team members on this award-winning project include Kibel Companies, LLC; Brack Capital Real Estate Group; Seaboard Weatherproofing Co., Inc.; H. Thomas O'Hara Architect PLLC, and Desimone Consulting Engineers PLLC.
Façade Maintenance Design received a 2005 Lucy G. Moses Preservation Project award for the restoration of 90 West Street, awarded by New York Landmarks Conservancy, and the Best Adaptive Reuse Project Award from the New York Construction News - Best of 05 Awards. The 90 West Street restoration ranked number 14 on the New York Construction Magazine's list of Top 20 projects 2004-05.