NEW YORK | 225 West 57th Street | 472m | 1550ft | 88 fl | Prep - Page 3

RobertWalpole · August 2nd, 2011, 12:37 AM

http://www.observer.com/2011/08/expl...th-tire-tower/

Explosive Extell Demoing West 57th Tire Tower
By Matt Chaban 12:40pm
Riverside South and One57. Which can we expect for Broadway? (Extell)
Gary Barnett continues to bulldoze his way across the city. Just last week, his Extell Development unveiled plans for a new tower at Riverside South; found a partner for a stalled 50-story hotel near Times Square; and secured $700 million in financing from Abu Dhabi toward One57, the condo-hotel tower on West 57th Street that will be the tallest, and likely most expensive, when it is completed. As if that were not enough, the developer has begun work just down the block on another of its long-simmering projects.

At the corner of Broadway and 57th Street, Extell has plans for yet another soaring tower; it will be either commercial or residential, an official decision has not been made. That has not kept the developer from moving ahead with demolition of some of the buildings it owns on the site, a controversial task since Extell fought off an effort by the Landmarks Preservation Commission to preserve two of the structures in 2009.

Extell assembled the T-shaped plot last decade and then took out a $256 million mortgage on it, leading to quite a bit of consternation when the commission unexpectedly decided 1780 Broadway and 225 West 57th Street were worth saving. Once owned by B.F. Goodrich, they are part of a stretch of Jazz Age dealerships known as Automobile Row. In the end, the commission brooked a contentious deal to save 1780 Broadway while allowing 225 West 57th Street to be torn down.

The site, like so many others at the moment, had lain fallow through the downturn but has now reawakened. Between February and June of this year, Extell filed a series of demolition permits for various buildings on 57th and 58th streets, which the Department of Buildings approved last month. One of those buildings is now coming down, with others to follow. “We’re doing salvage work on the interiors of 217 and 221 West 57th and then start this week to take down the three-story 217 floor by floor,” an Extell spokesman said in an email last week.

The spokesman would not disclose whether the project had financing, but that has not stopped Extell before. Demolition commenced years before construction started on either the One57 site or the International Gem Tower in the Diamond District, and both began construction using only Extell’s equity. As shown at One57, this strategy allowed the developer to act faster because Mr. Barnett did not need to wait for the wrecking ball, and his construction progress helped attract investors, a particularly challenging prospect during the current economic malaise.

Extell also declined to discuss an architect or designs for the 57th and Broadway project, which brings the story back to Riverside South.

For years, Mr. Barnett was known for developing rather pedestrian buildings in line with the man he replaced on that redoubt overlooking the Hudson, Donald Trump. More recently, he has striven for greater architectural ambition, hiring SOM for the International Gem Tower and KPF for the aborted World Commerce Centre. Meanwhile, notable firms such as Lucian LeGrange and FXFowle have been designing some of his residential projects.

Perhaps no architect has benefited more than Christian de Portzamparc, the French Pritzker Prize winner who had built nothing in the city besides the LVMH headquarters a decade ago, with few buildings to his name elsewhere. Now, Mr. Barnett has become his biggest patron, tapping Mr. de Portzamparc not only for One57 but also for Riverside Center, the five-tower complex that is the final piece of the Riverside South puzzle. Extell won a tough rezoning fight for the project last year.

Now that Mr. Barnett has turned to Goldstein Hill & West Architects, a firm best known for working with Costas Kondylis on some of the city’s blander buildings, for the final Riverside South tower that is not a piece of Mr. de Portzamparc’s plan, it raises the question of what sort of designs New Yorkers can expect at 57th Street and Broadway. Will it be another Pritzker-worthy prize, or has Extell returned to more pedestrian fare?

mchaban [at] observer.com | @MC_NYC

Eric Offereins · August 2nd, 2011, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingsc

Well see. And I'm sure we won't see the design, till the last minute.

Why are they so secretive about their designs?

Don't you need to hand over designs when you want building permits?

***desertpunk*** · August 2nd, 2011, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric Offereins

Why are they so secretive about their designs?

Don't you need to hand over designs when you want building permits?

Developers love the drama and marketing buzz from big reveals staged at press conferences. Having their designs leaked out beforehand spoils the effect.

kingsc · August 3rd, 2011, 04:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric Offereins

Why are they so secretive about their designs?

Don't you need to hand over designs when you want building permits?

I'm sure they think if they keep it to themselves, the NIMBY won't have a chance to kill it. Maybe all the need is blueprints for permits, I don't know.

DinoVabec · August 7th, 2011, 11:44 AM

August 6th, Dan Burnett..

RobertWalpole · August 7th, 2011, 12:03 PM

Good news. Yet another 300m+ tower is on the way!

dutchsnookerfan · August 7th, 2011, 02:21 PM

Where are the renders?

RobertWalpole · August 7th, 2011, 02:34 PM

We're still waiting for renderings of this project and The Drake.

