NEW YORK | 200 Amsterdam Avenue | 684 FT | 51 FLOORS

[NYguy]

https://www.westsiderag.com/2020/03/...-says-opponent

Construction Continues on 200 Amsterdam Avenue; ‘It’s the Height of Arrogance’ Says Opponent





March 24, 2020
by Carol Tannenhause

Construction continues on residential buildings on the Upper West Side even as most other activity has stopped due to coronavirus-related rules.

Among the projects where work continues is 200 Amsterdam Avenue, a 668-foot-tall tower at 69th Street being developed by SJP Properties and Mitsui Fudosan America.

“Everything is quiet on the Upper West Side, except at 200 Amsterdam Avenue the elevator is going up and down!” said long-time building opponent Olive Freud. “It’s the height of arrogance.”

Last month, the developers continued building after a New York State Supreme Court judge ruled that their zoning lot is illegal and they must take down an unspecified number of already-constructed floors. Before the coronavirus hit, they were appealing that decision and it was reported they were working on the building’s crown.

Governor Andrew Cuomo’s “New York State on PAUSE” executive order went into effect on Sunday at 8 p.m, closing all “non-essential” businesses statewide, in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus. Two days before, the New York State Department of Economic Development issued guidance to assist businesses in determining whether they are essential, and for filing to attain that designation.

In the category of construction, the guidelines listed as essential are: “skilled trades such as electricians, plumbers, other related construction firms and professionals for essential infrastructure or for emergency repair and safety purposes.”

“Essential Infrastructure” is said to include: “power generation, fuel supply and transmission; public water and wastewater; telecommunications and data centers; airports/airlines; transportation infrastructure such as bus, rail, or for-hire vehicles, garages, hotels, and places of accommodation.”

“Building a luxury condominium is not essential at this time,” Freud insisted.

The mayor’s office says they won’t even shut down construction sites where someone has tested positive for the virus, according to The City news site.

“We’re not shutting locations with positive cases,” Julia Arredondo, a de Blasio spokesperson, wrote in an email. “We’ve provided guidance on how to keep people safe and sites should follow that guidance.”

SJP Properties sent the statement below, but declined to comment on the question of continued construction, referring us to the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY). REBNY has not yet responded.

SJP’s statement: “We are carefully following New York State and City guidelines and will continue to prioritize health and safety precautions on site while construction work is permitted in New York City. We deeply empathize with all workers and their families as we deal with this rapidly evolving global pandemic.”

Interesting are the comments following that piece. A few below...

WB says:
March 24, 2020 at 10:48 am

Given the financial devastation that is coming (or already here) at a local and statewide level, are opponents of this project still suggesting we should tear it down and forego the transfer taxes, mansion taxes, real estate taxes and sales tax (from local retailers)?

We are going to need to add density going forward so that we can generate additional income to refill the municipal coffers. Adding new taxes will not be palatable after everyone has taken a 30-40% hit on their household wealth.

Will says:
March 24, 2020 at 12:16 pm

I don’t understand how they could be building anything in the city right now with the risk of spreading the virus even further. Are the workers that expendable?

Rob G. says:
March 24, 2020 at 12:33 pm

Happy about this! We need to keep moving forward with some positive news during this crazy time.

Finish 200 !!! says:
March 24, 2020 at 12:41 pm
Re: “It’s the height of arrogance.”

Welcome to The Heights, Ms. Freud
You said, ““Building a luxury condominium is not essential at this time”

Sorry, but it IS essential for ONE Very Important Reason…it’s keeping these workers EMPLOYED, unlike thousands of others who are suddenly without a paycheck.

Being employed and providing for her/his family is very important to any worker…and much better than waiting for a skimpy unemployment check.

So what if they’re building a “luxury building”…it’s not as if they’re building weapons, poisons, etc.

Sherman says:
March 24, 2020 at 1:01 pm

If these construction workers are properly protected then it’s a great thing that the construction hasn’t been suspended.

I’m able to work from my apartment but not everyone is able to do this. Does Ms Freud and all these other self-appointed community leaders believe the city would be better off if these construction workers went on unemployment?

And as far as her complaints that the neighborhood should be “quiet” that’s too bad. The neighborhood is so quiet it’s depressing. I personally welcome some the noise of people working.

HARRIET says:
March 24, 2020 at 1:03 pm

That’s a tough call. I’m out of the City for now in a condominium complex in CT. The complex is in the middle of installing new roofs. The workers are thrilled to be employed. They are working outside. No one is in close proximity to another worker. We all know that ultimately that building will be completed. I think that anyone who can safely be employed should continue to work. Construction is one of those jobs that can move forward.

Mari Marasu says:
March 24, 2020 at 1:39 pm

Much of these comments sound like they’re coming from the real estate company themselves.

The bottom line is, businesses are being deemed essential vs non-essential for a REASON. That reason is to prevent the spread. The idea that these construction workers still working is being seen as a “good thing for their families” is missing the point entirely!

