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[Sky88]

City Planning Wants To Certify Midtown East Rezoning In April

Friday, March 1, 2013
by Jessica Dailey

At a community board task force meeting last night, the Department of City Planning revealed a lot more details about the proposed Midtown East rezoning, which, in their eyes, is basically set. Crain's reports that City Planning hopes to certify the proposal in early April to get the ball rolling on the public review process. During this same time, the Landmarks Preservation Commission will be examining the landmark potential of 32 buildings that City Planning identified in the neighborhood as worthy of preservation. Some structures that made the cut are the Graybar Building, the Yale Club, the Roosevelt Hotel, the Philip Morris building, Citicorp Center, and even the universally disliked MetLife tower.

The city also announced that it plans to sell its air rights within the district for $250/square foot. This money would go into a District Improvement Bonus (DIB), and it would be used for creating more public space and improving transportation infrastructure in the area. The first projects that would be tackled are upgrading the subway platforms on the Lexington Avenue line in Grand Central and closing Vanderbilt Avenue to vehicles to create pedestrian plazas. Private property owners took issue with the city's $250 price, saying that this could undercut the prices they set. Others worried that the price wouldn't generate enough revenue to cover the costs of public improvements.

The city is selling its air rights to encourage developers to building bigger, which is the whole point of the rezoning. More air rights will allow developers to double or triple the size of their buildings, letting some grow nearly as tall as the Empire State Building. There are some restrictions in regards to the DIB, though. Any developer who buys in would be prohibited from building residential, since the whole point is to make the city's commercial district more competitive. By 2033, City Planning expects to see 5 million more square feet of office space in the area, which stretches roughly from Fifth Ave to parts of Third and Second avenues between East 39th and East 57th Streets. That's a 5.5 percent increase from the amount that's there now.

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2013/0...april.php#more

Now the Vanderbilt site has 1,2 million of square feet. But with double of air rights (2,4 million of square feet), the tower will can be +1500 feet tall, and with triple of air rights (3,6 million of square feet) it can be much higher.

[hunser]

^ A 1700 footer with a 300 feet tall spire would be ideal, marking New York's first megatall.

[NYguy]

Expect something in the 1,400 ft range, more if they get creative with the height.

[NYguy]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-0...r-transit.html

NYC Midtown Air-Rights Sales May Raise Funds for Transit

By David M. Levitt
Mar 1, 2013

New York City’s plan to encourage taller skyscrapers around Grand Central Terminal may raise about $750 million to improve access to mass transit in the neighborhood through the sale of air rights to developers. The city would sell so-called district improvement bonuses for $250 per square foot of floor space to developers who would then be allowed to exceed building-height limits, according to a proposal by the Department of City Planning. The money would go to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to fund staircases, escalators and other improvements to subway stations in the area near the East 42nd Street rail hub.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is pushing for zoning changes to the east midtown neighborhood, which has some of the most expensive real estate in the city. The plan would allow for towers taller than the 1,046-foot (319-meter) Chrysler Building, which is a block east of Grand Central. New skyscrapers are needed to keep New York competitive with London, Shanghai and other cities that have built more modern high-rises in recent years, according to the mayor.

The funding is intended to help the neighborhood compensate for the additional congestion bigger buildings would bring, according to the plan. Along with transit improvements, some of the money would go toward making Vanderbilt Avenue, a side street just west of Grand Central and the adjacent MetLife Building, into a pedestrian plaza.

[TechTalkGuy]

The Chrysler building would have a nearby neighbor.

[NYCrules]

This should be my favourite project once it is within the possibility-realm!

[Barbarossa]

The rezoning is well worth the wait, as it gives the economy time to stabilize, vacancy rates to fall further, and interest rates to rise, giving investors more incentive to finance these projects.

They should also allow for more residential and hotel space, as they have been popular in recent years. Maybe they can make these towers mixed office and residential/hotel.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Barbarossa

They should also allow for more residential and hotel space, as they have been popular in recent years. Maybe they can make these towers mixed office and residential/hotel.