RobertWalpole · August 9th, 2011, 11:32 PM

I walked by on 9 Aug. 2011, and they were busy taking down 217 W57th. Also, a crew was erecting the sidewalk bridge for the demolition of 220 W58th.

Since NYC is sprouting supertalls like weeds these days, I look forward to another one!

More demo docs were filed with the DOB on 8 Aug. and 9 Aug.

http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/Jo...ssdocnumber=01

http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/Wo...70&requestid=2

Kanto · August 10th, 2011, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobertWalpole

Good news. Yet another 300m+ tower is on the way!

So this'll be a supertall? I'd say it should be moved into the proposed supertalls sub forum then

RobertWalpole · August 10th, 2011, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kanto

So this'll be a supertall? I'd say it should be moved into the proposed supertalls sub forum then

It's being built by the developer of One57, and it has a lot more air rights, as of right. Therefore, it should be at least 350m.

aarhusforever · August 10th, 2011, 12:44 AM

Oh boy, if this really turns out to be yet another supertall i Sin City, i'm just gonna do a backflip

Nice to see, that NYC still is #1 in the world, when it comes to tall buildings...now and forever. GO NEW YORK!!!

Greetings to all in NY from Aarhus in EU.

Kanto · August 10th, 2011, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobertWalpole

It's being built by the developer of One57, and it has a lot more air rights, as of right. Therefore, it should be at least 350m.

Pure awesomeness

Dirty new yorker · August 10th, 2011, 04:20 AM

It doesnt mean anything to me until it's actually u/c
And if this is built I will be pumped

Rubba · August 10th, 2011, 08:36 PM

Will get me pumped too!!...I love the skyline and this just added more supertalls the bunch

bennyboo · August 11th, 2011, 01:36 PM

i want a render!! D:

RobertWalpole · August 15th, 2011, 09:57 PM

I walked by on 15 Aug. 2011 and observed that demolition is proceeding rapidly at the various properties that comprise the site of Extell's other planned supertall located at 225 W 57th.

The scaffolding covers 4 of the approx. five floors of the exterior of 220 W58th.

600West218 · August 15th, 2011, 10:50 PM

Yeah, but the grocery store shows no signs of moving. What is that about?

RobertWalpole · August 15th, 2011, 11:01 PM

From the perspective of a casual observer, T&A shows no sign of leaving 42 E57th at The Drake site, and yet they're relocating. The grocery store will be gone by the time 221 W57th and 220 W58th come down.

rencharles · August 16th, 2011, 12:54 AM

Thanks for the information Robert.

August 7th, 2011, 11:44 AM	#45
DinoVabec Worldwide Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: In the clouds Posts: 5,783 Likes (Received): 94	August 6th, Dan Burnett.. __________________ Visit world of architecture on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest New York - Miami - Chicago - Las Vegas - San Francisco - Los Angeles There are two rules for success: 1. Never tell everything you know. -Roger H. Lincoln

August 7th, 2011, 02:21 PM	#47
dutchsnookerfan Registered User Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: very far from skyscrapers Posts: 1,311 Likes (Received): 0	Where are the renders? __________________ London-Paris 2 Cities in balance historic monuments and skyscrapers working together!

August 10th, 2011, 12:44 AM	#52
aarhusforever EU citizen Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Aarhus/Europe Posts: 3,955 Likes (Received): 874	Oh boy, if this really turns out to be yet another supertall i Sin City, i'm just gonna do a backflip Nice to see, that NYC still is #1 in the world, when it comes to tall buildings...now and forever. GO NEW YORK!!! Greetings to all in NY from Aarhus in EU. __________________ EUROPE - many states - one nation Aarhus - the second largest city in Denmark Aarhus...my Aarhus

August 10th, 2011, 04:20 AM	#54
Dirty new yorker Registered User Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 576 Likes (Received): 0	It doesnt mean anything to me until it's actually u/c And if this is built I will be pumped __________________ 24/7 NY state of mind

