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NYguy Mar 24, 2010 1:12 PM
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/busines...GhiepZOyVQw4GO

Extell eyes Oman loan for Riverside Center

By LOIS WEISS
March 24, 2010

Quote:
Gary Barnett of Extell Development is getting a loan from an Oman company for Riverside Center by the West Side Highway.

To get the funds, Barnett and his partners from Washington-based Carlyle Group rearranged the current loan on the vacant land south of Trump Place, dubbed Riverside Center. Barnett is seeking rezoning for the spot, and is shopping a new five-building master plan.

"We're doing a refinancing and happy that we're able to get a refinancing done on the property," Barnett said. According to the documents, the mortgage with Cigna and ING will now permit a mezzanine loan from "Orange Sands LLC, an Oman limited liability company." Barnett would not disclose if the Oman investors are private or government-related.

For Riverside Center, there is also an "option agreement" between a Delaware corporation and the various Extell entities.

"There's a possibility we will take a minority partner," Barnett said, declining to identify the company. "There is nothing done on that. It's difficult times, and we are always happy to have good partners."

Starchitect Christian de Portzamparc, who designed the LVMH building on Fifth Avenue and 57th Street, is designing Riverside Center.

Busy Bee Mar 24, 2010 4:51 PM
Too bad about the lack of the MTA M-N station included in the project. A real testament to the MTA's failure at being a competent, proactive TA when it comes to planning for the future. God knows something this stupid wouldn;t happen in a place like London or Paris.

NYguy Mar 24, 2010 9:37 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Busy Bee (Post 4763042)
God knows something this stupid wouldn;t happen in a place like London or Paris.
Probably not. But the MTA has other priorities, and there are bigger missed uppurtunites elsewhere. The City is currently building a 7 line extension to 34h Street with no other stops on the west side. The MTA couldn't be bothered with it, but they are building the second ave subway. They are completing the LIRR connection into Grand Central though, which is something more significant than a Metro North station on the west side. When you consider that there may also be a new MN station on west 125th Street, its not as if the upper west side residents won't have options. Still, it would have been more convenient for the neighborhood residents to have their own Metro North station. Maybe Co-op City in the Bronx will get their long awaited station too.

NYguy Apr 24, 2010 12:50 PM
ny1

• Video Link

Busy Bee Apr 24, 2010 2:24 PM
Nice hat?

And 8-10 to completion is ridiculous. Whats takes 8-10 years?

NYguy Apr 24, 2010 3:05 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Busy Bee (Post 4810238)
Nice hat?

And 8-10 to completion is ridiculous. Whats takes 8-10 years?
Everything won't get built at one time.

NYC4Life Apr 24, 2010 4:30 PM
Ethel Sheffer: West Side nimby.

NYguy Apr 25, 2010 1:41 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by NYC4Life (Post 4810362)
Ethel Sheffer: West Side nimby.
LOL. I love how these developments are never small enough for these people. Keep reducing the size, and they just keep complaining. It never ends.

NYguy May 22, 2010 4:04 PM
http://www.observer.com/2010/real-es...eaded-hot-seat

Extell’s West Side Plan for 2,500 Apartments Headed to Hot Seat

By Eliot Brown
May 21, 2010

Quote:
The fight over Trump City is about to have a reprise.

Extell Development's planned 2,500-apartment development on the westernmost portion of the Upper West Side is slated to start the city's seven-month rezoning process Monday. This sets into motion debate over the future of the last parcel of the larger Riverside South development, a giant array of apartment buildings along the West Side Highway first planned and developed by Donald Trump in the 1980s. Extell has named this parcel Riverside Center.

The proposed development, which calls for a set of residential towers surrounding public open space, has been hotly debated by the surrounding community for more than three years, since Extell began working to change the zoning (which was designed for a world headquarters for NBC). The development firm spent an extremely long period with its rezoning application pending with the Department of City Planning, as it went through the arduous environmental review process.

Now, the approval is given a distinct timeline, and it needs O.K.'s from the City Planning Commission and the City Council.

"This is a great first step for us," said George Arzt, a spokesman for Extell, "and we're thankful to City Planning."

First stop for Extell is Community Board 7, which has about two months to give a non-binding recommendation on the project. Many on the board, along with many West Side activists, have criticized the project for its bulk and the request for additional density beyond a framework agreed upon in the 1990s. Extell has said it is open to negotiation and has offered some carrots already, such as a new school.

NYguy Jun 17, 2010 5:56 PM
http://www.observer.com/2010/real-es...ve-up%E2%80%99

Barnett on Riverside Center: ‘There’s Only So Much We Can Give Up’

http://www.observer.com/files/articl...oland%20li.JPG

By Roland Li
June 4, 2010

Quote:
Extell Development presented on Thursday night its plan for the massive, mixed-use development Riverside Center on the Upper West Side, opening what will likely be a contentious seven-month public review process.

Gary Barnett, CEO of Extell, said that financing had not been secured for the 3 million-square-foot proposal, which would span 59th Street to 61st Street between West End Avenue and the West Side Highway. Mr. Barnett repeatedly cited the economic downturn as a damper for Extell's expected profits from the development, and was resistant in the face of opposition from local residents.

"Putting too much burden on the project will cause nothing to move forward," he said, referring to the community's numerous desired changes that he said would damage the project's economic viability.

"There's only so much we can give up," said Mr. Barnett. "The construction costs are extraordinarily high because of infrastructure."

For instance, local residents oppose the opening of an automobile dealership, which Extell contends is one of the crucial profitable parts of the development, which will cost millions to build. Extell representatives said there has been strong interest from carmakers to lease the showcase space.

The company has not received commitments from retail tenants, but said that it is seeking local businesses that provide basic amenities to residents, such as clothing and food stores. Extell originally had interest from Costco to run a big box retail store, but locals were against a large store and the idea was scrapped.

