Manhattan sees a major completion and contract, with more tall buildings in the pipeline.

Landmark Observation Deck, Served by Otis Elevator, Opens

Edge, the highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere at 1,100 ft, opened in March on the 100th floor of the 30 Hudson Yards office building, which has a trapezoidal design by Kohn Pedersen Fox that tilts toward the Hudson River, various news outlets, including CNN, reported. The 101-story 30 Hudson Yards is part of Related/Oxford Property Group’s 28-acre Hudson Yards megadevelopment on Manhattan’s far West Side. With adult ticket prices starting at US$38, the observation deck is surrounded by 3,000 ft2 of glass formed into 79 panels leaning out over the city, providing 360˚ views including the Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty. In the center of the deck is a triangular glass section where those not averse to heights may stand to “watch the cars moving below like ants.”

30 Hudson Yards is served by an Otis vertical-transportation system that includes 56 SkyRise® elevators. Among these are two double-deck SkyRise lifts that carry visitors to Edge in approximately 56 s. Like at One World Observatory, the ride is experiential. The source observed:

“To prepare visitors for what they’re about to see, the elevator ride doubles as a mini cinema experience. Turn your back to the doors, and watch as the elevator walls come alive, as screens of NYC’s famous landmarks are built from the ground up via animated sketches that transform into sharp photographic images. ‘As the elevator nears level 100, clouds replace the city view, and visitors feel as though they are in the sky as the elevator doors open,’ [said a press release]. The return trip, also less than 1 min long, features a different show, this time starting with clouds and taking guests on an immersive walk on the High Line before ultimately delivering them to the front of Vessel’s entrance.”

To get an idea of the experience, visit this month’s Online Extras at www.elevatorworld.com for three videos courtesy of Related/Oxford Properties Group.

One of NYC’s Largest Hotels This Decade Coming to Times Square

A 34-story, 974-room hotel, one of the largest in NYC this decade, is set to debut in Times Square in winter 2022, New York YIMBY reported in March. Prolific local hotel players McSam Hotel Group and Gene Kaufman Architect are behind the project at 150 West 48th Street in Midtown. The design features floor-to-ceiling windows and a metal façade of brown, gray and black panels. Within its 300,000 ft2 will be hotel rooms, a ground-floor restaurant, a bar and a lounge. McSam bought the multiacre property from The Rockefeller Group for US$140 million in October 2019, and construction is underway.

EID, Schindler to Create Custom Cabs for Hard Rock Hotel

Elevator Interior Design (EID) has been enlisted by Schindler to create custom elevator cabs for the 35-story Hard Rock Hotel under construction near Times Square at 159 West 48th Street (ELEVATOR WORLD, April 2019), EID announced in March. Designed by Berg + Moss Architects and developed by Extell, the hotel will be served by elevators outfitted with EID’s proprietary wall-panel system using woven wire from Cambridge Metals and laminated glass form McGrory Glass. Since the Schindler door-panel, return-panel and transom finishes are limited to satin stainless steel, EID will face the entire front cab walls with Forms + Surfaces’ fused metal treated with fingerprint-resistant CeramilocTM.

Up-to-990-Ft-Tall Tower at South Street Seaport Envisioned

Howard Hughes Corp. enlisted Skidmore Owings and Merrill (SOM) to create a master plan for a lot at 250 Water Street in Lower Manhattan’s historic South Port Seaport that includes a potentially 990-ft-tall residential tower, Curbed New York reported in March. A version being “most seriously considered,” according to the source, involves dual towers. To make it happen, Howard Hughes will have to get the green light from the NYC Economic Development Corp. to transfer more than 700,000 unused development rights, which would change current zoning allowing for buildings of only about 12 stories. In addition to a “series of onerous reviews,” the developer would have to make improvements to the district that include a new six-story, 30,000-ft2 building for the South Street Seaport Museum and a new 75,000-ft2 New Market building. SOM said the plan would enhance the flood resiliency of the district, hit hard by Hurricane Sandy.

Coronavirus Cancellations, Reschedulings

ELEVATOR WORLD has been the vertical-transportation industry’s source for news and information for 67 years, and we aim to continue to be during the coronavirus pandemic affecting readers, advertisers, employees, contributors and associates around the world. Unfortunately, quarantine and social distancing efforts have affected the following industry events in the U.S.:

• The 2020 National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC) Spring Educational Conference, planned in Charleston, South Carolina, for April 19-22, has been canceled. NAEC members are to receive further information about registration and refunds as it becomes available.
• The Elevator Contractors of New York (ecnyweb.com) Supplier Showcase has been rescheduled to October 22. The event will be held at the Villa Barone Manor in Bronx, New York.
• BuildingsNY 2020 (www.buildingsny.com) will be postponed until June 17-18 at the Javits Center in Manhattan, New York. Organizers said all registrations for the tradeshow will be honored and that there is no need to reregister.
• The Massachusetts Elevator Safety Association (MESA) has announced the suspension of its April and May meetings. Further information will be sent via email blasts to its membership as circumstances change. Visit “Daily News” at www.elevatorworld.com and subscribe to ELENET for updates. For affected international events, see p. 30.

NEII Updates Members, Industry on Coronavirus

The National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII) told its members in March that it is actively engaged to ensure elevator work continues. There were no known jurisdictions restricting elevator companies from performing ongoing preventive maintenance, callbacks, responses to entrapments or shutdowns of elevators and escalators as of March 20, it said, adding:

“As more and more cities, states and other jurisdictions implement restrictions on activities, NEII is working to ensure that all elevator work is deemed to be ‘essential’ in all buildings, regardless of whether the building or business is defined as an essential service.

“The NEII team has connected with the federal government, all states and many other AHJs to ensure critical elevator work is allowed to continue as the country strives to manage the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). We have also reviewed every executive order and other policy directives available to assess the impact on elevator work and other related activities.”

However, a few jurisdictions had changed policies on inspections, with Georgia no longer conducting them, Maryland suspending acceptance inspections and Ohio suspending annual inspections. Manufacturing was suspended in Pennsylvania. NEII is updating a page (bit.ly/3blFmDu) on its website with details and updates for each state as new information is obtained. Likewise, Stateside Associates, the legislative and regulatory tracking service NEII uses for advocacy support, is updating its page for the pandemic (bit.ly/39gFpPw) daily with state and local government responses.

NEII has also developed safety/hygiene tips for the riding public (bit.ly/3ahuBSw) and facility managers (bit.ly/2y6hTbn), which it encourages companies to download and/or share to pass along to customers. Finally, its annual membership meeting, originally scheduled for April 22, has been postponed. Rescheduling for late summer or fall is likely. The organization said to not hesitate to contact its staff with any questions at info@ neii.org.