It sucks to not be at work and not be able to make a paycheck if you cannot work from home, but every day that idiots like these are outside, is only furthering how long these troubled times will last overall.

Woody says:
March 24, 2020 at 2:13 pm

Your comments are misinformed. Just being outside doesn’t increase the risk to anyone. It’s being in close contact with other people that increases the spread. Plenty of construction work can be performed without being in groups.

[Crawford]

Sorry, crazy NIMBYs, the developers aren't gonna stop building housing because tall buildings offend your delicate sensibilities.

[Busy Bee]

This Freud character needs to be psychoanalized.

[chris08876]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

This Freud character needs to be psychoanalized.

Instant therapy.

[Busy Bee]

Now go get your shine box...

[NYguy]

https://therealdeal.com/2020/03/27/n...-construction/

New York halts most construction
Only transit, hospital and affordable housing will continue


March 27, 2020
By Kathryn Brenzel and Sylvia Varnham O’Regan

After facing pressure from city officials and workers, the state is shutting down all construction except work on infrastructure, healthcare facilities and affordable housing.

The Empire State Development Corp. updated its guidelines Friday, saying only work on “roads, bridges, transit facilities, utilities, hospitals or health care facilities, affordable housing, and homeless shelters” will be considered essential.

The qualification is a dramatic change from the blanket exemption included in an executive order Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed last week. Under the order, employees of all non-essential businesses are prohibited from reporting to work. Now, workers on condo and commercial sites will need to stay home, unless there is emergency construction that needs to be done, i.e. work that would endanger the public if left unfinished.

Those who violate the new rules could face fines of up to $10,000.

The move comes after city officials called for a stop to all non-essential construction, arguing that workers were needlessly imperiled on some sites. Earlier this week, Mayor Bill de Blasio questioned making condo construction a priority. The governor indicated Thursday that he was considering a change to what is considered essential construction.

Some sites, including part of LaGuardia Airport and Moynihan Train Hall, have temporarily stalled work due to sick workers. SL Green Realty confirmed that one worker at One Vanderbilt had tested positive for Covid-19 Thursday but had self-quarantined since March 14. The case did not shut down work on the office tower.

Related Companies’ 50 Hudson Yards also had a worker with Covid-19, according to multiple construction professionals, though the company did not return multiple messages seeking comment on how the situation was handled.

As the pandemic intensified in New York City, construction work at several luxury condominiums continued, raising questions about whether the work should be considered “essential.”

In a statement March 18, a spokesperson for the developers behind 200 Amsterdam Avenue — a luxury 52-story tower embroiled in litigation and facing possible deconstruction — defended the decision to continue work at the site.

“We are carefully following New York State and City guidelines and will continue to prioritize health and safety precautions on site while construction work is permitted in New York City,” they said.

[chris08876]

200 Amsterdam dominating!



Credit: Drone Fanatic

[chris08876]

Construction at 200 Amsterdam Avenue Will Stop ‘By The End of This Week,’ Developer SJP Properties Says

Construction of the controversial building at 200 Amsterdam Avenue and West 69th Street will stop by the end of this week, a spokesperson for the developer SJP Properties told WSR.

“200 Amsterdam is working on final preparations to make sure the site is left safe and secure until the time when New York condominium projects are authorized to return to construction activities. We expect the site safety work to be completed by the end of this week. Security will remain on-site and there will be weekly inspections to ensure the integrity of the site.”

SJP will be one of the last companies to shut construction down. Many did so when Governor Andrew Cuomo put a “pause” on all nonessential business in the city, on March 20th, in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus. But, as we reported, some, like SJP, continued to build, to the consternation of community members, unions, elected officials, and some WSR readers, who spoke out. On March 27th, Cuomo made his directive specific and mandatory.

“We’re closing down nonessential construction sites,” he said at a press conference. “Some construction is essential to keep the place running, but nonessential construction is going to be stopped.”

Barron’s reported that by then “work at many sites had already wound down either by choice or by necessity as fewer and fewer workers showed up…amid the spread of the disease…The governor’s decision came amid mounting pressure from New York City Council members and union reps, who said thousands of laborers were putting their health and the health of others in danger for nonessential projects.”

Olive Freud, president of the Committee for Environmentally Sound Development and one of the leading opponents of 200 Amsterdam, said SJP’s delay in halting construction was “the height of arrogance…There’s no way a luxury condominium is essential at the this time.”

Other Upper West Siders also complained, both about their fear of sickness and spread, and that the noise from the site was disrupting in-home work and schooling. After Cuomo’s second announcement, we received several emails from readers saying that construction at 200 Amsterdam still had not stopped.