Residents also oppose the 1,800 parking spaces that are planned as part of the development and want an outdoor play area for students of the school that will be built as part of the project; currently there are two rooftop terraces planned for play areas.

In addition to financial concerns, Extell needs a number of modifications to the 1992 agreement for the development, which was originally conceived as a site for a large office tower with television studios. These include transit permits for the garage space and zoning changes for the automobile showroom.

Securing these approvals will likely be a process of give and take, and Extell might have to give in to some local demands. Mel Wymore, chair of Community Board 7, which covers the Upper West Side, is pushing for 20 percent affordable housing throughout the project, an increase of the 12 percent in the 1992 agreement. Currently Extell is obliged to have approximately 264 of the planned 2,200 total apartment units as affordable units, but is allowed to convert them to market rate after 20 years.

Community Board 7 also wants a school large enough to accommodate six classes of kindergarten through 8th grade students, in order to ease the overcrowded local school district. The board also wants a sustainable, environmentally-friendly project.

"These same issues will be concerns for us," said Jesse Bodine, director of constituent services for Councilwoman Gale Brewer, who will vote with the City Council in the fall and ultimately approve, reject or modify the project.

Community Board 7 will issue an advisory recommendation for the project by the first week of August. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer's office will also issue an opinion before the City Council votes.

The board will hold at least two more meetings during the next four weeks before issuing an opinion.
http://www.observer.com/2010/slidesh...erside-center#

http://www.observer.com/files/slides...l/DSC00271.JPG


http://www.observer.com/files/slides...l/DSC00283.JPG

Old ladies line up to punch Garnett in the face...:haha:

NYguy Jun 30, 2010 11:42 PM
http://www.dnainfo.com/20100628/uppe...egadevelopment

Upper West Siders to Weigh in on Extell's 'Mega-Development'
Those opposed to the proposed Riverside Center will get a chance to voice their concerns this week.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/sfb111/story...ng_Preview.jpg

June 28, 2010

Quote:
By Leslie Albrecht


UPPER WEST SIDE — After months of angry protests about Riverside Center, a billion dollar, five-building development on the Upper West Side, residents will get a chance this week to formally voice their concerns at a public hearing.

The blowback against Extell Development Company’s proposal reached a fever pitch recently when Huffington Post blogger Marta Hallowell called on Tina Fey, Alan Gilbert, Wynton Marsalis, Alex Rodriguez and Alec Baldwin to join in the fight and push for more parks, affordable housing and schools at the controversial development.

The entertainers could take Hallowell up on that offer Tuesday night when Community Board 7 hosts a public hearing on Riverside Center at 6:30 p.m. at 250 W. 87th Street.

Community groups have been sounding the alarm about the proposed development, which will include 2,500 housing units on the 8.2-acre parcel bound by W. 59th and W. 61st streets and West End Avenue and Riverside Boulevard.

Among other demands, Community Board 7 wants Extell to remove one of the five buildings it’s planning for the site and a guarantee that 20 percent of the square footage for residential units will be set aside permanently for affordable housing.

Plans to develop the site have been in the works since the early 1990s.

Extell says the project will result in a well-designed mixed-use district that will bring neighborhood retail and open space to the waterfront area.

Extell president Gary Barnett said at a public meeting earlier this month that Extell could make only so many concessions before the project becomes impossible to build.

NYguy Jun 30, 2010 11:47 PM
http://dnainfo.com/20100630/upper-we...verside-center

Community Board Says City Backs Housing Demand for Riverside Center


By Leslie Albrecht
June 30, 2010

Quote:
UPPER WEST SIDE — Community Board 7 says its demand that Extell Development Company set aside part of the massive Riverside Center project for affordable housing is moving closer to reality, but progress is slower on the board’s hopes for a school at the site.

That's what board members called “the good news and the bad news” at a Tuesday night meeting to hammer out the board’s position on Extell's Riverside Center, the controversial development proposed for an 8-acre swath between 59th and 61st Street and West End Avenue and Riverside Boulevard.

Extell wants to build five residential towers, a movie theater, stores, an auto showroom, an underground parking garage and three acres of open space at the site. Some Upper West Siders have railed against the project, calling it an enclave for the rich that will add little to the neighborhood.

In the works since 1992, the development is now moving toward a final vote of approval at the City Council.

But before then, Community Board 7 gets to weigh in with a list of concessions it hopes to win from Extell. Among them: the board wants Extell to remove one of the five buildings to make way for more open space.

Affordable housing and a school big enough to handle at least 1,400 students are also at the top of Community Board 7’s wish list.

Extell has offered to set aside 12 percent of the project’s 2,500 housing units as affordable housing for 20 years. Community Board 7 says that’s not enough.

It wants 20 percent of the housing — in square footage, not units — to be made permanently affordable.

The city is backing that idea, board members say. Board member Ethel Sheffer said Monday that city planning officials are now negotiating with Extell to make 20 percent of the housing permanently affordable.

“The very good news is that our priority, and the community’s priority, has been taken up by the city,” Sheffer said Monday.

Developers usually get a bonus — they’re allowed to develop 33 percent more floor area — if they agree to provide 20 percent affordable housing. But Sheffer said Extell wouldn’t be eligible for that bonus.

The deal could yield roughly 450 to 500 units of affordable housing, Sheffer said.

The City Council has final say on whether the affordable housing requirement remains a part of the project.

News on the school front wasn’t as rosy. With Upper West Side schools already overflowing with students, Community Board 7 wants Extell to build a K-8 school big enough for six sections, or roughly 1,400 to 1,500 students.

Extell says it will set aside space for a 150,000 square-foot school. But the developer has agreed to pay for only the “core and shell” — four walls, roof and floor — on half of the school building. The remainder would be left for the School Construction Authority to build.

Community Board 7 member Mark Diller says Extell’s school plan would accommodate about 480 students. That’s not enough for an already overcrowded district, Diller said.

“There were five more kindergartens in our district than could fit last year,” Diller said. “We could fill this school today.”

