New York YIMBY: residential skyscrapers multiply in busy Big Apple.

Major Legal Victory for Two Bridges Supertall Plans

A unanimous decision by the New York Appellate Court paves the way for four towers along the waterfront in the Two Bridges neighborhood on the Lower East Side. Handed down in August, the ruling allows developers JDS Development Group, CIM Group, L+M Development Partners and Starrett Corp. to build the structures near One Manhattan Square, an 80-story residential tower (ELEVATOR WORLD, May 2018) completed in 2019. Opponents argued that One Manhattan Square’s proposed neighbors, ranging from 63 to 80 stories, required special permits and land-use-review procedures, but the Appellate Court disagreed. Along with public and infrastructure improvements, on the drawing board are a two-tower, 798-ft-tall development at 260 South Street by CIM and L+M; a 730-ft-tall tower at 259 Clinton Street (EW, September 2018) by Starrett; and a 1,008-ft-tall residential rental tower at 247 Cherry Street (EW, October 2017) by JDS.

Midtown Manhattan Supertall Getting Finishing Touches

Workers are down to the finishing touches on Midtown Manhattan’s 220 Central Park South (EW, May 2018), the source reported in September. The limestone-clad, 950-ft-tall residential tower comprising 593,000 ft2 of space will offer 118 condominiums within its 67 stories. The building was constructed at a cost of US$1.4 billion, and developer Vornado Realty is expecting a US$3.4-billion sellout, making the units among the most expensive homes in NYC. The source reported that only a few minor touches were yet to be completed on the ground floor. With its design by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, the supertall sports an exterior that absorbs natural light and gives the building a warm glow. An 18-story annex, called The Villas, features gentle setbacks and terraces reminiscent of the city’s early 20th century architecture. The building made news in January 2019 when its 16-bedroom, 17-bath penthouse that covers floors 50-53 sold for US$238 million.

WAGO Adds Motion Technologies as Solutions Provider

WAGO Corp. of Germantown, Wisconsin, announced in August that it added Motion Technologies, Inc. as its newest “solutions provider.” Based in Tempe, Arizona, Motion Technologies is a UL 508A-certified control panel shop providing solutions for turnkey applications and build-to-print OEM panels. These include car-top boxes, pit bottom switches, limit switch assemblies, pendant stations, cam switches and disconnects for elevator systems. WAGO said Motion Technologies will help with control panel design and manufacturing, programming, plasma cutting and metal fabrication.

Façade Nearly Complete on Residential Skyscraper

The dark, charcoal-colored curtain wall on 130 William Street in the Financial District (EW, August 2017) was nearly complete in September. The 66-story, 800-ft-tall residential skyscraper will bring 242 new homes to Lower Manhattan, with prices starting at US$1.3 million for a one-bedroom unit and rising to US$20 million for a four-bedroom, full-floor penthouse. The façade is distinguished by concrete-cast arches, with the top 10 floors featuring private, individual loggias on the north and south elevations. The upper mechanical section above the roof parapet was awaiting its gold-colored cladding. The tower was designed by David Adjaye of Adjaye Associates — his first NYC project — and is being developed by Lightstone, with Hill West Architects on board as architect of record. Earlier reports said the tower was scheduled for completion in 2020.

Construction Tops Out on 3 Sutton Place

Construction has topped out on 3 Sutton Place, a 62-story residential tower going up at 430 East 58th Street in Midtown East (EW, February 2016 and August 2019), the source reported in August. The slender, 847-ft-tall skyscraper, designed by Thomas Juul-Hansen, with Stephen B. Jacobs Groups as executive architect, is being developed by Gamma Real Estate. Once complete, it will offer 121 units at the site between Sutton Place South and First Avenue. The building towers over its nearby neighbors, and its vertically oriented white stone panels and floor-to-ceiling glass accentuate its height. Because it stands so tall in relation to nearby buildings, many of the residents will enjoy 360° views that include Central Park, the Midtown skyline and the Queensboro Bridge. Some will have sightlines down to Lower Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn.

A formal completion date has not been released, but observation suggests the tower will be ready for occupancy in 2021.

“Game-Changing” Brooklyn Project Eyes 2020 Completion

The Willoughby, a 34-story, mixed-use project at 196 Willoughby Street on the downtown Brooklyn campus of Long Island University, is headed toward completion by the end of this year after topping out in August. Michael Maturo, president of developer RXR Realty, described The Willoughby as “exactly the type of game-changing project that strengthens our institutions and prepares for the future, creating an economic development model to provide well-paying jobs. . . .” With an adjoining athletic field and parking for 564 vehicles, The Willoughby will contain 476 residences, plus academic and office space. Designed by Perkins Eastman, it will be served by Otis elevators, according to RXR.

