NEW YORK | 175 Park Avenue (Grand Hyatt) | 1,575 FT | 86 FLOORS - Page 5

NYguy · #81 Posted **Feb 22, 2019, 1:34 AM**

https://www.forbes.com/sites/geoffwh.../#754213d77615

Grand Hyatt New York To Be Torn Down

Geoff Whitmore
February 21, 2019

Quote:

The Grand Hyatt was first built in 1919 as the Commodore Hotel. Constructed by the Bowman-Biltmore Hotels group as part of a complex of hotels and offices connected to Grand Central Terminal, the Commodore Hotel was meant to serve as a luxury hotel and received its name after the founder of the New York Central Railroad (NYCRR), “Commodore” Cornelius Vanderbilt. Today, visitors can see and pay tribute to the New York City railroad tycoon and the hotel’s fascinating origins.

Back then, the Commodore only had 2,000 rooms, one of which Albert Einstein stayed in for a period of three weeks in 1921. The success of the hotel resulted in a $3.4 million dollar refurbishment in the 1960s. The Commodore proved to be ahead of the hotel game, even becoming New York City’s first hotel to show in-room movies.

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However, the next decade brought financial troubles. No one knew if the hotel would close its doors permanently or sell. The answer became clear when newcomer Donald Trump struck a deal to purchase the Commodore Hotel.

On September 25, 1980, the hotel opened its pristine new doors as the Grand Hyatt New York. At first, New Yorkers hated the reflective glass façade, noting its ugliness and offensiveness to the area’s “character.”

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Despite a massive renovation in 2011, the plan to demolish the hotel is moving forward. The Grand Hyatt New York will stay open for guests until 2020.

In 2020, expect mass construction as a new 2,000,000 square-foot tower is erected. The new building (which will include a smaller hotel, office space and retail space) is being touted as a much-needed change in infrastructure to help boost the skyline’s image. However, for some, this is yet another crumbling stone in New York City’s interwoven history.

Made possible by rezoning laws, the new development will reach skyscraper levels. Other developments in the works as part of the rezoning plan include J.P. Morgan's new headquarters at 270 Park Avenue and Macklowe Properties' "Tower Fifth." In today’s fast-moving world, change is inevitable and is reaching new limits.

Busy Bee · #82 Posted **Feb 22, 2019, 1:45 AM**

Not sure why the new hotel wouldn't want to keep as many rooms. Right next to GCT is the definition of good location. Also hope the name Commodore could be resurrected for the new tower. Commodore Center...something like that.

NYguy · #83 Posted **Feb 22, 2019, 1:50 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Not sure why the new hotel wouldn't want to keep as many rooms. Right next to GCT is the definition of good location. Also hope the name Commodore could be resurrected for the new tower. Commodore Center...something like that.

I wouldn't mind if they worked "Terminal City" into the name of the tower, or reworked the development of the towers around Grand Central (Vanderbilt, Chase, Hyatt) into a new Terminal City complex.

As for the room numbers, its probably due to a limited amount of space. This will be largely an office tower on par with One Vanderbilt. The rooms will probably be more upscale as well.

chris08876 · #84 Posted **Feb 22, 2019, 3:13 AM**

2020? Hmm... that's an aggressive time table. Very nice!

Hopefully its a quick demo job and we see something rise by 2021.

NYguy · #85 Posted **Feb 23, 2019, 2:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris08876

2020? Hmm... that's an aggressive time table. Very nice!

Hopefully its a quick demo job and we see something rise by 2021.

That will give the plenty of time to cease hotel operations. In the meantime, planning will commence...

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...300792332.html

Quote:

The development team looks forward to working closely with the MTA to begin a comprehensive planning effort that will ensure that the final design will maximize benefits to their NYCT and Metro-North customers, and ultimately, Long Island Rail Road riders once the East Side Access Project is completed.

The development would be subject to City and State public review processes and work would only begin following receipt of necessary City and State approvals, completion of the design plans and the arrangement of sufficient project financing to complete its construction.

dropdeaded209 · #86 Posted **Feb 23, 2019, 8:38 AM**

whoever wrote that article shouldn't quit his day job

NYguy · #87 Posted **Feb 23, 2019, 7:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by dropdeaded209

whoever wrote that article shouldn't quit his day job

Because reading this was much more pleasant. Gotcha.

chris08876 · #88 Posted **Feb 23, 2019, 11:28 PM**

I'm hoping the future tower has a lot of rooms. Given its location, a lack of rooms relative to what its replacing would be terrible. Hotel demand is at an all time high with the booming tourism numbers that continue to swell upwards.

NYguy · #89 Posted **Feb 24, 2019, 6:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris08876

I'm hoping the future tower has a lot of rooms. Given its location, a lack of rooms relative to what its replacing would be terrible. Hotel demand is at an all time high with the booming tourism numbers that continue to swell upwards.

Ironically, there was some sort of restriction put on new hotels in the rezoning of the area, with the support of the hotel union.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-yor...rea-1403052461

NYguy · #90 Posted **Feb 26, 2019, 8:14 PM**

As we contemplate what could and should go here, I find this model fascinating...

http://bauzeitgeist.blogspot.com/2012/09/

Submariner · #91 Posted **Feb 27, 2019, 5:53 PM**

Oh I cannot wait to see this building torn down.

