NEW YORK | 270 Park Ave | 1,389 FT | 57 FLOORS

[yankeesfan1000]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Worth noting that the building includes a ten-story midrise annex along Madison Avenue that could be torn down, and the existing tower is a pretty flexible Modernist box.

Lots of possibilities to add onto the existing building or reconfigure it (not just stacking more floors on top) to add a ton of SF.

I bet they do this. Demo the Madison Ave annex, add a huge amount of s/f there, and then do some sort of 425 Park Ave reconfiguration/renovation of the Park Ave side.

It's the only way the five year time table makes sense.

[NYguy]

You can't even take a break around here without another supertall tower being planned.

"This is our plan for East Midtown in action,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday evening. “Good jobs, modern buildings and concrete improvements that will make East Midtown stronger for the tens of thousands of New Yorkers who work there.”

This is geat news, and great planning by the city. Hudson Yards is filling up faster than anticipated, and there are only a handful of developers there to work with. The City could have stood by and watched east Midtown age to irrelevance, but it didn't. And now, not only is it renewing itself, the public will get improvements in the process.

[Sky88]

New 70-story JPMorgan Chase tower will be the first project under Midtown East rezoning...



A model of what the future 270 Park Ave building might look like via CityRealty

http://www.6sqft.com/new-70-story-jp...east-rezoning/

[chris08876]

Way to start off the rezoning with a bang. This is definitely good publicity for DeBlasio.

[Prezrezc]

Not happy.

This is the first of two 600'+ International style towers (277 Park-1962) in MidTown, and as such should be respected.

Keep it and do a ground-up job onthe annex.

How big is the annex ft^2 wise?

[chris08876]

Seems like the criticism is starting already. That was quick!

= = = = = =

City’s plan to demolish & replace SOM-designed 270 Park Avenue sparks criticism

Earlier today, news broke that the De Blasio administration has hashed out a deal with JPMorgan Chase to demolish its existing headquarters at 270 Park Avenue, and replace the structure with a shiny new 70-story building. The deal was negotiated in the wake of the Midtown East rezoning, which loosened zoning regulations for the area in exchange for developers providing street-level and infrastructure improvements.

But lost in the coverage was any mention of the building’s historic importance: It’s one of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill’s many midcentury commissions (including Lever House, which is just a few blocks away from the Chase HQ), but one of few designed by a woman working in the male-dominated world of architecture. SOM’s Natalie de Blois was, by all accounts, the driving force behind 270 Park Avenue, despite Gordon Bunshaft getting the credit as the design partner.

Or, as Beverly Willis, who works to raise awareness of female architects, put it in a New York Times column celebrating De Blois’s work, “Natalie and Gordon Bunshaft were a team. He took all the credit and she did all the work.”

Naturally, architecture buffs and critics are up in arms over the decision to demolish the building. A release from the city noted that the new building would move forward only when “the project’s approvals are granted,” but 270 Park is not a New York City landmark, which means it is essentially unprotected from demolition. In 2013, the LPC told the Historic Districts Council that 270 Park Avenue “may merit designation,” according to HDC executive director Simeon Bankoff—and doubled down on that in 2016—but it has not begun the process of landmarking.

When the Midtown East rezoning was being negotiated, 11 buildings in the area were named landmarks in one fell swoop—but nearly all of those were prewar structures, aside from the Citicorp Building on Lexington Avenue.

What can be done to save the building is, at this point, unclear. For a recent example of what can happen when the Landmarks Preservation Commission doesn’t act quickly on buildings with historic merit, look to 550 Madison Avenue: Even though the LPC has begun the process of landmarking Philip Johnson’s postmodern icon, its lobby has already been razed, meaning any protections would essentially extend only to its exterior.

===========================
https://ny.curbed.com/2018/2/21/1703...c-architecture

[Prezrezc]

So landmark it yesterday and do what you have to to the interior.

Gut and retrofit the whole damn thing if need be.

Knock down the annex, build to 270P's full height (with exterior intact) and cantilever the newer structure above it.

(Someone must've telepathically received the essence of my earlier post.)

[patriotizzy]

Originally Posted by Prezrezc

Not happy.

This is the first of two 600'+ International style towers (277 Park-1962) in MidTown, and as such should be respected.

Keep it and do a ground-up job onthe annex.

How big is the annex ft^2 wise?

