NEW YORK | Highrise Developments Compilation Thread

[pico44]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Another Gene Kaufmann trainwreck. One would think a person who seemingly has no aesthetic sensibilities wouldn't pursue a career in architecture.

Gene Kaufmann is no different than the old smut peddlers you used to find all over Times Square. His presence in a community sinks the heart, lowers property values, attracts a nasty crowd (in this case, deal-obsessed tourists), and ruins the streetscape. Instead of dealing in lust, he deals in greed. You gotta hand it to him, he gives the developers what they want. The cheapest imaginable way to put up four walls and a few windows. He even looks like a scumbag that you'd see walking out of one of those sex shops. The only thing that prevents me from becoming too depressed when I see his buildings is that they will surely come down as easily as they went up, and they will never ever ever ever ever ever be landmarked. His buildings are simply placeholders for the masterpieces that will replace them after I die.

[Hypothalamus]

New York YIMBY:

Revealed: 8-16 Nevins Street
BY: NIKOLAI FEDAK ON APRIL 1ST 2014 AT 6:00 AM


8-16 Nevins Street, image via The SBJ Group

The first renderings up for a new residential project at 8-16 Nevins Street in Downtown Brooklyn, which Bushburg Properties is developing; the reveal comes from the building’s architect, the Stephen B. Jacobs Group, which posted the renderings to the firm’s website. The Real Deal first reported on Bushburg’s acquisition last September, when the two lots that comprise the site were bought for $16.3 million.

While no permits have been filed, the existing structures are apparently occupied by tenants with short-term leases, and demolition will be simple. Despite the lack of DOB filings, The SBJ Group’s page on the development gives all the necessary details, and indicates the tower will total 135,000 gross square feet, split between 136 apartments, in addition to ground-floor retail. Bushburg’s high-rise will also include an affordable component, allowing the developer to build beyond the lot’s potential under current zoning, which would otherwise limit its scope to 90,000 square feet.

8-16 Nevins Street will stand 25 stories in total, and amenities will include a rooftop lounge. The building will be topped by a “metal mesh clad bulkhead [which] glows at night with the use of LED lighting.”

[...]

The vertical elements of 8-16 Nevins may be the most obvious, but its presence at the street-level will also present an improvement to Downtown Brooklyn; as SBJ’s website notes, the site provides ”the opportunity to establish a pedestrian connection between Grove Place and Nevins Street in the hope of activating the urbanistically significant alley.”

No completion date has been announced, but given the recent acquisition of the site, construction appears to be imminent.

8-16 Nevins Street, image via The SBJ Group

[Busy Bee]

^speaking of not holding the streetwall.

[Hypothalamus]

Garage to be turned into Manhattan’s second Crowne Plaza
Developer Raber Enterprises gears up to break ground on 25-story hotel
Julie Strickland April 01, 2014 01:16PM

Permits have been filed to break ground on Manhattan’s second Crowne Plaza Hotel, only a few blocks from the Crowne Plaza Times Square.

The Crowne Plaza Times Square South is to be located at 320 West 36th Street, between Eighth and Ninth avenues, Lance Steinberg of developer Raber Enterprises told the New York Observer. Raber applied for Department of Buildings permits Monday and plans to soon break ground on the site, which currently houses a two-story garage.

Upon completion, the 250-room hotel will stretch 25 stories and have an 80-foot atrium at the front of the building. The lodging is slated to open at the end of 2015, according to the Observer.

Noting that Crowne Plaza has recently been working to refresh the brand, Steinberg told the Observer that “it will be designed in the new revamped image of Crowne Plaza.”

Raber picked up the adjacent commercial lots at 320 West 36th Street, 321 West 35th Street and 325 West 35th Street for $33.5 million at the end of 2012.

[Hypothalamus]

Megalith pays Disney $85M for Upper West Side office trio
Site would allow a 75,000 sf development
April 01, 2014 02:47PM
By Hiten Samtani


From left: Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Florida, 40 West 66th Street and Megalith’s Sam Sidhu

This is no Mickey Mouse deal. Megalith Capital Management has paid the Walt Disney Company $85 million for a trio of office buildings on West 66th Street, according to property records filed with the city today.

The sale closed March 4. The properties, located between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue, are 36 West 66th Street, a two-story, 5,130-square-foot building; 38 West 66th Street, a two-story, 4,714-square-foot building; and 40 West 66th Street, a four-story, 6,902-square-foot building. In total, they would allow for a development of about 75,000 square feet.

It is unclear which brokers were involved in the deal. Representatives for Megalith declined to comment, and Walt Disney didn’t immediately reply to requests for comment.

