The City Planning Commission may authorize modifications of certain provisions of the former Special Greenwich Street Development District, eliminated on August 27, 1998, that mandated public amenities, as follows:

(a)        For any mandatory or elective public amenities or improvements built pursuant to the regulations of the former Special District that resulted in an increase in the basic maximum floor area ratio or an increase in the adjusted basic maximum floor area ratio, the Commission may authorize:

(1)        the alteration of the amenity or improvement, provided that the Commission finds that such modifications improve the intended public purpose of the amenity;

(2)        the elimination of the amenity or improvement, provided that the Commission finds that the intended public purpose is no longer useful or desirable and a new public amenity or improvement is supplied, as permitted pursuant to this Chapter, that generates the same or higher amount of bonusable floor area; or

(3)        in the case of an amenity or improvement built in excess of the requirements necessary to generate the bonus floor area at the time of development or enlargement, the elimination of such portion of the amenity not tied to the bonus floor area, provided that the Commission finds that such portion is no longer useful or desirable.

(b)        For any mandatory or elective public amenities or improvements built pursuant to the regulations of the former Special District that did not result in an increase in the basic maximum floor area ratio, the Commission may authorize the elimination or alteration of the amenity or improvement if it finds that the intended public purpose is no longer useful or desirable.

(c)        No mandatory or elective public amenity or improvement built pursuant to the regulations of the former Special District shall be eliminated or reduced in size, without a corresponding reduction in the floor area of the building or the substitution of equivalent complying area for such amenity elsewhere on the zoning lot, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (a)(2) of this Section, except by special permit of the Commission, subject to a finding that the proposed change will provide a greater public benefit in light of the public amenity's purpose and the purposes of the Special Lower Manhattan District.

However, the open pedestrian bridge spanning Greenwich Street between Liberty and Cedar Streets may be eliminated, without recourse to the Commission, where the pedestrian access provided between the required elevated public pedestrian circulation systems is no longer useful or desired.

The Commission may prescribe appropriate conditions and safeguards in connection with the grant of such authorization.