Financial District Building to be Razed for New Tower

Workers in September were preparing 15 Beekman Street, a 14-story building in the Financial District, for demolition to make way for a taller, mixed-use building. Black netting and scaffolding had already been wrapped around an adjacent four-story structure at the corner of Beekman and Nassau streets, which would indicate that it, too, would be razed. Once the structures are leveled, construction is expected to begin on a 27-story, 338-ft-tall tower for Pace University. It will total 213,084 ft2, with 178,299 ft2 set aside as community space. It will also have classrooms, dormitories, a dining facility, a library and a learning center. SL Green Realty is listed on applications as the owner, and Manish Chadha of Ismael Leyva Architects is the architect of record. No renderings of the new building, which will be addressed as 126-132 Nassau Street, were available, and no construction timeline was given. The site is near the Fulton Street subway station.

“Tower A” Showing Progress as It Rises in West Chelsea

Construction crews are making progress on 601 West 29th Street, with several floors above street level at the site in Manhattan’s West Chelsea neighborhood, the source reported in September. The 58-story residential skyscraper, known as “Tower A” in a two-building development (along with 606 West 30th Street, “Tower B”), borders the Hudson Yards development. The 695-ft-tall Tower A is being designed by FXCollaborative and developed by Douglaston Development. The newest photos of the site show a reinforced concrete superstructure ascending above the horizontally extruded, L-shaped podium at the corner of West 29th Street and 11th Avenue. The building has shown good progress since July 1, when the podium floors were still being constructed.

Meanwhile, foundation work is progressing on the adjacent Tower B. Little information has been disclosed regarding home layouts and amenities, but thanks to a lack of tall structures to the immediate south, residents will have clear views of Hudson Yards, the Hudson River, the High Line and Chelsea, the Lower Manhattan skyline, and New York Harbor. The closest subway to the property is the 7 train, which is located to the northeast across the public plaza of Hudson Yards. Tower A is slated for completion in September 2023.

NEII Names New Director of Government Affairs

The National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII) has named Chelsea Chaney director of government affairs. Filling a position most recently held by Dylan Isenberg, Chaney will help the team develop industry strategy, communicate with policymakers, drive adoption of national model codes and standards and serve as a liaison to NEII members and stakeholders. Prior to joining NEII, Chaney held key positions on the staff of retiring Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kansas), most recently district director. In this role, she managed community outreach and constituent services, communicated complex legislative policy to constituents and represented the senator on a variety of issues. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Kansas.

Imprint Apartments Opening Later This Year

Imprint Apartments had fully topped out and was nearing completion at 717 S. Clark Street in Printer’s Row, the source reported in August. At 315 ft tall with 31 stories, the building is the neighborhood’s tallest. Developed by CMK Properties and designed by Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture, the glassy edifice is juxtaposed against the brick buildings typical of the neighborhood, the source added. Its 349 units are sized from studios to a three-bedroom penthouse. There are 12 duplex apartments on floors 28 and 29, and four duplex penthouse apartments on floors 30 and 31. Each rental on the upper four levels has access to a private outdoor terrace, but all tenants can access a fitness center, a library and a fifth-floor outdoor terrace. There are also a parking garage and ground-floor retail space.

Height Reduction, Setbacks Among Brooklyn Tower Tweaks

Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) concerns prompted architect FXCollaborative to tweak its design for a new residential tower at 130 Saint Felix Street and a 20,000-ft2 expansion of the historic Brooklyn Music School in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Developed by Gotham Organization, the residential tower at 130 Saint Felix Street is now planned at 265 ft tall (versus 285 ft previously), with six setbacks and a more muted masonry color scheme. With a two-story base that now “imitates the look and scale of a townhouse,” the plan won approval from the LPC on August 4. It’s unclear how many units the tower will include, but at least some will be “affordable.”

Tallest Project in Downtown San Jose Almost Complete

Finishing touches are going onto MIRO, a two-tower, 28-story, mostly residential development in downtown San Jose, California, that will be the tallest downtown, San Francisco YIMBY reported in September. Designed by Steinberg Hart partner Asheshh Saheba with a glass curtain wall and bold, alternating balconies, MIRO will offer 630 residential units of varying sizes, 15,000 ft2 of retail, 10,000 ft2 of office space and more than 50,000 ft2 of amenities, including a pool on top of a four-story podium. The development at 167 East Santa Clara Street is targeting employees in Silicon Valley, where housing is in demand. Bayview Development Group is the developer and Suffolk Construction is construction manager for the project, slated for occupancy in Spring 2021.