Community Board 7 holds the next public meeting on Riverside Center on July 6, when the full board will discuss the issue.

Dac150 Jul 1, 2010 1:38 AM
I know we get caught up on height, but in this case I recognize the need for affordable housing and school expansion in the area. That being said, there’s no reason why there can’t be a compromise to accommodate both the needs of the developer and the community. The needs of both wouldn’t be fulfilled 100%, but that’s why it’s a compromise. What I don’t like about the community boards is the ‘my way or the highway’ approach.

Engineer Jul 14, 2010 1:22 AM
Community boards can only give an advisory opinion -- they are not in a position to say
"my way or the highway." If they make a series of demands, that is only because they are following a prescribed dance. They state their position first, and whatever negotiation that follows takes place months later when the approval process move to the City Council.

NYguy Jul 16, 2010 12:37 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Engineer (Post 4911172)
Community boards can only give an advisory opinion -- they are not in a position to say
"my way or the highway." If they make a series of demands, that is only because they are following a prescribed dance. They state their position first, and whatever negotiation that follows takes place months later when the approval process move to the City Council.
Only in this case, the developer (Barnett) has agreed to some demands. The latest negotiation seems to be about school size from what I've been reading.

Engineer Jul 17, 2010 10:56 PM
There are many players in this dance. Up to now the developer has been responding mostly to the demands of the Department of City Planning. Sometimes DCP takes its cues from community comments or concerns of the local City Council member or the Borough President. So some changes have already been made. The developer has included a school to accommodate children from the development, in accordance with an agreement reached with DCP and the School Construction Authority. The community thinks that overcrowding in the area requires a larger school, but hasn't convinced SCA. Now that hearings have started, further changes will probably be suspended until the final negotiations in the fall.

NYguy Jul 18, 2010 9:34 PM
^ In other words, they'll continue to dance, as expected...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/13/ny...er=rss&emc=rss
http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2010/0...ide_center.php

NYguy Aug 27, 2010 3:31 PM
http://www.observer.com/2010/real-es...verside-center

Extell Ups Below-Market Rate Housing at Riverside Center

By Eliot Brown
August 26, 2010

Quote:
Extell Development has increased the level of below-market rate housing to go in its planned Riverside Center mega-development, a 2,500-unit project planned for the western reaches of the Upper West Side.

Based on Extell submissions to the Department of City Planning filed last week, the developer apparently intends to increase the level to 20 percent of the units, up from 12 percent. The paperwork filed shows that Extell plans to rezone the area, by the West Side Highway and 59th Street to qualify for the city's inclusionary zoning program, which gives an extra density bonus in exchange for low- or moderate-income housing.

The move is all part of the negotiating dance toward an approval. Extell is in the midst of the city's seven-month review process, and the community board recently weighed in with a large number of criticisms over density and other issues (notably, they want one of the towers to be removed).

The housing issue is one that was expected, given that 12 percent is rather low for developments these days (but was more customary back when the larger Riverside South area was initially planned). In addition, it was urged by City Planning director Amanda Burden.

NYguy Sep 1, 2010 3:02 PM
http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/archives/8714

BP Stringer Throws Water on Riverside Center

http://archpaper.com/uploads/image/E...=1283296351305

8.31.10
Matt Chaban

Quote:
It has not been a good day for Gary Barnett and his Extell Development. First, the Post‘s ur-real estate columnist Steve Cuozzo gave Barnett a hard time for delays at his skyline-bursting Carnegie 57. (How come Tony Malkin didn’t complain about this one, by the way?) And this evening, Borough President Scott Stringer has announced he is giving the project his ULURP thumbs down. What more does everyone want? Barnett has promised to build a school, to up the affordable housing from 12 percent to 20 percent, and he has hired one hell of an architect. But this is far from enough apparently, given Stringer’s strongly worded announcement.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to ULURP: community boards and BPs who do not like a project can either approve with modifications or disapprove with modifications. Though there is an open debate as to which sends a stronger message to the City Council, which has ultimate say on land-use projects, Stringer tends to subscribe to the former school, saying “yes, but” far more than he says “no, but.” In other words, a “no” from Stringer is a rare thing (see: 15 Penn, Manhattanville, etc.) and should probably give Barnett pause. Here is the rationale, from Stringer’s announcement:

Riverside Center development is the largest development site remaining on the Upper West Side. The proposal includes five mixed-use buildings, 1,800 public parking spaces, an elementary/middle school, 135,000 SF of ground-floor retail, and an automobile showroom and service center. Its redevelopment has the potential to improve existing site conditions, create thousands of new jobs, and provide much needed neighborhood amenities. Riverside Center is also the last remaining undeveloped or unplanned piece of the Riverside South development, which failed to achieve broad consensus and resulted in detrimental impacts on the community.

[...]

While emphasizing that the “development of the [Riverside Center] site is desirable to the Upper West Side community,” the borough president’s recommendations identifies several areas that necessitate improvement and modification. The current proposal lacks good site planning, creates inactive streetscapes, and obscures access to the proposed open space. Additionally, the proposed project has many environmental impacts that require real mitigations. The borough president’s recommendation advocates for the inclusion of public amenities such as a public school of an appropriate size to meet the needs of the community and additional active recreational space.

Granted Stringer’s recommendations are wholly advisory, but they do point to the rough road ahead, not least because City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden aired her own reservations about the project when it was certified back in May. Local City Councilwoman Gail Brewer has also expressed skepticism and is not especially pro-development by the council’s standards.

Still, Barnett has repeatedly shown his willingness to compromise on the project. To see it built, he will almost certainly have to continue doing so.

Busy Bee Sep 1, 2010 4:59 PM
How can so much crap be thrown at a project that appears to be nothing but a postive for the area? It's political BS and it makes me sick!