I don't care if it's the first of anything, it looks the same as any other 60s era building. A glass/steel box. Tear that box down and let's get something more creative or classy going.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by patriotizzy

I don't care if it's the first of anything, it looks the same as any other 60s era building. A glass/steel box. Tear that box down and let's get something more creative or classy going.

I don't see the outrage either. Of course, there would be people who complain regardless. But people also would have complained about this:

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/02/2...ww.google.com/

Chase, one of the city’s largest private employers, has long been unhappy with its aging headquarters at 270 Park Avenue. Built in 1961, it originally was home to Union Carbide. The bank currently has about 6,000 employees crammed into the 52-story tower, which was built for 3,500.

Chase has renovated the 57-year-old tower several times to make it more accommodating.

Four years ago, it went further, exploring construction of a two-towered $6.5 billion headquarters on the Far West Side of Manhattan. But a potential deal unraveled, partly because the city rebuffed a request to provide roughly $1 billion in tax breaks and cash, on top of the $600 million in property tax breaks the bank already receives.

This is a better deal for the city...

Chase is expected to buy unused development rights from nearby buildings, generating more than $40 million for public improvements to the streets, pedestrian plazas and sidewalks in the neighborhood under the new zoning plan.

[Crawford]

I bet its a full demolition, start from scratch.

It's vastly more expensive and complex to try and build within the existing structure. 425 Park only went that route because they had no other choice.

[Submariner]

Of course these assholes want to landmark some shitty, cheap box.

[NYguy]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money...nyc/358343002/

Redevelopment and construction are scheduled to start in 2019, and take roughly five years to complete, the bank and government officials said. The project is expected to create more than 8,000 construction-related jobs during the building period.

Upon completion, JPMorgan plans to consolidate employees who currently work in other New York City locations with headquarters staffers in the new tower. In all, roughly 15,000 bank employees are expected to be based in the new tower.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...15-000-workers

The House That Dimon Built: JPMorgan Plans Soaring HQ in Midtown

February 21, 2018

JPMorgan announced on Wednesday it will tear down its Park Avenue headquarters and construct a modern tower that will mark a new era for both midtown Manhattan and the lender. The monument to the success of the largest U.S. bank will set in motion a years-long logistical feat that in all likelihood will culminate just about the time that Chief Executive Officer Dimon, 61, hits retirement.

JPMorgan has remained at 270 Park Ave., a glass International-style affair completed in 1961, even as several other big banks have built flashier New York offices in recent years. The details of the design are pending, but one thing is sure: the new building will be bigger than before -- not unlike JPMorgan, which has more than doubled in size under Dimon.

The headquarters will house 15,000 of the bank’s employees and could be between 70 and 75 stories, depending on how wide its footprint is, said a person with knowledge of the company’s plans.

[Prezrezc]

Okay....

Then go sic the demo team on 277 and 245, too. I mean it.

...And FTR, not because I'm what one might call a nut-swinging fan-boy of the type of classic skyscraper architecture that seems to be finding itself increasingly unwelcome in this City, pending the fate of the first 600'+ example of it in MidTown (Isn't that worth landmarking?).

It would and will be a sad day--for me; that's a cinch--if they raze this one...Or worse, all three. If is what Mayor DeBlinkero blithely gives the name "progress", I want 1095 Sixth flayed of its woefully stultified tacky-turqioise skin and re-clad as it was...with the Bell Atlantic logo on the sumbitch.

They'd better seriously think about this. Sure, certain painful compromises have to be made oftentimes in ensuring a growing metropolis't transition to modernity; but let us for now at least consider what's on the table here: A full demo on a 707' structure. Surely no one here considers this a quick job. Also, let's let sink in the fact that this would be the tallest controlled demo of a skyscraper in NY since the Singer...612' and a year to do it.

I haven't beem this pissed about adding to MidTown since they mulled over the deservedly ill-fated exterior overhaul to 1 Astor Plaza @1515 Broadway back in '07.

"To what?", you ask?

Yep. You guessed it.

A fizzecking box. Oh...but a LEED Platinum box (!) furnished with all the latest amenities (!!) for today's Internet-driven business tenants blah blah blah and their clientelle!(!!!)......

I'm hoping fervently that the Times isn't reporting this as a fait accompli.

[streetscaper]

Originally Posted by NYguy

The House That Dimon Built: JPMorgan Plans Soaring HQ in Midtown

If the footprint of the future building is not yet known, that definitely points to a full tear down of the current building.

