Posted Feb 6, 2013, 10:12 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Borough of Jersey
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http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20130206/REAL_ESTATE/130209946
Plan for pyramid on West 57th wins final approval
City Council gives the green light to Durst Fetner Residential's plans for a 32-story, 750-apartment residential building.
Total of 173 affordable units will be added in the area.
By Matt Chaban
February 6, 2013
Quote:
One of the most unusual apartment towers slated to rise in the city in years unanimously won the final approval of the City Council on Wednesday. Durst Fetner Residential's unusual apartment pyramid on West 57th Street won approval following an eleventh-hour deal reached last week settling a dispute over affordable housing at the project.
"The good news, which is the matra of my office and community board No. 4, is there will be, yes, by law, 35 years of income-restricted affordable housing," said City Councilwoman Gail Brewer, who represents the area.
The project, stretching the entire block between 11th Avenue and the Hudson River, will include 750 rental apartments in the ski-slope-shaped, 32-story tower designed by Danish architect, Bjarke Ingels, as well as a former industrial building with 100 additional units that will be converted into housing. This will create 173 new affordable housing units in the neighborhood. Ms. Brewer and the community board had been frustrated that the units were only affordable for 35 years, but to sell them on the project, Durst Fetner agreed to contribute $1 million into an affordable housing fund.
"We are thrilled with today's vote and are grateful to the City Council and especially Councilmember Brewer," said a Durst spokesman."Today's approval will pave the way for one of the most exciting and innovative designs to hit New York's skyline in a generation."
Durst Fetner also addressed some minor concerns about the facade on West 58th Street, which everyone from the community board to City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden have complained about as being blank for nearly an entire city block.
The reason is that is where many of the apartment pyramid's mechanical systems will be located because the building is within the FEMA flood plain for a hundred year storm, and thus they cannot be placed in the basement. At the City Planning Commission, the developer agreed to add space for art work to the facade. Now, at the urging of Ms. Brewer, there will be more greenery, as well.
"This particular corner has been a real challenge on the West Side for a long time, a corner that has not been the most beautiful of corners at all, and people would say, 'Can't we do something better with this corner?'" Council Speaker Christine Quinn said. "Thanks to the hard work of Councilwoman Brewer, now we can."
Work is already underway on excavating the lot, and move ins are expected by spring 2015.
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