Megalith recently moved its headquarters to New York City from Philadelphia, and specializes in multifamily developments. It is currently working on a 12-story, 105-unit luxury rental building at 177 Front Street, as well as an adjacent 15-unit condominium building at 200 Water Street. The firm is also converting a 30,000-square-foot warehouse in Tribeca into full-floor loft-style apartments.

[Hypothalamus]

Bowery Boogie:

Peter Poon’s 22-Story Hotel at 50-52 Bowery is Happening; Here’s the Proof
Posted on: April 2nd, 2014 at 5:31 am by Elie

Looking at the vacant dirt lot that is now 50-52 Bowery, it’s quite apparent that all hope is lost for an archaeological dig into the property’s past. To recap – local preservationists discovered basement remnants of what was believed to be the onetime home of the historic 18th century Bull’s Head Tavern. Unfortunately, the Landmarks Preservation Commission had no jurisdiction to force property owner Alex Chu to comply with a dig. And now, a green light from the Department of Buildings for his controversial 22-story hotel project – “Hotel Bowery.”

Yes, it took something like four years, but paperwork for the new sun-eclipsing hotel was finally approved by the DOB at the end of March. The two tax lots (#00018 and #00023) were combined to make way for the Peter Poon-designed tower, which will rise 227 feet into the Chinatown sky. Contrary to earlier permits which claimed 160 rooms, though, the latest info reveals that the lodge will boast 229 keys.

But there is also a condo component to the plan. The permit indicates that 5,183 square-feet of the total is earmarked for residential use; 135,783 square-feet is for commercial use; and the remainder for a community facility of some sort. Zoning documents give us an idea of what this phallus will look like:

The LMCCC indicates that a completion date is set for “early 2016.” Construction on the foundation should begin imminently.

Zoning diagram for 50 Bowery, Photo: DOB

[chris08876]

Public will have a say in balcony colors at a proposed East Harlem apartment building

This proposed building is anything but pretty in pink.
East Harlem residents enraged over a developer’s plan to build a high-end apartment building and bathe its balconies in day-glo shades of blue and pink will have the last word.
Flourescent-hued renderings of a proposed eight-story Pleasant Ave. building unveiled last week have so angered nearby residents that owner HAP Investment Developers has agreed to set up a poll to determine a new color scheme.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous,” said a furious Alix Brignol, 54, who lives next door to the trash-strewn lot on which it would be built in 2015. “It doesn’t match anything. It’s the definition of a sore thumb. It’s hideous and insulting to stick that in the neighborhood without anybody’s input. It’s crap. It’s hideous. It’s like a disco building.”

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http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/uptown/public-east-harlem-balcony-colors-article-1.1741464#ixzz2xndrYCcz[/IMG]

[chris08876]

One SoHo Square

The first renderings are up for a large new office project that will join two buildings at 161 Avenue of the Americas and 233 Spring Street into one, under the moniker of One SoHo Square; the images were created by Neoscape. Stellar Management and Rockpoint Group are developing the site, and Gensler is the architect, while Cushman & Wakefield is handling marketing and leasing.

One SoHo Square will measure 768,000 square feet, standing nineteen stories in total. Completion of the renovation and expansion is expected in the fall of 2015.

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http://www.yimbynews.com/2014/04/revealed-one-soho-square.html/1

[chris08876]

Revealed: 29-26 Northern Boulevard

The slew of renderings from the Stephens B. Jacobs Group continues; the firm has released another set of images for a new tower that will soon rise at 29-26 Northern Boulevard, in Long Island City. The Real Deal reported on the site’s acquisition by Simon Baron Development last month, and the lot was bought from the Rabsky Group for $54 million.

Per the DOB filings, 29-26 Northern Boulevard will total 382,120 square feet. 13,579 square feet will be dedicated to ground-floor retail, while the remainder will be divided between 415 apartments. The building will stand 45 stories and 473 feet tall, making it one of the most prominent towers in the Court Square vicinity.

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http://www.yimbynews.com/2014/04/revealed-29-26-northern-boulevard.html/1

[chris08876]

Foundation Laid for 500 West 21st; New High Line Mural

Developer Sherwood Equities announced the completion of main foundation work for condominium development 500 West 21st Street today. The 32-unit luxury building is being designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, and will rise only 80 feet next to the High Line. Some of the as-of-yet-unbuilt units just hit the market, with prices ranging from $2.3 million to $6.45 million.