NYguy Sep 1, 2010 5:19 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Busy Bee (Post 4967189)
How can so much crap be thrown at a project that appears to be nothing but a postive for the area? It's political BS and it makes me sick!
LOL, anything proposed for the site will anger the NIMBYs. It could be all "affordable" housing and a school, and they would find something wrong with it. Barnett should bring back Trump's old 80's proposal - Television City. I think the NIMBYs would be happy about what's proposed now.

NYC4Life Sep 2, 2010 12:25 AM
Scott Stringer, Manhattan borough president a NIMBY?? Can't be. If he is, he should have run for office in Staten Island.

colemonkee Sep 2, 2010 10:08 PM
To play devil's advocate, Stringer's critiques don't mention the density of the project, but rather belie the, and I paraphrase, "poor site planning, inactive streetscapes, and obscured access to the proposed open space." Could the development not meet his needs by adding more retail - or more evenly distributing it, and improving access to the public open space by shifting buildings somewhat? He also makes a passive-aggressive snipe at the school being too small. I wonder if everyone could be made happy while still maintaining the density of the project? His concerns don't seem to be the usual NIMBY ones of "too much height, too many people." Could the "additional recreational space" he asks for create taller, thinner towers with similar density? It seems like while he doesn't like the way it is now, that it's not out of the realm of possibility of reworking the project to address those concerns while still maintaining the same density.

NYguy Sep 3, 2010 2:00 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by colemonkee (Post 4968847)
To play devil's advocate, Stringer's critiques don't mention the density of the project, but rather belie the, and I paraphrase, "poor site planning, inactive streetscapes, and obscured access to the proposed open space." Could the development not meet his needs by adding more retail - or more evenly distributing it, and improving access to the public open space by shifting buildings somewhat?
It's all bs. The people in the area don't want retail, and were up in arms when it was suggested there would be "big box" retail at the site. What they want is control over what gets built, what [/i]size[/i] it gets built, and who it gets built for.

Dac150 Sep 3, 2010 2:15 AM
To me this whole project is very reminiscent of the ConEd site in terms of public reaction and design overhauls. With the way things are going you wonder if it’s just a matter of time until this project gets battered to the point where Extell throws in the towel. If these revisions deviate from the intention of the project too much, then is it really worth it from Extell’s end? After what they did to get the site, the answer from them is most likely yes; but I think they took on more than they bargained for.

NYguy Sep 3, 2010 1:16 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dac150 (Post 4969027)
To me this whole project is very reminiscent of the ConEd site in terms of public reaction and design overhauls. With the way things are going you wonder if it’s just a matter of time until this project gets battered to the point where Extell throws in the towel. If these revisions deviate from the intention of the project too much, then is it really worth it from Extell’s end? After what they did to get the site, the answer from them is most likely yes; but I think they took on more than they bargained for.
It's a part of the long running saga to develop the land in this area of Manhattan, from Trump's Television City, and before then. Part of it has to do with the Upper West Side being a highly populated area (unlike the Far West Side and railyards). There's never gonna be a consensus on what should be built on the site, and when. At some point, you just have to say a thing is what it is, and move on.

NYguy Sep 12, 2010 6:28 AM
http://www.archpaper.com/e-board_rev.asp?News_ID=4795

No End to Miller Time at Riverside South?
Extell tunnels onward in long-waited bid to bury West Side highway, but project may still take decades

http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/ima...ide_Aerial.jpg

9.07.201
Jeff Byles


Quote:
In recent years, New Yorkers have seen parkland burgeon along the Hudson River, nowhere more expansively than at Riverside Park South, where boardwalks, overlooks, and marsh grasses wind along the water’s edge. But the beauty of this new landscape between 59th and 72nd streets is blighted by an elevated stretch of the West Side Highway that spews noise, fumes, and debris onto the park below.

Unbeknownst to passing rollerbladers, Extell Development, which is completing the new park as part of its Riverside South complex, has quietly been building a whopping chunk of infrastructure to bury this noxious stretch of road: a $60 million tunnel shell between 61st and 65th streets. It is one of the first pieces of a decades-old plan to sink the elevated structure, known as the Miller Highway, and extend the park from Riverside South’s dozen-odd new towers to the river in a monumental, 3/4-mile-long public space.

The removal of the highway, which would be topped with park from roughly 61st to 70th streets, has been a dream of planners and community advocates since the project’s 1991 masterplan, led by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and based on a plan by Paul Willen and Daniel Gutman, with landscape design by Thomas Balsley Associates. That plan, devised for the Trump Organization, the original developer of the 77-acre Penn Central railyards site, calls for the highway to be buried below Riverside Boulevard, a new access road that runs west of the towers.

At the time of the project’s 1992 approval, it was understood that the highway relocation would ultimately require public transportation funds. But there was a catch: In order to secure certificates of occupancy for the first towers at the north end of the site, the developer had to deliver the waterfront park as called for in the masterplan. So instead of waiting around for public funds—and a public process that could drag on for years—Trump began building Riverside Boulevard and the new park.

Enter Extell, which acquired the remaining undeveloped land from 65th to 59th streets in 2005. To continue building its new towers, Extell needed to build the first section of tunnel—hence its $60 million investment. The developer is also working on an upland section of park stretching north from 65th street to be built atop a southbound portion of tunnel. Final plans for that segment are being completed by Thomas Balsley, who has designed all of the 26-acre waterfront park in a series of complicated maneuvers around the hulking Miller Highway.

“It’s a chess game,” explained Balsley of the design. “The point is not to build anything that would get ripped out later. So we had to design the upland park and design the waterfront park, knowing what would happen between those two things when we take the highway out of the equation. It was crystal-ball design work.”

A prime impediment was the 35-foot elevation change from Riverside Boulevard to the river, at the base of which the highway now runs. Balsley’s solution is to split the park into three distinct spatial experiences. On the upland section, a narrow ribbon of landscape overlooks the water. The riverfront segment is more adventurous, with naturalized riparian edges, lush plantings, and a variety of overlooks and coves. Connecting the two is a big, sloping lawn with wooded edges in the tradition of Riverside Park, creating a transition between the community-scaled upland and the more civic-scaled waterfront.

