Towers are planned in Manhattan and Queens, and an icon’s elevator system is modernized.

Otis Modernizes Empire State Elevators, Adds Custom Glass Car

The Empire State Building was on the receiving end of some of the latest elevator technology when Otis completed installation of a custom glass elevator to carry visitors to the iconic building’s newly renovated 102nd-floor observatory in October. The installation essentially completed one of the largest and most complex modernization projects Otis, the building’s original elevator supplier, has undertaken in its 166-year history. The elevator is an Otis Gen2® unit with steel-reinforced flat belts — instead of conventional ropes — that deliver smooth, quiet operation. It travels from the 86th to the 102nd floor, treating passengers to a light show projected onto the hoistway wall, as well as a curated soundtrack. The top landing includes glass hoistway walls that complement the glassed-in observatory, which offers 360° views of NYC and beyond.

Otis installed the building’s original elevators in 1931 and, in 2011, won a contract to modernize the vertical-transportation system. Otis installed its ReGen® regenerative drives and CompassPlus® intelligent dispatching technology. In addition, Otis field professionals are onsite 24/7 to support the safe, smooth operation of the building’s elevators and escalators, which transport about 10 million people per year.

Renderings Reveal Look of New JPMorgan Chase Headquarters

In October, New York YIMBY revealed renderings that provide visual details of the new supertall headquarters for JPMorgan Chase at 270 Park Avenue in Midtown East. Designed by Foster + Partners Architects with Adamson Associates as the architect of record, the structure would be the third-tallest building in NYC, by roof height, at 1,425 ft. Before construction starts, JPMorgan’s existing, 52-story headquarters will be demolished, representing the tallest intentionally demolished building in history (ELEVATOR WORLD, September 2019). Models and a rendering show how the new structure, featuring staggered setbacks, would take its place among surrounding supertalls, including One Vanderbilt (EW, August 2019) and the thin Billionaires’ Row residential towers. The tower’s floorplates would narrow as it rises toward a roof parapet.

Permits Filed for 30-Story Tower on Lower East Side

Permits have been filed for a 30-story mixed-use building at 232 East Broadway in Manhattan. Round Square Development is the owner listed on the applications for the 333-ft-tall development, New York YIMBY reports. The steel-based structure will have 75,473 ft2 of residential space comprising 54 residences. Plans also include a cellar and a 30-ft-long rear yard.

Apartment Towers Start to Take Shape in Queens’ Hunters Point

A pair of 46- and 56-story apartment towers, which will together contain 1,197 units, is starting to take shape on the waterfront in Hunters Point, Queens, New York YIMBY reported in October. At the time, workers were pouring the fourth floor of the shorter tower at 52-41 Center Boulevard, and rebar was sprouting for the taller tower at 52-03 Center Boulevard. Designed by ODA Architecture with SLCE as architect of record, the property is being developed by TF Cornerstone. In addition to the residential units spanning 374,100 ft2, the Hunters Point South towers will yield 8,000 ft2 of community space, 850 ft2 of ground- level retail, a daycare facility and an elementary school. Completion is anticipated in winter 2022.