NEW YORK | 111 W 57th St | 1,428 FT | 85 FLOORS

[sbarn]

Originally Posted by NYguy

Depends on how you look at it. That lot is only the portion of the site where the tower overlaps. This is being built as an addition to Steinway Hall (the covered building), which is a landmark. Landmarks signed of on this, and even complimented the design.

The tower itself will be integrated within the rest of the building. But it won't be a process as fast as knocking over a building, and starting from scratch.


You get an idea here how the new shaft fits in on the lot, and with the rest of the building.

I am well aware of what is happening at this site, no need to explain it to me like I am clueless. I was just adding commentary to the photos I was sharing...

[Submariner]

Interesting. I thought the tower would rise right on the curb. I take it the one story building listed will be the entrance?

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by sbarn

I am well aware of what is happening at this site, no need to explain it to me like I am clueless. I was just adding commentary to the photos I was sharing...

I'll respond to what I please, thank you. You don't want a response, don't post. And just because you think you may be well aware of everything doesn't mean that everyone else does.
You're not the only one that reads these threads, so remember that the next time.



Skyline impact minus the Nordstrom from www.cityrealty.com

[ILNY]

Some progress.

[NYguy]

I wonder exactly what the ramp is going to be used for. Looks like a complicated process, as expected.

[NYguy]

October 17, 2014










Hope these small buildings can stick around. Adds to the sense of scale these tall towers will have....

[Submariner]

Really? Those two buildings are quite tragic. Maybe a facade treatment would help, but they look dreadful in their current state...

BTW, did you notice if they have made any progress on the foundation?

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by Submariner

Really? Those two buildings are quite tragic. Maybe a facade treatment would help, but they look dreadful in their current state...

BTW, did you notice if they have made any progress on the foundation?

Those buildings are garbage. It drives me f****** bats that the developer is unable to get these lots. 111 could potentially be twice as wide(2x the profit) with Steinway symmetrically centered at the base. I think it's a huge lost opportunity.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

It drives me f****** bats that the developer is unable to get these lots. 111 could potentially be twice as wide(2x the profit) with Steinway symmetrically centered at the base. I think it's a huge lost opportunity.

Maybe, or maybe not. Part of the appeal to this tower is definitely it's ultra slim shape. Aside from 432 Park, there is nothing like it in the world (that's soon to change with the litany of 57th street towers popping up, but still...) and developers can command huge prices for condos that have 360 degree views of the city, something 111w 57th street will be able to do, partly due to it's design.

You have to remember though that the height of these buildings are determined by air rights, and if the adjoining buildings don't have much in the way of air rights, you'd end up spending hundreds of millions of dollars for buildings that are ultimately useless. Why would the company, build a shorter, wider tower? They want height and the views along with it. JDS is building what makes economic sense for them and that means with the given air rights they can build taller and narrower or shorter and wider. We all know what proposal will get more interest from wealthy buyers.

And yes, the neighboring buildings are turds and if I owned one of them I would be waiting for Gary Barnett in front of his building with a giant sign saying "BUY MY LAND!" but for whatever reason - lack of air rights, greedy owners, etc - that hasn't happened.

Come to think of it, most of the buildings between 111w and One57 are pretty dreadful. Too bad their original designers didn't take hints from the buildings across from the Met instead of resorting to dull, lifeless brown brick facades.

[Busy Bee]

I understand your point. But I did say wider, not wider and shorter. Same height, twice as wide. I'm not sure how that doesn't make financial sense.

[Hypothalamus]

Originally Posted by Submariner

Really? Those two buildings are quite tragic. Maybe a facade treatment would help, but they look dreadful in their current state...

Agreed, those two lots would be a great place for another Slim Jim, actually.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

I understand your point. But I did say wider, not wider and shorter. Same height, twice as wide. I'm not sure how that doesn't make financial sense.

It doesn't make any zoning sense.

If you made this tower twice as wide, it would only be half as tall.

Essentially every building you see built anywhere in NYC is using every last inch of development rights. If you add space somewhere on a site, you have to remove it from somewhere else.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Submariner

Really? Those two buildings are quite tragic. Maybe a facade treatment would help, but they look dreadful in their current state...

BTW, did you notice if they have made any progress on the foundation?

As far as work goes, they're working on the landmark itself, they're not in the new construction phase yet. This tower is being built as an alteration, or enlargement of the existing Steinway Hall, not a new building.







I don't find those buildings tragic at all. They would have to be fixed up of course, but they are unique to the block. I've seen people here shed tears for buildings that are far less unique. One thing about New York that a lot of cities lack is it's sense of scale, it's full and walkable streets. Sure, there are a lot of tall buildings, but there are a lot of smaller buildings as well to hold it all together. The streets are real. The skyscrapers fit into the block, not the other way around. You can walk from the tip of the battery (Downtown) all the way to the furthest parts of uptown, and it never changes. We know the size of the skyscrapers change, but the city doesn't. It's intense. Dramatic. Some people find it claustrophobic, but that's New York. No wide open blue skies down the canyons, just buildings, big and small.

Now, these two buildings, you aren't going to replace them with anything much larger, and really you don't need to. If everything is supertall, then nothing is. There needs to be a buffer between 111 W 57th, 123 W 57th, and 157. Preferably not open space. These small buildings could qualify as that buffer.

As far as the footprint of 111 goes, Steinway is a landmark, so you're not going to demolish it and build a new building from scratch with a larger footprint.

Also, there are windows on either side above these buildings. By city law, there has to be a certain distance, so it would have to be even thinner than the lot itself would allow. You'd be gaining nothing from losing these buildings.

One of the things I love about 432 and how it worked out is the sense of scale on 57th Street...

[scalziand]

Heh, I remember when this project was first starting out, those two buildings were mistaken for the project site.

[NYguy]

BTW, did a Google walkthrough of the building to the left (the store). Never went in, but is nice that you can do it on google earth.

[Skyguy_7]

I LOVE that shot of 432 in relation to Turnbull and the adjacent building. Where else in the world will you find a 3-flat with a 1,400 tower in its backyard? Looks like Steinway will offer the same feeling. Just ridiculous

[Submariner]

Is the steel low rise going to be an entrance, retail or mechanical?

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Skyguy_7

I LOVE that shot of 432 in relation to Turnbull and the adjacent building. Where else in the world will you find a 3-flat with a 1,400 tower in its backyard?
Looks like Steinway will offer the same feeling. Just ridiculous

I hope so.

Originally Posted by Submariner

Is the steel low rise going to be an entrance, retail or mechanical?

http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/JB2Sch...21332968&passdocnumber=01&allbin=1023728
There will be some retail on the first floor, followed by retail on the 3rd and 4th. The first residential spaces begin on the 7th (amenity) and the first residential units will begin on the 9th.
I do believe they agreed to tone it down for Landmarks, including a clearer glass.











This interior space has been landmarked as well, will be interesting to see what they do with it, a high end retailer no doubt...

[Submariner]

Lovely.

[Pete8680]

Originally Posted by Submariner

Lovely.

It is lovely and can be yours 4 a starting bid of 90 mil! Ha ha all joking aside I wood just luv 2 c an auction & what the final top bid shall b 4 the top floor!