NEW YORK | 616 1st Ave | 470ft | 47 fl | 433ft | 37 fl | Pro

[desertpunk]

This First Avenue lot is part of a huge development site assembled by Sheldon Solow several years ago after a Con Ed power plant was demolished. The new owner, JDS Development is planning two residential towers. The architect for Solow's original condo plan was Richard Meier. That $4 billion plan was put on hold in 2009. Solow has since begun unwinding his businesses and sold this parcel to JDS. A new rental apartment plan with a new architect is to be revealed soon. The two tower scheme is fully approved.

New architect is SHoP: http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/Jo...ssdocnumber=01

No renders as of this time...



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As previously envisioned by Richard Meier:







Solow's Con Ed Site Gets The Wake Up Call!


Site at far left could be first to be developed.

Sheldon Solow, better known for building and buying glamorous properties than for selling, has tapped Studley Capital Transaction Group’s Woody Heller to sift offers for a major East Side development site.

The rare offering by Solow Realty and Development is for 616 First Ave., on the avenue’s east side between East 35th-36th streets. Solow spent years obtaining regulatory, zoning and environmental reviews.

The site overlooking the East River is now fully approved for two new towers of 37 and 47 stories with a total maximum floor area of 730,240 square feet.

“It offers the rare opportunity to develop a site with New York’s three most coveted view amenities — water, green space and skyline,” Heller said.

Solow, famed as the developer of 9 W. 57th St., also owns three contiguous blocks he plans to develop nearby, just south of the United Nations.

[...]
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/busines...#ixzz1wFQH8e7Y

I'm surprised (in a positive way) to see the east side being developed !!
This along with the development across the river is exactly what the city needs to satisfy us Skyscraper fans !!

[desertpunk]

Sheldon Solow Sells Choice East River Site To JDS: Two Towers To Rise

In one of the largest land deals in years, Sheldon Solow has reached an agreement with a consortium led by JDS Development Group to sell a parcel of land overlooking the East River for roughly $200 million, the Wall Street Journal reported. The full-block piece of land is zoned for residential use, and sources told the Journal that JDS intends to build a 37-story tower and a 47-story tower on the site, with a total of more than 830 units. The deal is being financed primarily by a $125 million loan from UBS. The parcel being sold is the smaller of two plots totaling nine acres that Solow bought in 2005 from Con Edison for $630 million.

This tract is just one part of Solow's ambitious ConEd site development south of the UN Building. The 2008 financial crisis stalled the development of high-end condos designed by Richard Meier. Sheldon Solow, who is in his 80s, has begun unwinding his interest in the site. No word on a new architect but JDS is likely to choose someone besides Meier for these two rental towers.




The ConEd site as originally envisioned:

[yankeesfan1000]

Nice to see this has a thread. Given the enormous price paid by the investors, I would think they'll want to build something sooner rather than later.

[LouDagreat]

Those buildings are horrible. Hope those aren't the final designs.

[ZZ-II]

great news! hopefully something will happen on the ConEd site finally

[wespje1990]

Originally Posted by LouDagreat

Those buildings are horrible. Hope those aren't the final designs.

its at least better then the crappy buidings that are around these new ones.

[Eric Offereins]

I think these are decent towers, they will give this area a much more modern look.

[desertpunk]

JDS To Build 800 Apartments At ConEd Site

For years, developer Sheldon Solow owned a 9.2-acre mud pit on First Avenue between 35th and 36th Streets, where he had planned to build two apartment towers. Last year, Solow finally sold the property, a former ConEd site, to JDS Development. Crain's reports that deal recently closed for $172 million, and JDS managing partner Michael Stern said that he'll be moving forward with Solow's previously approved plans. For those that don't remember, this means two big buildings: a 37-story tower and a 47-story tower that will hold a total of 800 apartments.

Most of the units will be rentals, but Stern may plop some condos at the top. An architect will be chosen within the next couple of weeks, and construction should start this summer. The project is fully financed and ready to go, since all approvals were obtained years ago by Solow.

[yankeesfan1000]

Article also mentions this is fully financed, so this should move quickly once an architect and design are chosen.

[erbse]

Ugly project, I'm sorry... Even Richard Meier didn't know how to make something of this location.

[yankeesfan1000]

We don't have designs, or renderings, as the developer hasn't even chosen an architect. So...

[desertpunk]

Richard Meier could be out since his designs were for pricey condos that aren't going to be built here. And I agree with Erbse: singularly, Meier is tolerable but in groupings his buildings lose their identity and appear sterile and vacant.

[desertpunk]

Reports of activity at the site: http://wirednewyork.com/forum/showth...l=1#post427180

[desertpunk]

New architect is SHoP: http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/Jo...ssdocnumber=01


Adios, Richard Meier starchitecture...

[Eric Offereins]

So previous designs are out of the window?

We'll keep an eye on this website then:
http://www.shoparc.com/#/projects/all