=========================
https://www.westsiderag.com/2020/04/...roperties-says

[NYguy]

https://therealdeal.com/2020/04/03/s...struction-ban/

Some luxury condos, office towers escape construction ban
200 Amsterdam, One Vanderbilt among sites deemed essential





April 03, 2020
By Kathryn Brenzel

SJP’s tower is one of 402 projects to receive essential status to do “emergency” work. “The majority of site safety work for 200 Amsterdam will be completed today,” a spokesperson for the developers said. According to the Department of Buildings, workers at the site are pumping water out of elevator pits to prevent electrical damage.

Certain work on SJP Properties and Mitsui Fudosan America’s 200 Amsterdam Avenue — which faces potential deconstruction after a judge ruled the 668-foot tower was about 20 stories too high — is allowed to continue after the city granted the project essential status.

SJP’s tower is one of 402 projects to receive essential status to do “emergency” work. “The majority of site safety work for 200 Amsterdam will be completed today,” a spokesperson for the developers said. According to the Department of Buildings, workers at the site are pumping water out of elevator pits to prevent electrical damage.

Other notable projects that can remain active for that reason include SL Green’s Midtown East office tower One Vanderbilt and Tishman Speyer’s twisting office tower at 66 Hudson Boulevard, known as the Spiral.

A representative for SL Green indicated that it received approval to continue work on “transit-related spaces and base building life-safety systems” at One Vanderbilt. A statement from Tishman Speyer said, “Construction work on The Spiral has stopped. We are in the final stages of securing the site and completing all of the tasks mandated by the DOB for stalled projects.”

Cuomo’s construction shutdown to curb the coronavirus pandemic was simply the latest hurdle for the developers of 200 Amsterdam. SJP and Mitsui are still waiting on the courts to decide the 52-story building’s fate after a judge ruled in February that the city erred in letting them build so high. The developers and the de Blasio administration are appealing the decision.

[chris08876]

Credit: Brett J Woodell

[NYguy]

https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/n...?adppopup=true

[NYguy]

https://nypost.com/2020/04/25/nyc-ap...versial-condo/

NYC approves ‘emergency’ construction on controversial luxury condo tower





By Isabel Vincent
April 25, 2020

Construction crews returned to work on a controversial luxury tower in Manhattan last week, less than a month after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo banned all nonessential construction during the coronavirus pandemic.

The city’s Department of Buildings granted permission to the developers of the building at 200 Amsterdam Ave. to do “emergency work.”

“To help slow the spread of COVID-19, the expert staff at the Department of Building have been hard at work implementing the Governor’s Executive Order to halt all nonessential construction in New York City,” said Andrew Rudansky, a spokesman for the DOB, adding after the ban last month the city shut down 35,000 construction sites citywide. “While the vast majority of construction sites are subject to this order, our diligent plan examiners are carefully reviewing and auditing every work application we receive to ensure that any needed essential work and necessary emergency work can still proceed during this shutdown.”

In the case of 200 Amsterdam Ave., the DOB recently approved emergency permits, citing safety concerns due to high force winds and damage to partially installed equipment and water infiltration, the spokesman told The Post.

https://www.westsiderag.com/2020/04/...m-avenue-tower

City Grants Work Permits for Embattled 200 Amsterdam Avenue Tower

Posted on April 25, 2020

“The 200 Amsterdam Avenue location was approved for additional emergency work for the issues of potential safety and health concerns due to wind forces, damage to partially installed equipment, and water infiltration of the incomplete building envelope,” the message from DOB read.

The green light from the city comes as the state has lifted restrictions on allowed construction after its virtual complete shutdown of development in March. The number of job sites allowed to continue with work ballooned sixfold from 800 on April 3 to 4,936 as of April 22, THE CITY found.

By Friday, the number of sites had increased again, to 5,091, according to the department’s list of approved projects.

The developer of 200 Amsterdam, SJP Properties, said it “will be slowly ramping up work beginning with approximately 15 workers,” increasing that number to 45 workers by next week “in order to follow appropriate social distancing protocols,” according to a construction update emailed to the Upper West Side community Wednesday.

“This represents approximately 8-10% of those typically on-site prior to the coronavirus outbreak,” the message from the developer read.

The developers said the site received permits to work on exterior walls, mechanical and electrical rooms, elevators and waterproofing.

[Zapatan]

At first I thought the article was going to say that they finally are removing the top 20 floors, thank God that's not the case.

[NYguy]

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_sPywupqRe/

[chris08876]

Credit: JC_Heights

[NYguy]

111 W. 57th laughs at tiny 200 Amsterdam, and the NIMBYs it haunts.


https://www.instagram.com/p/CANn9p9F8nV/

[NYguy]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAiHEsbDOYC/

[mrnyc]

the funniest thing about the complaints is that before the bug struck i was up there so i took a walkaround and its really a handsome building from all angles.

i mean they could have got a box.

[chris08876]

200 Amsterdam making its impact on the UWS. Red arrow denotes tower.

[NYguy]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBB7i-ghRmx/