Completion of that middle segment, however, remains contingent on the Miller’s re-routing. Though an environmental impact statement for the highway relocation was finished in 2002 by the state Department of Transportation, and the move was subsequently authorized by the Federal Highway Administration, the Miller teardown still awaits engineering and design work, not to mention the estimated $400 million needed for the relocation, a sum certain to require federal assistance.

It also remains to be seen how Extell’s plans for the southern portion of the site between 59th and 61st streets, where it has proposed a cluster of towers designed by Christian de Portzamparc, might affect the highway’s fate. The project is currently undergoing public review and recently drew opposition from Borough President Scott Stringer

http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/Riverside_Relax.jpg

According to Daniel Gutman, the Miller’s predicament can be traced to the 1991 agreement between the city, state, developer, and civic groups, which called for the highway to be relocated concurrently with development of the new park. But it never stipulated who would fund the new highway, and the state Department of Transportation takes the position that the road has at least another 30 years of life left in it. “There’s no way this highway is going to get moved in the near future unless some other source of funds is found, and so far none is available,” Gutman told *AN.

“I don’t know if it will ever happen,” said Cheryl Huber, deputy director of New Yorkers for Parks, a member organization of the Riverside South Planning Corporation. “It seems like one of these debates that will possibly go on forever.”

http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/Riverside_Before.jpg
Balsley's rendering of the park with the highway still intact.


http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/Riverside_After.jpg
The park after a stretch of the highway from roughly 61st Street to 70th Street has been buried and covered over with stepped parkland.

NYguy Sep 13, 2010 7:51 PM
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...rk_real_estate

Hearing Set for Riverside Center

September 13, 2010

Quote:
The City Planning Commission is set to hold a public hearing Wednesday on developer Gary Barnett's proposed Riverside Center on the Upper West Side.

The current $4.2 billion plan has been met with disapproval at the local community board and at the Manhattan Borough President's office. But Mr. Barnett, who already has reduced the project's scope, is likely to do so further to win city approval.

The project includes 2,500 apartments, 3 acres of public space and a new school. Partly because of tight financing and the weak economy, Mr. Barnett hasn't announced plans yet for breaking ground.
http://sg.wsj.net/public/resources/i...0912150416.gif

NYC4Life Sep 13, 2010 10:35 PM
Let the development go foward, then bury that elevated stretch eyesore of the West-Side highway. They're both a win-win for the area.

NYguy Sep 14, 2010 2:51 PM
The circus comes to town...

http://dnainfo.com/20100914/upper-we...center-hearing
Full House Expected for Riverside Center Hearing


By Leslie Albrecht
DNAinfo Reporter Producer

Quote:
Officials are expecting a packed meeting room at Wednesday's Planning Commission hearing on Riverside Center, the five-tower development that could bring as many as 3,000 new housing units to the Upper West Side.

Planning Commission spokeswoman Rachaele Raynoff said she expects every seat in the department's meeting room to be filled for the 10 a.m. hearing. An overflow seating area with video coverage will be set up to accommodate those who can't squeeze into the main meeting room.

"Buckle up and bring lunch," said Raynoff.

The public has plenty to say about the proposed five-tower development, which has come in for heavy criticism from Community Board 7 and Borough President Scott Stringer.

Some fear the eight-acre residential and retail complex will be an exclusive enclave for the rich. Others worry that Extell Develpment Corp. won't build a big enough school to serve the children who will live at the development.

Riverside Center would bring apartments, stores, an auto showroom, a movie theater, and an underground parking garage to the area between 61st Street and 59th Street and West End Avenue and Riverside Boulevard.

The City Council has final say on Riverside Center; it's expected to vote on the development late this year.

Before then, the Planning Commission will vote to either approve, modify or disapprove of the plan. Wednesday's hearing is the commission's chance to take testimony from the public. Commissioners won't vote on the project until late October, Raynoff said.

Though a crowd is expected at the hearing, Batya Lewton of Coalition for a Livable West Side said the morning meeting time means many won't be able to attend. With most people busy working at 10 a.m., Lewton said she expects only a dozen or so concerned citizens to show up.

"The fact that they hold these hearings during the day really precludes people who are working from attending," Lewton said. "It's not fair."

Lewton said she's asked community members to speak out about various concerns about Riverside Center. Among other requests, Lewton wants Extell to scrap plans for an auto showroom and limit underground parking at Riverside Center.

yankeesfan1000 Sep 14, 2010 3:59 PM
Extell increased the percentage of affordable housing from 12 to 20 percent, and they're worried it will be an exclusive enclave to the rich? This project seems to benefit the community in every way possible; affordable housing, a school, underground parking to not take away spots from current residents in that neighborhood, a movie theater, retail space, and an auto showroom.

I agree with what Dac posted, at what point does Extell just say enough is enough, and move on and let these people enjoy the view of a huge dirt hole.

NYguy Sep 16, 2010 1:39 PM
http://www.dnainfo.com/20100916/uppe...verside-center

Planning Commission Gets Earful on Riverside Center
More than 150 people showed up for a marathon public hearing on the massive Riverside Center development

By Leslie Albrecht
September 16, 2010

Quote:
The Planning Commission got an earful about the controversial Riverside Center development at a marathon hearing Wednesday, where more than 150 people showed up to voice concerns — and some approval — over the five-tower development.

After months of public criticism of Riverside Center, Wednesday's hearing featured something rare: several people who spoke up in favor of the development, which they said would transform a deserted stretch of the west side into a real neighborhood.

Extell Development Company wants to build the mixed use complex of apartment high-rises and stores on an eight-acre piece of land between West 59th Street, West 61st Street, West End Avenue and Riverside Boulevard.

Right now it's a parking lot and abandoned rail yard.

The Planning Commission will vote on the project later this fall, then it goes to the City Council for a final yay or nay. Wednesday's meeting was a chance for the commission to hear testimony on the project.