JMKeynes · #92 Posted **Feb 27, 2019, 9:22 PM**

Me too. I hope that the Pfizer buildings come down too. The eastern part of 42nd will finally get an upgrade from shlock to style.

I wish that Vision42 would occur. Having four lanes of east-west gridlock on 42nd Street is ridiculous.

Zerton · #93 Posted **Feb 28, 2019, 12:59 AM**

Nice model. I don;t know how people have the patience to build something so detailed.

NYguy · #94 Posted **Feb 28, 2019, 2:50 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zerton

Nice model. I don;t know how people have the patience to build something so detailed.

This model in particular is very detailed, right down to the traffic and pedestrians (I'm not sure what the cops are doing in the first pic). But it at least gives us a good overview of the area.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Submariner

Oh I cannot wait to see this building torn down.

It will be with us for another year at least. And then we can begin looking forward to the end. I put the schedule of this development about a year behind 270 Park Avenue. That one should be completely down before this one begins.

artspook · #95 Posted **Mar 3, 2019, 1:27 AM**

"the Chrysler Building has had its time in the sun"
- Zapatan

HUH ???
for starters, the grand hyatt today, looks not a thing like
the sleek-version of it in that model . .
the actual hotel's cheap bubbly glass, has grossly discolored
over the years, . . into an uneven, iridescently vomitous, cesspool color . .
But if it means replacing it with a supertall, just reclad this one . .

No freakin' way ANY building above 600 ft,
should be erected at in this location . . not that I don't Love tall towers . .
Love to have 4 or 5 Burj Dubai-type towers in Manhattan . .
but not smack dab across the narrow Lexington Av corridor from
the grandest Art-Deco crown in all the world . .
WALL IN CHRYSLER ? . . are you freaking kidding me ?

What's wrong with you guys ?
you're givin' Artspook a /%@$#& heart attack . .
NYC's Chrysler Building, definition of glorious skyline beauty, . .
diminished by some arrogant bulky Ingles-"Spiral"-like tower ?
that's real megalomaniac Insanity !!!!! . .
some moronic glass turd-box sacrilegiously looming over
a truly graceful landmark . .
whose genius shape absolutely soars like no other . .

Chrysler is ultimate sacred Skyscraper Royalty . .
2019 dictator-developers should respect that . .
not crowd-out, muscle in on, over shoot, & humiliate . .
the small handful of our Greatest vintage towers . .
Rarely can they begin to compete with them aesthetically . .
No other city has such beautiful old skyscrapers . .
Chicago some . . but no Chrysler, Empire, 70 Pine, 40 Wall . .
lets give them at least a block to shine . .

Great Art needs and deserves room to breathe . .
and that precious airspace needs our protection . .
otherwise, develop to the heavens . .

artspook · #96 Posted **Mar 3, 2019, 2:20 AM**

though, paging back, I saw a too-good-to-be-true
skyneedle picture pasted in the skyline . .
(I think it should've been positioned much closer to
Chrysler . . Lex is an extremely narrow avenue) . .
I did love the skyneedle concept . . maybe that one,
super pointy, very slim, lots of vertical setbacks,
& much taller . . Chrysler itself is a slender tower . .

but come on, guys . . what are the chances . .
a Skyneedle is pie in the sky . . if only . .
that we'll get a slimmer, taller Vanderbilt . .
or even a DeKalb . . unlikely . .
none of HY towers would even begin to jive here . .

Busy Bee · #97 Posted **Mar 3, 2019, 3:22 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zerton

Nice model. I don;t know how people have the patience to build something so detailed.

$$$

NYguy · #98 Posted **Mar 4, 2019, 4:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by artspook

though, paging back, I saw a too-good-to-be-true
skyneedle picture pasted in the skyline . .
(I think it should've been positioned much closer to
Chrysler . . Lex is an extremely narrow avenue) . .
I did love the skyneedle concept . . maybe that one,
super pointy, very slim, lots of vertical setbacks,
& much taller . . Chrysler itself is a slender tower . .

but come on, guys . . what are the chances . .
a Skyneedle is pie in the sky . . if only . .
that we'll get a slimmer, taller Vanderbilt . .
or even a DeKalb . . unlikely . .
none of HY towers would even begin to jive here . .

Lexington Avenue isn't that narrow, and Chrysler has setbacks. This tower should have setbacks as well or at least will taper (all due to zoning). But in either case, it would be no different from the rest of the canyons of Manhattan.

NOPA · #99 Posted **Mar 5, 2019, 1:52 AM**

No tear shed for Trump's first NYC development (the trash glass is a dead giveaway).

As for the room count, I don't think modern hotels are built to that size anymore. Would love to understand why but it seems like a thing of the past.

NYguy · #**100** Posted **Mar 5, 2019, 3:59 PM**

There's a Park Hyatt at One57. Maybe they can upgrade here, and then you could get a view of the Chrysler similar to views like this one at the Park Hyatt Shanhai...

https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/ch...i/shaph/dining

http://www.exclusifvoyages.com/en/pa...al-center-3-2/

But this is going to be primarily an office building, so most of the space logically will be devoted to that.