=====================================
Thursday, April 3, 2014, by Jeremiah Budin
http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/04/03/foundation_laid_for_500_west_21st_new_high_line_mural.php

[Hypothalamus]

Originally Posted by chris08876

Foundation Laid for 500 West 21st; New High Line Mural

Awesome! Beautiful rendering.

[chris08876]

124 West 16th Street

=============================

Neighbors to Protest Church-Topping Tower in Chelsea:

Tomorrow, Chelsea residents and preservationists will stage a public demonstration and press conference in opposition to Einhorn Development's plans to encase the historic French Evangelical Church at 124 West 16th Street in a "horrifying" 11-story glass tower.

The protest is being organized by a group called Save 16th Street, and speakers will include State Senator Brad Hoylman, Assembly Member Richard Gottfried, City Council Member Corey Johnson.
"What was promised by Einhorn Development Group to be a six-story building at 124 West 16th street designed to fit the architectural style of the rest of the block has turned into a luxury 11-story condominium with a blue stone and glass façade that will encase the neighboring French Evangelical Church in concrete," said Save 16th Street. "The results of this development would be disastrous. Natural light for many long-time neighbors would be obliterated and the architectural and cultural integrity of the block would be destroyed."

Stupid Nimbys...... I love how they call this a "Mega Tower". Since when is 11 stories a mega tower..... o dear



================================
Saturday, April 5, 2014
http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/04/05/neighbors_to_protest_churchtopping_tower_in_chelsea.php

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by tubeworm

Junior’s Brooklyn Site Will Be Sold to Developer, but Restaurant Will Return
By VIVIAN YEEFEB. 20, 2014

Junior’s Restaurant in Brooklyn, an unofficial landmark, will be torn down by a developer, but its owner says he plans to reopen it. | Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times

Keep track of this one. It's not a proposal yet, but could ultimately be a good one for Brooklyn.


http://www.masseyknakal.com/listings/detail.aspx?lst=22677

386 Flatbush Avenue Ext., Brooklyn, NY 11201
Ownership Requests Proposals

Massey Knakal Realty Services has been retained on an exclusive basis to arrange for the sale of an approximately 102,500 buildable square foot development site located on the corner of DeKalb and Flatbush Avenues in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn. 386 Flatbush Avenue features 110’ of frontage on both DeKalb and Flatbush Avenues and has been home to the famous Junior’s Restaurant for nearly 65 years. The site is currently improved by an approximately 17,000 square foot, 2-story building, which will be delivered vacant upon purchase.

Under the current C6-4.5 zoning, which features a R10 equivalent, a developer could build approximately 102,576 square feet as-of-right. The maximum residential FAR is 10.0, which equates to 85,480 buildable square feet of residential space with the opportunity to increase the development by 20% to approximately 102,576 square feet through utilization of the inclusionary housing bonus.

Additionally, the adjacent property to the west, 9 DeKalb Avenue, is a low-rise landmarked building that is currently owned and operated by Chase bank. Due to the zoning and its landmarked status the property features up to several hundred thousand feet of additional air-rights that could potentially be acquired to increase the size of the subject site dramatically.

The property benefits from unparalleled connectivity to all sections of New York City. Access to the 2 3 4 5 trains is just one block to the south at Nevins Street and the B D N Q and R trains are adjacent to the property at the DeKalb Avenue station.

If those air rights are bought, this could get some pretty good height...

[Hypothalamus]

New York YIMBY:

Construction Update: 150 Charles Street
BY: NIKOLAI FEDAK ON APRIL 9TH 2014 AT 11:00 AM

Work on 150 Charles Street continues to make significant headway, and the project is rapidly approaching its imminent completion date. The Witkoffs are developing the building, and COOKFOX is the architect of record.

[...]

150 Charles is expected to be completed in 2015; the building rises fifteen stories and 176 feet.

[Hypothalamus]

Hare Krishnas list Brooklyn headquarters for $60M
Religious organization’s longtime home offers 187K buildable square feet

April 09, 2014 01:00PM
By Mark Maurer


From left: 295-209 Schermerhorn Street, Andrew Sassoon and David Schechtman

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, also known as the Hare Krishna movement, wants to sell its U.S. headquarters in Downtown Brooklyn for upwards of $60 million, or more than $300 per buildable square feet, The Real Deal has learned.

The four-story, 34,000-square-foot property at 295-309 Schermerhorn Street boasts 187,000 square feet, and currently houses a temple and vegetarian restaurant Govinda’s. Sri Sri Radha Govinda Mandir has owned the building since 1983, according to documents obtained by TRD. The site has 155 feet of frontage along Schermerhorn Street.