The whole idea of the rezoning is to keep the Grand Central business district just that. Residential can be built anywhere.

[Benjamin Osborne]

Could this building actually happen? If so, when? How tall? Has any actual news from a developer been announced?

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Benjamin Osborne

Could this building actually happen? If so, when? How tall? Has any actual news from a developer been announced?

It can definitely happen, but not for five years when the new zoning goes into effect. It's staggered that way to give the Hudson Yards district the early start.

That latest news is that the architects are working on the design. Besides the Hudson Yards towers, see some of their work here...
http://www.kpf.com/projectlist.asp?T=14

[Sky88]

http://gothamist.com/2013/04/19/midt...sc.php#photo-4

Midtown East's Possible Future: Skyscrapers Blocking Out The Chrysler Building

Last year, the Bloomberg administration unveiled a proposal to rezone Midtown East around Grand Central Terminal to build much bigger skyscrapers, sometimes up to 60% bigger. And without the lengthy approval process.

If passed—the city's City Planning Commission will decide whether to certify the plan on Monday, April 22—it could mean buildings as big as the Empire State Building added to the already bustling area. The city would also charge builders more to build higher buildings, and the money would go to infrastructure improvements.

Of course, there are concerns—and the Municipal Art Society of New York, the non-profit dedicated to a livable NYC, has many. In fact, the MAS (which refers to the area as "East Midtown") commissioned photo simulations of what a rezoned East Midtown could look like, based on the various details for height and setbacks regulations as well as floor area ratios in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, based on the city's February presentation. And the renderings are pretty dramatic. ...

Renderings, based on the city's February 28, 2013 presentation, created by Environmental Simulation Center for the MAS(Municipal Arts Society)










Of course these pictures are only indicative of how the towers may be. I think that the Vanderbilt project will be much higher than Empire State Building. I hope for a 2000 ft tower (1500 ft on the roof plus a 500 ft spire).

[NYC4Life]

A 2,000 footer in NYC or anywhere in the U.S. seems unlikely, especially given the FAA rules.

[Dac150]

Frankly, the Municipal Arts Society of NY's concern of view obstruction is both selfish and weak. Clearly they do not have the interest of NY's economic development in mind.

[Sky88]

Originally Posted by NYC4Life

A 2,000 footer in NYC or anywhere in the U.S. seems unlikely, especially given the FAA rules.

Well, I think that problems with FAA there are only if a tower will be over the 2000ft. And I don't think that a skyscraper of 2000ft lays serious problems for air traffic in New York. Also a tower so high would will be the one in the city.

[NYguy]

^ I wouldn't concern myself with 2,000 ft towers. You only set yourself up for disappintment, with only yourself to blame.

Originally Posted by Dac150

Frankly, the Municipal Arts Society of NY's concern of view obstruction is both selfish and weak. Clearly they do not have the interest of NY's economic development in mind.

Yeah, I saw that yesterday and was too annoyed to post it. Everyone complaining about the size of the towers conveniently leaves out that the towers really aren't as-of-right. The designs have to be iconic, and approved by City Planning.

[Zapatan]

Originally Posted by NYguy

^ I wouldn't concern myself with 2,000 ft towers. You only set yourself up for disappintment, with only yourself to blame.




Yeah, I saw that yesterday and was too annoyed to post it. Everyone complaining about the size of the towers conveniently leaves out that the towers really aren't as-of-right. The designs have to be iconic, and approved by City Planning.

Don't they technically have the right to build the cities tallest here? I thought those were the original intentions. 2000 feet obviously seems like a bit much (a lot a bit) but if they want to beat 225 w 57 they're going to have to go at least 16 or 1700

[gttx]

Originally Posted by meh_cd

I don't even want to imagine how much money that huge underground cavern would cost - if it is even possible with current technology. Talk about a literal pipe dream.