Extell's president Gary Barnett defended the project, saying Riverside Center will turn an "old parking lot" into a "vibrant community with world-class architecture."

But he warned that a still-weak economy makes building financial difficult, and said community demands for changes to the project could "kill" Riverside Center.

Community Board 7 and Borough President Scott Stringer have asked Extell for more affordable housing, less density and a commitment to build a 150,000 square-foot school.

Community input also forced Extell to drop plans for a Costco, which Barnett said threatened Riverside Center's economic viability.

But community members argued that Extell isn't doing enough to offset the impacts of Riverside Center, which could bring as many as 3,000 new housing units to the Upper West Side.

"I'm tired of building after building after building going up without consideration of the impact it has on our schools," said Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, co-president of the P.S. 199 Parent Teacher Association. "We cannot afford to see this development go up without sufficient school space."

Barnett said building the 150,000 square foot school community members want could add $35 to $40 million to his costs.

City Councilwoman Gale Brewer stressed that Riverside Center will be built on the last significant piece of vacant land on the Upper West Side.

"We shouldn't forget that, because it's all we've got left," Brewer said. "We need to do it right."

Some said they can't wait for Extell to get started on Riverside Center.

Steve Ganz, a real estate broker who lives in nearby Riverside South, said his family has to leave the area when they want to go shopping or out to eat.

Riverside Center would bring sorely needed retail amenities, he said.

"This is really an opportunity to make Riverside South its own neighborhood, not just a gateway to the Upper West Side, or a stop-over from Lincoln Center," Ganz said. "If Extell can't or doesn't build it, I can't see anyone else that would step up to the plate to do it."

NYC4Life Sep 16, 2010 6:05 PM
Hard to comprehend why so many oppose this development. I would love to see something like this here in the Bronx. I guess for most of these people empty lots is the way to go.

Dac150 Sep 16, 2010 9:58 PM
Because nothing says a benefit to the community like a big empty lot.......

People need to get with it; at least a few seem to understand from that meeting.

SkyscrapersOfNewYork Sep 16, 2010 10:03 PM
who and why are they complaining again?

J. Will Sep 17, 2010 1:15 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by NYC4Life (Post 4983442)
Hard to comprehend why so many oppose this development. I would love to see something like this here in the Bronx. I guess for most of these people empty lots is the way to go.
Apparently it has blank walls and other deadening components to it. I can't find pictures of the detailed plans though. Maybe someone else knows if they are online anywhere.

NYguy Sep 17, 2010 1:49 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by J. Will (Post 4983869)
Apparently it has blank walls and other deadening components to it. I can't find pictures of the detailed plans though. Maybe someone else knows if they are online anywhere.
There's enough info on it right here.

J. Will Sep 17, 2010 5:43 AM
There's nothing here that really shows what it's going to look like from the street at most vantage points.

NYguy Sep 17, 2010 2:28 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by J. Will (Post 4984102)
There's nothing here that really shows what it's going to look like from the street at most vantage points.

I don't know, I've seen enough. At any rate, that's not the greatest concern among the NIMBY's. The new school, and more affordable housing are the biggest issues here. But as always, you can find more in depth details on any development moving through the city's 7 month approval process on the City Planning website (throught the nyc.gov portal)...
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/env...e_center.shtml

Jump to page 38 here for more renderings...
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/env_...e/08_dseis.pdf

thelanetrain17 Oct 9, 2010 3:10 AM
quick question, why wont they build all those towers taller? more rooms more vacancy, isnt that what NYC is trying to improve on more places to live? and another thing, they need some big tall buildings on the upper west side its about time NYC does, but i know, NIMBYs haha

SkyscrapersOfNewYork Oct 9, 2010 3:16 AM
hmmm i like this project but like the multitude of projects in the US...there lacking certain aesthetics that make whats being proposed and built in Asia beautiful...(im speaking about public spaces not the towers)

NYguy Oct 28, 2010 1:46 PM
http://www.dnainfo.com/20101027/uppe...ing-commission

Riverside Center Wins Approval and Praise at City Planning Commission

http://s3.amazonaws.com/sfb111/story...nter_10271.jpg

October 27, 2010
By Leslie Albrecht


Quote:
Extell's Riverside Center cleared a key hurdle Wednesday, winning approval — and high praise — from the city Planning Commission.

Commissioners voted 12-1 in favor of the five-building mixed use development, which means it now heads to the City Council for a final yay or nay. That vote is expected to happen in roughly two months.

The Planning Commission's vote marked a change in tone from prior public meetings about Riverside Center, with commissioners lauding the project as an opportunity to reinvent the Upper West Side. Previous public meetings have featured heavy criticism of the project from area residents, which some say will be an exclusive enclave for the rich that will do little to enhance the Upper West Side.

Planning commission chair Amanda Burden called Riverside Center "a unique opportunity to re-envision and reshape a bleak eight-acre parking lot and former rail yard as an exciting addition and major amenity to this thriving West Side neighborhood."

Extell wants to build Riverside Center on a piece of land situated between West 59th Street and West 61st Street, with Riverside Boulevard to the west and West End Avenue to the east. The development will include five residential towers, retail space, an underground parking garage and auto showroom.

Burden singled out Riverside Center's "distinctive and compelling" architecture and "thoughtfully designed public realm" as two of her favorite aspects.

She wasn't the only commissioner with kind words for Riverside Center. "This project, when completed, will be an exciting addition the New York landscape," said commissioner Richard Eaddy. Commissioner Anna Levin cast the only no vote. Levin said she's concerned that the development "is just too big" and that Extell hasn't done enough to build a school to accommodate the children the development will bring to the neighborhood.

Some Upper West Side parents and Community Board 7 have called on Extell to build a 150,000-square-foot, K-8 school at the site, but so far the developer has only committed to paying for the outer shell of a 75,000 square-foot school.

Extell president Gary Barnett has said that building an entire school could add $35 to $40 million to the cost of the development. He's warned that adding too many concessions could make the project too expensive to build.