I say bring it on!!

[Koodoo25]

Originally Posted by Prezrezc

This is the first of two 600'+ International style towers (277 Park-1962) in MidTown, and as such should be respected.

No offense really but that's a pretty specific and arbitrary qualification for claiming this building has special historical value.

Personally, I dig it. It'll definitely make the view down Park Avenue more impressive than it already is. Plus this could play nicely with 1 Vanderbilt.

[Amanita]

I'm not happy about this, 270 and 277 are a couple of my favorites on that stretch of Park Avenue- they look like a pair of pinstriped bookends, or perhaps mates. As for 245 Park, a modern reclad could do that one some good- a modern update on what's there- perhaps bronze/copper tinted glass to replace the brown brick, and some modern terra cotta, like they're using on Steinway tower up on 57th street.

As for 277, I've read articles recently suggesting that they're doing maintenance and renovations aimed at keeping it going a good while longer. It's a beautifully maintained building.
As for 1095, if I'd had my druthers, I might have given it a blend of what it had before, and what it has now- replace those white marble pinstripes with glass similar to what was used for the reclad of First Canadian Place, and swap out that that old black glass for the green. It would still have its cool pinstripe/piano keys pattern, but with a nice modern update.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Prezrezc

Okay....

Then go sic the demo team on 277 and 245, too. I mean it.

You should make a sign and go stand in front of those buildings and call for it then.

Meanwhile, there is a very specific a serious proposal to take this one down and replace it with a larger and modern office tower that can accommodate the bank's needs under one roof. And it will be in an area of Midtown that the city is desperately trying to hold as the number one business district in the city, even as it provides room for expansion elsewhere. With all of the improvements already coming to the area, thanks to One Vanderbilt (which is really the first tower to move forward under rezoning, just a technicality) and the Eastside Access of the LIRR make this the logical place to add density. I don't hate this building, but I think the improvements (in both the new building, and area) outweigh just trying to hold on to a building just because it's old. And it Chase had decided to refurbish the building again, it would likely get a new facade like some of the other buildings are doing now anyway, so it wouldn't even look like the same building, losing the point of trying to keep it.

They say this would kick off next year, so that means the approval process (a formality) would have to kick off this year to get things in place. I'm looking forward to learning and hearing more about this proposal as it moves forward.

In the meantime, some Google Earth images...



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[NYguy]

https://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...n-NYC-Mayor-de

JPMorgan Chase CEO Dimon and NYC Mayor de Blasio Announce New, State-of-the-Art JPMorgan Chase Headquarters to Rise at 270 Park Ave

Company Will Collaborate Closely with Other Key Government Officials, Including New York City Council and Governor’s Office, to Quickly Move Process Forward

February 21, 2018

“This is our plan for East Midtown in action. Good jobs, modern buildings and concrete improvements that will make East Midtown stronger for the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who work here. We look forward to working with JPMorgan Chase as it doubles-down on New York as its international home,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo said: “New York State is the business capital of the globe, and our investments in workforce development and commercial enterprise have positioned us at the forefront of innovation and growth. JPMorgan Chase’s commitment to build their new, state-of-the-art corporate headquarters and support thousands of jobs here in New York is proof that our economic development strategies are successful, and I look forward to working with them to keep New York State’s momentum moving forward.”

The building’s modernized infrastructure and design, including 21st century systems and technology, would allow for improved business adjacencies, synergies and collaboration. Clients, shareholders and the surrounding community would benefit from this innovative project, which would also support the firm’s commitment to attracting and retaining best-in-class talent. The new building would house about 15,000 employees, replacing an outdated facility designed in the late 1950s for about 3,500 employees.

https://nypost.com/2018/02/21/jpmorg...ry-skyscraper/

No architect has been selected yet, Joe Evangelisti, a bank spokesman, told The Post.

The announcement ends a beef between Dimon and de Blasio over $1 billion in tax breaks the company wanted in exchange for building two towers on the West Side. The deal fell apart, with Hizzoner calling the subsidies a “non-starter.”

But under the Midtown East Rezoning Plan, which the de Blasio administration ushered in last year, the city will get $61.49 per square foot to fund public improvements in the area, according to the announcement.

[Eidolon]

The first of many to come in Midtown East!

[The Best Forumer]

This will fit right in.