SOM advanced this idea as a conversation-starter, when asked to think big about the future of Grand Central. The East Side access is the higher of the two tunnels, with a future HSR on the bottom with all the natural light coming down into it.

A giant floating station with no columns obviously doesn't work, but then again it clearly got people talking!

Point is...keep dreaming about how awesome this station could be, but don't take these particular renderings too literally.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Zapatan

Don't they technically have the right to build the cities tallest here? I thought those were the original intentions. 2000 feet obviously seems like a bit much (a lot a bit) but if they want to beat 225 w 57 they're going to have to go at least 16 or 1700

Well, for one, this will be an office tower, not residential, where you would have a greater possibility for seeing a tower that high. BTW, all of the lots being rezoned around Grand Central are of basically equal size. The difference here is that the developers are actively seeking to build a landmark tower. So, it may or may not be the tallest of the new towers in the rezoning, but that is so far down the line, its not even worth speculating about. All we do know is that this tower is in development, and will likely be one of the tallest in Midtown.

[Roadcruiser1]

*Sarcasm on* Well they could shut up those critics by building a 2,000 foot replica of the Chrysler Building. *Sarcasm off*

[Onn]

City aims for greener midtown east towers

The City Planning Commission wants new buildings in the rezoned area to measure up to the new LEED-platinum-rated Bank of America tower on West 42nd Street.

Crain's New York Business
Daniel Geiger and Matt Chaban
22 April 2013

The more than 14 million square feet of new office skyscrapers envisioned in the new midtown east rezoning plan, whose nearly six-month approval process kicked off on Monday, will be big, state-of-the-art and very green.

The City Planning Commission, the city agency spearheading the rezoning plan, said it will require new commercial towers built under the plan to be 15% more efficient than the current building code requires.

That's about as efficient as Bank of America's more than 2-million-square-foot tower on Bryant Park, according to a City Planning spokeswoman. That spire, the city's second tallest, is regarded as one of the city's most efficient skyscrapers, having won LEED-platinum certification, a designation that indicates the highest level of sustainability.

The proposed rezoning would significantly increase the size of what can be built on a swath of midtown in the area around Park Avenue and Grand Central Terminal. The city has projected the plan could spur the construction of up to 14.5 million square feet of new development in the area, which stretches from Madison to Third avenues, between East 39th and East 57th streets.

The city will sell air rights that developers will need in order to build bigger buildings. The price is expected to be around $250 per square feet, money that the city says it will channel into pedestrian and transit improvements in the area.

The approval process for the plan kicks of Monday with public hearings scheduled. The rezoning is widely supported by the real estate community and in business circles as something that will boost the city's economy, as it competes with other urban areas around the globe. But controversies have been raised as to whether religious landmarks within the area, including St. Patrick's Cathedral and St. Bart's Church, should be allowed to sell air rights as well.

Landmarking has also become an issue as several civic groups, including the Municipal Art Society, have pushed for a long list of buildings to be excluded from potential demolition, protections that could significantly curtail the number of sites that be redeveloped in the area.

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article...TATE/130429987

Midtown East Rezoning Kicks Off

Curbed New York
Hana Alberts
22 April 2013

MIDTOWN EAST/KIPS BAY—We knew it was coming. The rezoning of a 73-block swath around Grand Central Terminal—which extends from East 39th to East 57th and spans from Second and Third avenues aaaaalmost to Fifth—officially begins today with a "public review" of the proposal. To paraphase (by a LOT), city officials want to replace outdated buildings to create more office space, beef up public areas, adjust sidewalks, improve transportation, and encourage green construction. Rezoning eastern Midtown has been a vague idea (with tons of opposition) for a long time, but now Community Boards 5 and 6 now have 60 days to review the plan before it has to be vetted by the borough president, the City Planning Commission, and the City Council. Miles to go, friends. [CurbedWire Inbox; previously]

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2013/0..._kicks_off.php