Commissioner Karen Phillips said she cast a "reluctant" yes vote, because she wants to see more affordable housing at Riverside Center.

"Providing more units for middle-income New Yorkers ensures that the character of this area better reflects the character of the Upper West Side," Phillips said.

Extell spokesman George Arzt said in a statement that the developer was "immensely gratified" by the Planning Commission's approval. "We are equally thankful for the laudatory words of support from commission members," Arzt said.

NYC4Life Oct 28, 2010 2:14 PM
Another defeat for the NIMBYs and their baseless arguments.

NYguy Oct 30, 2010 5:12 AM
http://www.dnainfo.com/20101029/uppe...verside-center

Public Advocate Calls on Development Company to Build a School at Riverside Center

http://s3.amazonaws.com/sfb111/story...e_Center_1.jpg

October 29, 2010
By Leslie Albrecht

Quote:
Public advocate Bill de Blasio has joined the chorus of officials calling on Extell Development Company to build a school at its proposed Riverside Center development on the Upper West Side.

In de Blasio's official statement on Riverside Center, the five-tower development Extell wants to build, he said he's lending "conditional support" to the project — but only if Extell provides 150,000 square feet of school space on the site.

Riverside Center would bring five new high-rises to the Upper West Side. (Courtesy Extell Development Company)"There is a crying need for a large school on the Upper West Side," de Blasio said in his statement.

"We must use the City Council process to hold the city and developer accountable for providing the full 150,000 square feet of school space. If this key element of the project is not fulfilled, I will revisit my support."

The City Council is expected to vote on Riverside Center before the end of the year. The development won the approval of the city Planning Commission earlier this week.

Riverside Center would bring thousands of new residents to the area, and locals worry about the impact the project would have on the Upper West Side's already crowded schools.

Extell has said it will pay for the outer shell of a 75,000-square-foot school, but officials say that's not enough. Community Board 7 and Borough President Scott Stringer have asked Extell to build a 150,000 square foot, six section K-8 school.

Extell president Gary Barnett said a Planning Commission hearing last month that building an entire school could cost $35 to $40 million, and that adding too many costs to Riverside Center would make the development too expensive to build.

The development company wants to build Riverside Center on an eight-acre piece of land between West 59th Street, West 61st Street, West End Avenue and Riverside Boulevard.

NYguy Nov 23, 2010 2:37 AM
http://www.dnainfo.com/20101122/uppe...er-development

Public Gets Last Chance to Weigh in on Riverside Center Development
The City Council's land use committee will hear testimony Tuesday on Extell's massive Riverside Center development.

November 22, 2010
By Leslie Albrecht

Quote:
Upper West Siders are gearing up for a key hearing Tuesday, where the public gets a final chance to weigh in on Extell Development Company's massive Riverside Center development.

The City Council's land use committee will hold the hearing at 9:30 a.m at 250 Broadway.

City Councilwoman Gale Brewer and Community Board 7 officials are urging residents to testify about the changes they'd like to see Extell make to Riverside Center.

The development would bring five high-rise apartment buildings, stores, an auto showroom and open space to eight acres between West 59th Street, West 61st Street, West End Avenue and Riverside Boulevard.

Community Board 7 voted in July to reject Extell's proposal. The Community Board is pushing Extell to make several changes, including removing one of the high-rises, building a 150,000 square-foot K-8 public school, and making 30 percent of the housing at Riverside Center "affordable."

Brewer has backed Community Board 7's proposed changes, and sent out an e-mail Friday reminding people to testify at Tuesday's hearing.

At a September Planning Commission hearing on Riverside Center, Brewer said Riverside Center will be built on the last significant piece of vacant land on the Upper West Side.

"We shouldn't forget that, because it's all we've got left," Brewer said at the September hearing. "We need to do it right."

NYguy Nov 24, 2010 3:36 PM
http://www.dnainfo.com/20101123/uppe...verside-center

City Council Hears Final Round of Community Input on Riverside Center

http://s3.amazonaws.com/sfb111/story...ter_112310.jpg

November 23, 2010
By Leslie Albrecht

Quote:
The public got its last chance Tuesday to weigh in on Riverside Center, the massive complex that Extell Development Company wants to build on the largest piece of vacant property left on the Upper West Side.

The City Council subcommittee on zoning and franchises heard more than four hours of testimony on the project, which would bring five high-rises, stores, a hotel, a movie theater, a parking garage and an auto showroom to eight acres stretching between West 59th Street, West 61st Street, West End Avenue and Riverside Boulevard.

The land is now an abandoned rail yard and parking lot.

Tuesday's hearing covered much of the same territory as previous public meetings on Riverside Center, with community members asking Extell to make changes to the project including eliminating one of the buildings, making at least 20 percent of the housing "affordable," and building a 150,000 square-foot school.

In response, Extell president Gary Barnett gave his usual answer: he's bowed to several community demands, but if he makes too many concessions, Riverside Center will never be built because it will cost him too much.

"It doesn't do anybody any good to approve a project and then not be able to build it," Barnett said.
Barnett said he couldn't budge on requests to eliminate one of the high-rises because it would make the project "economically infeasible."

Likewise, Barnett said a request to move an auto showroom off West End Avenue could deal a death blow to Riverside Center. Barnett said auto dealers are only interested in locating on West End Avenue, and that the showroom would be crucial income generator in the early stages of construction.

"It's the key to the project going forward," Barnett said.

City Councilwoman Gale Brewer and Community Board 7 chair Mel Wymore stuck to their guns too, both saying that while the community wants to see the site developed, Riverside Center must serve the needs of the Upper West Side. Brewer insisted that Extell make up to 30 percent of the housing at Riverside Center permanently affordable to people with lower incomes.

Developers are sometimes allowed to build affordable units in other parts of the city, away from their market-rate housing, but Brewer said she wants all of Riverside Center's affordable housing to be "on-site."

