NEW YORK | One57 (Carnegie 57) | 1,005 FT | 75 FLOORS

NYguy · #1 Posted **Dec 2, 2008, 12:35 PM**

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12022008...st__141770.htm

LUXURY HOTEL TO RISE ON 57TH ST.

December 2, 2008

A 1,000 foot-tall hotel and condo tower is coming to Extell's West 57th Street development site that's now a giant hole in the ground.

That's according to the company hired to provide "physical and electronic security" for Gary Barnett's project. Aren't security firms supposed to keep secrets secure?

Louisville, Ky.-based Aegis Security Design claims the tower diagonally across from Carnegie Hall will house a "5-star" Park Hyatt Hotel, stores and luxury condos.

Extell hired Aegis to provide security-related services for the project that will run from 151-161 W. 57th St., on a site that extends all the way through to 58th Street.

Extell spokesman George Arzt said yesterday: "No details have been finalized or resolved. Aegis is only a consultant on the project."

But Aegis says it's "contracted with Extell to provide risk assessment, security programming, system design and construction administration services" on 57th Street.

Its Web site says Extell's tower will be LEED-certified and rise to as many as 80 stories. The hotel, stores and a garage will take up 356,467 square feet of a total 882,141 square feet, with condos above the hotel.

The hotel will boast a "spa, pool area, ballroom and meeting rooms," and "the lobby may contain an atrium."

Ever since Barnett started gobbling up land on West 57th and 58th streets between Sixth and Seventh avenues a few years ago, what he'll build has transfixed Midtown-watchers.

The vast site - directly across from Metropolitan Tower and the Russian Tea Room - has been a crater since old buildings were demolished. Last winter, Barnett told us he'd probably do a "5-star" hotel of some sort rising up to 50 stories.

Extell later fell silent. But now, Aegis appears to have let the cat out of the crater.

Sources said Extell is conferring with city agencies - possibly for zoning variances related to air rights purchases, and for landmarks-related approvals. The site is next door to two designated landmarks: the former CAMI Hall at 163-165 W. 57th St. and Alwyn Court on West 58th.

We don't usually reveal how we get our scoops, but this one started with our item last week reporting that Extell had filed with the Buildings De partment to study surrounding foun dations in prep aration for a new building.

Curbed.com picked up the item and ran it with an aerial photo of the pit, which drew an anonymous comment stating that the project would include a Park Hyatt. It didn't take Watergate-style sleuthing to check it out. Aegis officials did not return our calls.

________________________

NY Times

NYguy · #2 Posted **Dec 2, 2008, 12:51 PM**

Site refresher:

Demolition from last year:

NYguy · #3 Posted **Dec 2, 2008, 1:36 PM**

curbed.com's view from above:

Steve Cuozzo's earlier reporting:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/11252008...587.htm?page=2

November 25, 2008

Empty holes in the ground deface the West 57th Street block between Sixth and Seventh avenues, but there's progress at the biggest of them.

At Gary Barnett's development site across from Carnegie Hall, his Extell just filed with the Buildings Dept. for "exploratory excavation to determine the depth, type and condition of foundations at adjacent buildings . . . in preparation of proposed new building."

Crawford · #4 Posted **Dec 2, 2008, 7:17 PM**

A 1,000 foot tower by Nouvel, to be followed by more very tall towers on the remaining sites.

Crawford · #5 Posted **Dec 3, 2008, 5:42 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crawford

A 1,000 foot tower by Nouvel, to be followed by more very tall towers on the remaining sites.

Oops, I mean Portzamparc, not Nouvel.

Gary Barnett supposedly has hired Portzamparc for his two West 57th Street towers. If this one is 1,000 feet, I would think that the other will be fairly similar in height.

NYguy · #6 Posted **Dec 3, 2008, 1:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crawford

Oops, I mean Portzamparc, not Nouvel.

Gary Barnett supposedly has hired Portzamparc for his two West 57th Street towers. If this one is 1,000 feet, I would think that the other will be fairly similar in height.

I'm not familiar with the other site. But this stretch of 57th Street has changed from the days of the tourists traps. A nice hotel/condo building with retail will fit in perfectly. I just hope all of the pieces fall into place, zoning and all. With construction permits falling sharply in the city, I don't think New York can afford to stop developers who are willing and able to build.

scalziand · #7 Posted **Dec 2, 2008, 7:29 PM**

Well, we knew this was coming for a long while now. Still waiting on the design though.

