Local activists would like to hear more about the plan, but because it appears to be an "as of right" development, they are aware that appealing to Pasquarelli as a responsible neighbor may be their only hope of finding out exactly what the architect/developer has in mind.

Thomas G. Lunke, co-chairman of the 14th Street Special Commission and a member of Community Board 4, has multiple concerns about the project, starting with the developers' stealth approach to neighborhood relations. "I don't expect them to formally alert me, but as a good community member I would ask that they make a presentation to my committee because we've been involved in zoning and land use issues for many years."

Lunke says that the proposed usage of the building--luxury condominium apartments--concerns him more than the additional height. "Right now, all four corners of that intersection are occupied by industrial buildings," he tells GlobeSt.com. "Three of those, excluding this site, still have industrial or commercial uses. This would be the first site in the intersection that would not have commercial or industrial uses as a majority of its building occupancy. With that being said, how is this luxury apartment building, with presumably million-dollar apartments, and people filling them who have specific ideas of how they want to see the neighborhood evolve, how does that impact the existing business in the area?"

The additional height, however, may not be a major issue if it is properly dispersed, Lunke says. "It depends on how the addition is structured," he states. "It may not be too bad if it provides a transition between the taller Port Authority building to the north and the low-rise meatpacking district to the south."

Of greater concern, Lunke notes, is the exterior design of the project. "I'm concerned about the façade treatment of the addition and how it relates to the existing masonry buildings in the area. If it's a substantially modern addition then I would like to know how it reflects or detracts from the existing masonry and brick buildings. There can be modern additions that are attractive but there are also those that detract from the historical character of the neighborhood."

Aspen Capital's Spateri says Pasquarelli's design is sure to be "very avant-garde," and the architect's recent projects certainly support that claim. His firm, SHoP/Sharples Holden Pasquarelli, is known for the striking, futuristic designs of such projects as the Museum of Sex, 235 Fifth Ave; V-Mall in Flushing, Queens; The New Church of Greater New York in Roslyn, NY; and Greenport water park in Greenport, NY.