"We want a neighborhood that is mixed," Brewer said. "We don't want an all high-income neighborhood, that's why we want it on-site," Brewer said to a smattering of applause in the packed hearing room.

Wymore noted that Riverside Center will be built on the last piece of undeveloped property on the Upper West Side.

"We've seen an awful lot of development in the last 20 years, and we've become experts in what works and what doesn't work," Wymore said.

What works, said Wymore, is creating an "integrated" development, "such that the community doesn't see Riverside Center as an exclusive enclave or a village within the community."

Behind the scenes, Brewer, Wymore and other members of Community Board 7 are in negotiations with Extell about proposed changes at the site, including creating more open space and less density.

In the coming weeks, they'll discuss the school and affordable housing, said Wymore.

"We continue to inch forward in creating a project that works for the developer and the community," Wymore said. "Every conversation is a baby step forward."

Wymore said negotiations will likely continue until the full City Council votes on Riverside Center in December.

Community Board 7 released a 50-page set of recommended modifications when it voted to reject the project in July.

"There are some things in there that we're working with them on that we're trying to adjust, and obviously there are some things in there that we can't give, and some things in there that they never expected us to give," Barnett said of Community Board 7's recommendations.

NYguy Dec 2, 2010 4:26 AM
http://www.dnainfo.com/20101201/uppe...e-tenants-only

Public Ballfields Fenced Off for Use by Upscale Upper West Side Tenants
Ballfields in front of Riverside South are supposed to be public, but only residents of the apartment complex can use them.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/sfb111/story...UWS_112210.jpg


By Leslie Albrecht
December 1, 2010

Quote:
A set of pristine ball fields that were built for public use on the Upper West Side are sitting behind a locked gate — and only the residents of nearby upscale apartment buildings are allowed to use them.

The brand new soccer, baseball and volleyball fields are wedged between the West Side Highway and Riverside Boulevard from West 66th to West 64th Street. The fields sit in front of Riverside South, a string of luxury high-rise buildings where apartments sell for as much as $15 million.

The ball fields are supposed to belong to Riverside Park South, the 27-acre public park that developer Extell Development Co. is responsible for building in exchange for the rights to build the high-rises.

But an eight-foot chain link fence now surrounds the fields and a guard patrols the area to keep people out unless they're residents of Riverside South, several locals told DNAinfo.

Parks Department official John Herrold, who oversees all of Riverside Park, said the ball fields are Extell's private property, and they'll eventually be handed over to the city to become part of the public park.

But for now, Extell is free to keep them locked up, Herrold said at a recent Community Board 7 meeting.

Activist Batya Lewton of the Coalition for a Livable West Side says the fenced off fields are evidence of a broken promise by Extell.

Creating the public park space was a key condition that developers agreed to meet when they won approval from the city to build Riverside South, Lewton said. The original developer on the project in 1992 was Donald Trump; it changed hands to Extell in 2005.

"When you realize that the developer made an awful lot of money on this development, and that they were supposed to build this world-class park and here you have these fields that can't be used by the public, that's outrageous," Lewton said.

Lewton said she was incensed when Extell president Gary Barnett recently mentioned the fields and Riverside Park South at a City Council hearing about Riverside Center, the five-tower development that Extell wants to build as the final piece of Riverside South.

Barnett pointed to the fields and public park as a key neighborhood amenity, Lewton said.

"(He) bragged about the fact that they had built these fields, but never mentioned that they're not public," Lewton said.

Extell also did not respond to repeated requests for comment from DNAinfo.

Ralph Corsiglia, a local baseball coach, said he was eagerly looking forward to using the fields once they were completed this fall. When workers were sodding the fields in August they let him and his son practice there. But once the Little League-size baseball diamond was finished, the gate was locked and a guard told him it was off limits, Corsiglia said.

Corsiglia said he called Riverside South and was told he could pay to rent the field for $20 an hour, with a two-hour minimum, but only if he or someone with him was a resident of Riverside South.

DNAinfo got the same answer from a Riverside South representative.

Corsiglia doesn't live at Riverside South, so he's out of luck.

"It's such an unfortunate thing to have a beautiful field you can't use," Corsiglia said last week as he stood near the empty, fenced-in outfield.

"I grew up in New York and finding a grass field to play on was such a treat," Corsiglia said. "Now there's one right in front of our eyes and we can't use it. It just sits here like it's a museum."
http://s3.amazonaws.com/sfb111/story...UWS_112210.jpg



http://s3.amazonaws.com/sfb111/story...UWS_112210.jpg



http://s3.amazonaws.com/sfb111/story...UWS_112210.jpg



http://s3.amazonaws.com/sfb111/story...UWS_112210.jpg

NYguy Dec 9, 2010 6:44 PM
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...s_newyork_main

Upper West Side Project Passes Council Vote

By Eliot Brown
December 8, 2010

Quote:
A giant new residential development planned for the Upper West Side passed a crucial hurdle Wednesday, as a key City Council committee voted to approve the 2,500-apartment project following a set of concessions pledged by the site's owner, Extell Development.

The project, known as Riverside Center, has faced years of resistance from the local community, which said the development's five large apartment towers would overwhelm the neighborhood.

After days of negotiating, Extell agreed to contribute funds toward an adjacent park and to build out the shell of a 100,000-square-foot school, among other concessions, according to a spokesman for the company and Councilwoman Gale Brewer.

"It's something we can live with and something that's good for the neighborhood," said Ms. Brewer, an Upper West Side Democrat who was the principal negotiator at the Council. "We were very civil, but we were tough."

The full Council is expected to approve the development later this month.

patriotizzy Dec 9, 2010 7:50 PM
WOOT! Great news for NYC. Should make an awesome drastic change in NY's skyline!

NYguy Dec 10, 2010 2:48 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by patriotizzy (Post 5087024)
WOOT! Great news for NYC. Should make an awesome drastic change in NY's skyline!
At least for that piece of it.


Ed Yourdon

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