NYguy · #8 Posted **Dec 3, 2008, 1:59 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by scalziand

Well, we knew this was coming for a long while now. Still waiting on the design though.

Yeah, this was long rumored to be a 900 footer (wasn't Extell's Riverside Center architect Christian de Portzamparc designing this one also?)

An old version of a tower proposal for the site:

View accross 57th Street...

jonas_thomas · #9 Posted **Sep 2, 2013, 5:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYguy

Yeah, this was long rumored to be a 900 footer (wasn't Extell's Riverside Center architect Christian de Portzamparc designing this one also?)

An old version of a tower proposal for the site:

I like the old version too. :-) Looks impressive.

Crawford · #10 Posted **Sep 2, 2013, 6:06 PM**

They also had a 1,300 version of the existing tower planned back in 2007.

I like the built tower, but a 1,300 ft. version would have been even better. I think the problem is that this tower was built a bit too soon. If Barnett waited a year or so later, may have built the taller version, but the thing is that this tower was conceived in the height of the recession.

Now you see, in a stronger market, Barnett's 1,550 ft. 225 W57 and all the other planned towers.

And, per Wired NY, there are some big announcements of new towers planned for September. Hopefully some well-designed supertalls to balance out the skyline with the arrival of these new towers.

NYguy · #11 Posted **Sep 3, 2013, 7:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crawford

there are some big announcements of new towers planned for September.

Yeah, once the summer is over, we're back to business.

(September 2, 2013)

JDRCRASH · #12 Posted **Dec 2, 2008, 8:01 PM**

Another one in this market? Then again, i'll wait till a render or model shows up...

Antares41 · #13 Posted **Dec 2, 2008, 8:21 PM**

Wow! that is incredible news. Just love all the forward thinking developers in NYC. This building (crossing my fingers for an awesome design) should make a wonderful addition to a already fantastic cluster(Cityspire, Metropolitan, Carnegie) of skyscrapers south of Central Park.

NYguy · #14 Posted **Dec 3, 2008, 1:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antares41

Wow! that is incredible news. Just love all the forward thinking developers in NYC.

And that's just it - forward thinking. A lot of the press likes to question if things will get built in this market, but this is not a proposal that will start construction today. In fact, it was leaked prematurely, which is probably why it was yanked of the website. The program is very similar to the size and scale of the Tower Verre, an approximately 800,000 sf tower being dominated by about 500,000 sf of residential space. Both towers are in the right place for it, and would have no problem selling. Tower Verre is much further along in the process though. And the design of this one is probably not as complete.

Meanwhile, Gary Barnett of Extell is becoming the new Donald Trump of Manhattan. He doesn't shy away from building tall. He is one of the most ambitious developers on the west side, even proposing a 980 ft hotel for the convention center (though the state canned that one). His plans for the Riverside Center have been released, the World Product Center is in the marketing phase. However, he didn't win the bid for the west side railyards, and he ran into problems with his Steven Holl designed tower on 10th Avenue because he doesn't legally controll all of the air rights used for that proposal. Also, the Diamond Tower is slowly moving along.

I only hope this early leak doesn't stir up the NIMBYs. They'll be out for blood after the beating they're taking from the Tower Verre, just 3 blocks away.

Wheelingman04 · #15 Posted **Dec 2, 2008, 8:27 PM**

Holy crap!!

NYC4Life · #16 Posted **Dec 2, 2008, 10:51 PM**

Despite the current market and credit crunch, NYC somehow still finds ways to add yet another 1,000 footer to an already long list of towers that'll rise. Hopefully NIMBY's won't have a say in this tower as in Torre Verre. The area is already dominated by tall buildings.

Scruffy · #17 Posted **Dec 2, 2008, 11:06 PM**

WHAT!! my last info was 450ft on this site. That was a year ago. Color me surprised! A super tall this close to Central Park is outstanding. Trying not to get my hopes up and will patiently wait for a render

NYC4Life · #18 Posted **Dec 2, 2008, 11:34 PM**

With the latest rendering from the Moma proposal, I'll doubt this tower will disappoint.

scalziand · #19 Posted **Dec 3, 2008, 1:00 AM**

^^Yeah, I can't wait to see what Mr. Nouvel will cook up for this site. I hope it's as spectacular as Verre.

Fabb · #20 Posted **Dec 3, 2008, 2:15 PM**

Portzamparc can produce nice designs.
Here's a proposal he made for T1 in La Défense :