The religious organization is looking for a new home in Queens. The bulk of the society’s members live in that borough, sources said.

Eastern Consolidated executive managing director David Schechtman and associate director Andrew Sassoon are marketing the site and also assisting with scouting a new location, sources said.

[...]

[Hypothalamus]

Parking garage on Upper West Side could fetch $61M
Walter & Samuels' building on West 77th Street touted as a potential condo conversion

Mark Maurer
April 09, 2014 09:00AM


219-233 West 77th Street and Neil Helman

An affiliate of real estate firm Walter & Samuels is looking to sell an Upper West Side parking garage site, which is being marketed as a potential redevelopment into condominiums.

The 7,700-square-foot site at 219-223 West 77th Street, between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway, boasts 77,000 square feet of buildable space. Avison Young brokers Neil Helman, Charles Kingsley, Vincent Carrega and Jon Epstein are handling marketing. The property is expected to fetch at least $61 million, or $800 per square feet, the New York Post reported.

[...]

[Hypothalamus]

New York Mag:

The Giant New Building That Is About to Overshadow the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine — And How the City Ought to Step In
By Justin Davidson Today at 11:00 AM

The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, the immense yet somehow retiring neo-Gothic behemoth in Morningside Heights, is about to give new meaning to the term self-effacement. Perpetually unfinished, rich in land but poor in cash, the great church has invited a developer to slap a pair of 14-story rental buildings against its uptown flank. It sounds like a groaner: How do you hide a cathedral? The 428 apartments, designed by Handel Architects, will make a giant landmark fade into the Amsterdam Avenue streetscape — just another flamboyant façade on a busy block.

[...]

Here we have a classic real-estate situation being handled with the usual narrow-bore clumsiness. Neighbors and preservationists growl, the church stonewalls, and because the developer’s not asking for any zoning concessions, the city declines to get involved. Meanwhile, crews rip out trees and level the site, making way for more mediocre architecture. There’s a better way: negotiate. What matters most to the cathedral’s majesty is its presence on the street, not the height of its still-nonexistent central tower. So if Mayor de Blasio moves fast, before construction has actually begun, he can still broker a compromise:

• Push the new apartment complex well back from Amsterdam Avenue, leaving the cathedral’s corner inviolate.

• In exchange, allow a taller, more slender tower at the back of the site.

• Increase the number of affordable apartments.

• Immediately landmark the cathedral and its remaining grounds.

Such a plan for one tall mid-block tower instead of two stumpy ones on the avenue would then have to wend its way through the public review process, which would delay the project. But in the end, the cathedral would get its payout and Brodsky would acquire real-estate gold: perpetually unobstructed views. Meanwhile, the city would get a chance to demand that the architects (different architects, ideally) produce a design worthy of its site close to the peak of Morningside Heights and next door to one of the New York’s finest monuments.

The site is already being cleared.


Curbed NY

[a very long weekend]

actually, that seems like a pretty reasonable plan, and it would make sense for the developers since - even for rentals - the value of the views at the elevation (over manhattan, over the river and nj, over columbia, over harlem) should more than defray the costs of the both the delay and the added expense of going higher.

[Hypothalamus]

Checking In On 3 Naftali Group Projects Gearing Up for Action
Wednesday, April 9, 2014, by Zoe Rosenberg

1) 234 East 23rd Street: The development group bought this parcel in June 2013 for $23.15 million. Plans for the site indicate Goldstein, Hill & West is designing a 20-story, 57-unit tower with a ground-floor retail component for the site between Second and Third avenues. According to the Observer, the units in this property will be a bit smaller and geared towards younger, first-time buyers.

[...]

[Lecom]

Demolition of 29 West 57th St in New York, an ornate 15-story tower built in 1924. The building was once decorated with gilded statues and ornaments that resembled giant medals.

How the building's top looked about a month ago:


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co...op.jpg/483px-29_West_57th_Street_top.jpg

This video shows what remains:

• Video Link

The adjacent Rizzoli Bookstore, one of the last independent bookstores in Manhattan, on April 9, 2014, two days before closing. As upper floors of the nextdoor building are already being stripped of ornamentation, the Bookstore is holding its farewell 40% off sale. On April 11, the store will shut its doors and the historic, pre-war tower will be demolished. The Store is already making general plans to relocate, but this space with its wooden balconies and vaulted ceilings will be torn down by its owners, who chose not to wait for Landmark Preservation Commission's review of the building's potential protected landmark designation.

Visit their website before it's too late: http://rizzolibookstore.com/

• Video Link