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The saga of the 80,000 gallons of diesel fuel stored in 60 Hudson Street continues to rage on. The building is a "telecom hotel" - telecom companies store their equipment there - and during the 2003 blackout, the fuel was used to run backup generators. But residents argue that the amount of fuel is dangerous, citing the fact that the old 7 World Trade Center had half as much fuel and may have collapsed because of its stored fuel. Apparently storing that much fuel is a city buildings code violation, but the city gave 60 Hudson a variance last year - perhaps because most of the fuel is stored underground, and then the above ground fuel is encased by fire resistant walls. No word on whether there's a fire-and-crash resistant ceiling, though.
Opponents of the fuel storage hopes the Board of Standards and Appeal will revoke the variance when it rules on the matter on October 17. amNY reports, "If it rejects the variance, the amount of fuel stored in the building would have to be significantly reduced or else spread out to other floors within the building." Somehow, we doubt that spreading out fuel to other floors will make residents happy.
The building at 60 Hudson Street is the old Western Union building - some nice pictures of its Art Deco details are at New York Architecture.
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I love these two words: "fire resistant" what does it really mean?
It reminds me of buying Entenmann's cookies that say "tastes like homemade" yeah... homemade... right.
or on a soft drink: "All Natural" HA HA!
I've been to that building and many of my customers and suppliers are housed in that building. Never knew that they have some much fuel there.
these will be the same people who complain in an emergency when they can no longer make calls becuase the communications companies have no reserve power. Community groups have gone amuck lately.
Wait. I thought the CIA and/or Marvin Bush brought down WTC 7.
Anyway, the construction of the telecom building is nothing like WTC 7. WTC 7 had a huge truss that carried the downward load away from the center of the building. But there I go, quoting experts.
Whine, whine, whine.
Some of NYC's major telecommunications companies make their homes in this building.
The fuel is needed for backup systems.
FYI one company there controls a good part of national network television switching.
Another controls a lot of phone traffic.
What if Con Ed blows a gasket?
Then the whining would be worse!
To hell with experience, trust the experts and utilities - what could go wrong?
This is a tragedy waiting to happen. Remember the fire of March 25, 1911, The Triangle Shirt Waist Company, the worst factory fire in New York City's history.
It is not importat that in history it was a factory. It is important that it was a catastrophy which could have been avoided. Fire conditions can break out in a well manicured building also. ...hmmm...Like a building with gallons of fuel stored beneath it. The fuel would not only affect the building if it burned but would also affect anything underground. (Subways, optic cables, electric wiring, tunnels, sewer systems)
The important factor is not that people could not escape the factory fire. It is not as important that people were locked in. The important point is that the owners of the building allowed practises to go on which resulted in a fire and the loss of 147 lives.
It seems like they're really searching for something to be mad about; the building has about as much fuel as a gas station, but nobody cares about the gas stations in the city...
#8... exactly
#8...yeah, it's totally random that it's a building code violation.
Apparently the lawyers representing the residents fighting the variance were not invited to participate in, or even informed of, the BSA (Board of Standards and Appeals) commissioners’ tour of the facility. The owner has been very guarded about the fuel storage for years, not revealing the amount of fuel to residents until the hearing last June even though they had asked repeatedly. They have also had trouble getting information about which companies are housed in their building. According to an article by Ronda Kaysen on “Downtown Express”, the forty-year-old fire code is “outmoded, but critics worry the variance for 60 Hudson will set a precedent for how telecom hotels are handled in the city.” Losing phone service for a few days during a blackout is inconvenient, but at least people will not die. Safety is more important, and the building’s residents deserve to know if their lives are in danger.
Apparently the lawyers representing the residents fighting the variance were not invited to participate in, or even informed of, the BSA (Board of Standards and Appeals) commissioners’ tour of the facility. The owner has been very guarded about the fuel storage for years, not revealing the amount of fuel to residents until the hearing last June even though they had asked repeatedly. They have also had trouble getting information about which companies are housed in their building. According to an article by Ronda Kaysen on “Downtown Express”, the forty-year-old fire code is “outmoded, but critics worry the variance for 60 Hudson will set a precedent for how telecom hotels are handled in the city.” Losing phone service for a few days during a blackout is inconvenient, but at least people will not die. Safety is more important, and the building’s residents deserve to know if their lives are in danger.
sorry I posted that twice, I didn't think it worked the first time.
Here is the link for the Downtown Express article: http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_175/bsasneakspeekat.html
Technically, you are allowed 275 gallons of diesel fuel above the ground floor TOTAL. This building has maybe 50 tanks above the first floor plus enormous tanks on the first floor and below and has for more than 30 years. The Building Department itself was on the 14th floor and the Corrections Department had 3 floors. Now that the City agencies are out, they suddenly "discovered" the situation they have been approving construction permits for all along.
Residents "fighting" the operation of this building (in service since 1929) are the same ones who "begged" the DOB for Certificates of Occupancy to convert the commercial buildings surrounding it to residential property citing their need for expansive urban space to pursue artistic endeavors and their resilience to the commercial character of the neighborhood.
Now that Tribeca has the highest Real Estate values in the City those same residents want to "Max-Out" their property values by asserting residential standards in the face of maintaining communications along the Northeast Corridor during emergencies.
The comparison to 7 World Trade is literary license. 60 Hudson Street is a Brick over Concrete over Carnegie Steel building good for hours of fire. Giuliani spit in the face of reason by allowing a 30,000 gallon diesel tank to be placed IN the OEM office at 7 World Trade, which lacked the Brick and Concrete protection for its Steel and where it promptly blew up, taking out most of the building.
People DO DIE in emergencies without communication. This building serves millions of citizens. It is an insult to cater to the creeping requirements of a handful Real Estate Opportunists who intentionally placed themselves at any risk they may now have and now place themselves above all of us.
Technically, you are allowed 275 gallons of diesel fuel above the ground floor TOTAL. This building has maybe 50 tanks above the first floor plus enormous tanks on the first floor and below and has for more than 30 years. The Building Department itself was on the 14th floor and the Corrections Department had 3 floors. Now that the City agencies are out, they suddenly "discovered" the situation they have been approving construction permits for all along.
Residents "fighting" the operation of this building (in service since 1929) are the same ones who "begged" the DOB for Certificates of Occupancy to convert the commercial buildings surrounding it to residential property citing their need for expansive urban space to pursue artistic endeavors and their resilience to the commercial character of the neighborhood.
Now that Tribeca has the highest Real Estate values in the City those same residents want to "Max-Out" their property values by asserting residential standards in the face of maintaining communications along the Northeast Corridor during emergencies.
The comparison to 7 World Trade is literary license. 60 Hudson Street is a Brick over Concrete over Carnegie Steel building good for hours of fire. Giuliani spit in the face of reason by allowing a 30,000 gallon diesel tank to be placed IN the OEM office at 7 World Trade, which lacked the Brick and Concrete protection for its Steel and where it promptly blew up, taking out most of the building.
People DO DIE in emergencies without communication. This building serves millions of citizens. It is an insult to cater to the creeping requirements of a handful Real Estate Opportunists who intentionally placed themselves at any risk they may now have and now place themselves above all of us.