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August 2nd, 2011, 12:37 AM	#41
RobertWalpole SSP is provincial! Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 3,389 Likes (Received): 157	http://www.observer.com/2011/08/expl...th-tire-tower/ Explosive Extell Demoing West 57th Tire Tower By Matt Chaban 12:40pm Riverside South and One57. Which can we expect for Broadway? (Extell) Gary Barnett continues to bulldoze his way across the city. Just last week, his Extell Development unveiled plans for a new tower at Riverside South; found a partner for a stalled 50-story hotel near Times Square; and secured $700 million in financing from Abu Dhabi toward One57, the condo-hotel tower on West 57th Street that will be the tallest, and likely most expensive, when it is completed. As if that were not enough, the developer has begun work just down the block on another of its long-simmering projects. At the corner of Broadway and 57th Street, Extell has plans for yet another soaring tower; it will be either commercial or residential, an official decision has not been made. That has not kept the developer from moving ahead with demolition of some of the buildings it owns on the site, a controversial task since Extell fought off an effort by the Landmarks Preservation Commission to preserve two of the structures in 2009. Extell assembled the T-shaped plot last decade and then took out a $256 million mortgage on it, leading to quite a bit of consternation when the commission unexpectedly decided 1780 Broadway and 225 West 57th Street were worth saving. Once owned by B.F. Goodrich, they are part of a stretch of Jazz Age dealerships known as Automobile Row. In the end, the commission brooked a contentious deal to save 1780 Broadway while allowing 225 West 57th Street to be torn down. The site, like so many others at the moment, had lain fallow through the downturn but has now reawakened. Between February and June of this year, Extell filed a series of demolition permits for various buildings on 57th and 58th streets, which the Department of Buildings approved last month. One of those buildings is now coming down, with others to follow. “We’re doing salvage work on the interiors of 217 and 221 West 57th and then start this week to take down the three-story 217 floor by floor,” an Extell spokesman said in an email last week. The spokesman would not disclose whether the project had financing, but that has not stopped Extell before. Demolition commenced years before construction started on either the One57 site or the International Gem Tower in the Diamond District, and both began construction using only Extell’s equity. As shown at One57, this strategy allowed the developer to act faster because Mr. Barnett did not need to wait for the wrecking ball, and his construction progress helped attract investors, a particularly challenging prospect during the current economic malaise. Extell also declined to discuss an architect or designs for the 57th and Broadway project, which brings the story back to Riverside South. For years, Mr. Barnett was known for developing rather pedestrian buildings in line with the man he replaced on that redoubt overlooking the Hudson, Donald Trump. More recently, he has striven for greater architectural ambition, hiring SOM for the International Gem Tower and KPF for the aborted World Commerce Centre. Meanwhile, notable firms such as Lucian LeGrange and FXFowle have been designing some of his residential projects. Perhaps no architect has benefited more than Christian de Portzamparc, the French Pritzker Prize winner who had built nothing in the city besides the LVMH headquarters a decade ago, with few buildings to his name elsewhere. Now, Mr. Barnett has become his biggest patron, tapping Mr. de Portzamparc not only for One57 but also for Riverside Center, the five-tower complex that is the final piece of the Riverside South puzzle. Extell won a tough rezoning fight for the project last year. Now that Mr. Barnett has turned to Goldstein Hill & West Architects, a firm best known for working with Costas Kondylis on some of the city’s blander buildings, for the final Riverside South tower that is not a piece of Mr. de Portzamparc’s plan, it raises the question of what sort of designs New Yorkers can expect at 57th Street and Broadway. Will it be another Pritzker-worthy prize, or has Extell returned to more pedestrian fare? mchaban [at] observer.com \| @MC_NYC

August 7th, 2011, 12:03 PM	#46
RobertWalpole SSP is provincial! Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 3,389 Likes (Received): 157	Good news. Yet another 300m+ tower is on the way!

August 7th, 2011, 02:34 PM	#48
RobertWalpole SSP is provincial! Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 3,389 Likes (Received): 157	We're still waiting for renderings of this project and The Drake.

August 9th, 2011, 11:32 PM	#49
RobertWalpole SSP is provincial! Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 3,389 Likes (Received): 157	I walked by on 9 Aug. 2011, and they were busy taking down 217 W57th. Also, a crew was erecting the sidewalk bridge for the demolition of 220 W58th. Since NYC is sprouting supertalls like weeds these days, I look forward to another one! More demo docs were filed with the DOB on 8 Aug. and 9 Aug. http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/Jo...ssdocnumber=01 http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/Wo...70&requestid=2

August 10th, 2011, 08:36 PM	#55
Rubba Registered User Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 72 Likes (Received): 0	Will get me pumped too!!...I love the skyline and this just added more supertalls the bunch

August 11th, 2011, 01:36 PM	#56
bennyboo Registered User Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: seattle Posts: 486 Likes (Received): 5	i want a render!! D:

August 15th, 2011, 09:57 PM	#57
RobertWalpole SSP is provincial! Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 3,389 Likes (Received): 157	I walked by on 15 Aug. 2011 and observed that demolition is proceeding rapidly at the various properties that comprise the site of Extell's other planned supertall located at 225 W 57th. The scaffolding covers 4 of the approx. five floors of the exterior of 220 W58th.

August 15th, 2011, 10:50 PM	#58
600West218 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,298 Likes (Received): 204	Yeah, but the grocery store shows no signs of moving. What is that about?

August 15th, 2011, 11:01 PM	#59
RobertWalpole SSP is provincial! Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 3,389 Likes (Received): 157	From the perspective of a casual observer, T&A shows no sign of leaving 42 E57th at The Drake site, and yet they're relocating. The grocery store will be gone by the time 221 W57th and 220 W58th come down.

August 16th, 2011, 12:54 AM	#60
rencharles We will never forget Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 476 Likes (Received): 0	Thanks for the information Robert.