Globetrotting
newsman Anderson
Cooper will soon be
able to cool his
heels in an old
Greenwich Village
firehouse --
complete with brass
fire poles -- that
he's turning into a
new home, The Post
has learned.
The century-old
building on West
Third Street was
nominated this week
for a spot on the
National Register of
Historic Places, a
status that Cooper
can use for a slew
of tax breaks if his
renovations maintain
the firehouse's
historic façade.
Neighbors have seen
Cooper visiting the
firehouse regularly
since it was sold in
September for $4.3
million by the New
York Board of Fire
Underwriters, which
operated the private
Fire Patrol 2 out of
the building
beginning in 1906.
Malcolm didn't
return calls
yesterday and a CNN
spokesman declined
comment on Cooper's
new digs.
|
THIS JUST
IN: Anderson
Cooper hired
an architect
who should
preserve
many of his
historic
home's
features
when he
moves in.
The fire
patrol was
disbanded in
2006, and
the
insurance
industry-backed
fire patrol
finally sold
the
four-story
building
last year.
The owner of
record is
Firepatrol
LLC, which
lists
Cooper's
business
agent as
Carolyn
Rossip
Malcolm.
|
Construction crews
have already begun
work inside the
building, taking
down partitions and
ripping out old
plumbing fixtures,
city building
records show.
But plans for a
conversion to a
residence have not
been filed yet.
Cooper has hired
architect Cary
Tamarkin, known for
residential
conversions.
"I hope the new
owner will
appreciate what's
there and will keep
as much of it intact
as possible," said
Andrew Berman,
director of the
Greenwich Village
Society for Historic
Preservation, which
nominated the
firehouse for
historic
designation.
"It would be
wonderful if that
great interior could
be preserved," said
Berman, adding that
his organization
recommended the
building for
historic designation
before it was sold
by the fire
underwriters.
The building, built
in the Beaux Arts
style, still has its
original spiral
staircases, brass
fire poles, overhead
beams used to dry
hoses and walls
covered with murals
marking the fire
patrol's history.
Cooper's plans for
the old firehouse
have yet to be
filed, but the 8,240
square feet of space
-- not including a
two-story former
stable in the rear
year -- will give
him four times as
much space as his
current penthouse
duplex on West 38th
Street.
Known for dashing to
disasters and wars
around the world,
Cooper's new home
will fittingly sport
a bust of Mercury,
the Roman god of
speed, atop the
firehouse's main
door.
How much time Cooper
will spend in his
new home is anyone's
guess. Beside
covering world
events, like the
earthquake in Haiti,
he's know for
vacationing around
the globe, including
a trip recently to
the Rambagh Palace
in Jaipur, India,
where he was spotted
with close pal
Benjamin Maisani,
who owns an East
Village bar.
The Post's Page Six
reported that
Cooper's room had a
large round bathtub
that was filled on
the first night with
bubbles and
sprinkled with red
rose petals -- a
luxury that
firefighters
probably never
enjoyed.
tom.topousis@nypost.com
