ELEVATOR WORLD New York Newsletter

Volume 32 | January 2021

ELEVATOR WORLD New York is EW's free monthly newsletter focusing on vertical-transportation news in the Greater New York Region. Contact the EW Editorial Department to submit news or the EW Advertising Department to advertise and reach more than 2,700 subscribers in the New York area.

January 2021

SUPERTALL PLAN INVOLVES MADISON SQUARE GARDEN RELOCATION

The New York City Council agreed in January to move forward with Garden City, a massive plan to relocate Madison Square Garden between two new supertalls of unspecified height in Midtown Manhattan, New York YIMBY reports. Including two shorter buildings, the plan was initially proposed by Vishaan Chakrabarti, founder of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU), in 2016. Illustrated by an array of renderings, the latest iteration includes preserving the cylindrical shape of Madison Square Garden but removing several floors, recladding the façade with a double-skin curtain wall and adding entryways. The venue would move to an eight-acre site bound by Sixth Avenue to the east, West 32nd Street to the south, Seventh Avenue to the west and West 34th Street to the north. Despite no heights being given, the source observed the supertalls "would easily eclipse the height of the Empire State Building and 30 Hudson Yards." No construction timeline was provided; rendering by PAU.

PERMIT PROPOSES 70-STORY TOWER ON FIFTH AVENUE

A permit has been filed to build a 70-story mixed-use tower in Midtown Manhattan, on a site previously speculated for a taller design, New York YIMBY reported on January 7. Rabina Properties, listed as the owner behind the permit, seeks to build an 896-ft-tall skyscraper at 520 Fifth Avenue that would hold 523,188 ft²: 353,196 ft² set for commercial use, and 169,992 ft² holding 98 residences. Kohn Pedersen Fox is listed as the architect of record. Plans for the site in 2019 showed a rendering of a 76-story, 920-ft-tall glass tower, with Ceruzzi Properties and SMI USA developing a mixed-use building that would include retail space and a 208-room hotel. The rendering by Handel Architects was being referred to as the first building on Fifth Avenue to rise above 900 ft. No construction timeline was reported; rendering by Handel Architects.

ONE OF CITY’S TALLEST OBSERVATORIES PROGRESSES IN MIDTOWN

The Summit observatory at the 77-story, 1,401-ft-tall office tower One Vanderbilt in Midtown is continuing to take shape ahead of projected completion in October 2021, New York YIMBY reported in December 2020. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and developed by SL Green with a Schindler vertical-transportation system, One Vanderbilt opened in September 2020 and is more than 70% leased. Likely to include a restaurant or bar, The Summit will join other publicly accessible areas at One Vanderbilt such as a 14,000-ft² pedestrian plaza along Vanderbilt Avenue, a 4,000-ft² public-transit hall and Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant access paths to rail stations. One Vanderbilt’s “horizontal strips of terracotta wedged between floor-to-ceiling glass panels stretch across each floorplate and easily catch the bright sunlight between passing clouds,” the source observes. Clearer glass panels around the structure’s first tapering setback mark the location of The Summit, which will be the second-tallest observatory in NYC; photo by Michael Young for New York YIMBY.

NATIONAL ELEVATOR CAB & DOOR RELOCATES TO BNY

National Elevator Cab & Door Corp. (NECD) has relocated from Woodside, Queens, to 64,000 ft² of renovated space in the historic Brooklyn Navy Yard (BNY), NECD announced earlier this month. NECD was founded in Manhattan in 1929, moving to Woodside in 1967. The new BNY location boasts ceiling heights of 16-40 ft and spans the first two floors of Building 22 and the entirety of Building 12B, "allowing for ample social distancing," said NECD President John Farella. Third-generation NECD owner Jeff Friedman said the company is "excited to add its 91 years of rich history to that of the BNY."

CENTRAL PARK TOWER CONSTRUCTION SET TO WRAP UP

Central Park Tower, the tallest building by roof height in the Western Hemisphere and tallest residential skyscraper in the world, is nearly complete and should be open sometime this year, New York YIMBY reported in December 2020. The landmark, at 217 West 57th Street in Midtown Manhattan, is a glass supertall lording over Billionaires' Row. With 179 condominiums, developer Extell expects the 1,550-ft-tall tower to bring a US$4-billion sellout. The latest photos show the building, designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill, lacks only minor work remaining around the crown, with an exterior hoist still attached but the construction crane completely removed. The adjacent Nordstrom flagship store at West 57th Street and Broadway is open to the public, even as construction work continues. Central Park Tower's residential entrance is on West 58th Street, next to the hoist. Once it's removed, that section of the glass curtain wall will be completed.

Central Park Tower, pictured in December 2020; photo by Michael Young for New York YIMBY

MTA COMMITS TO INSTALL 17 ELEVATORS

The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) is proceeding with plans to add elevators at several train stations, THE CITY reported in December 2020. While COVID-19 has been blamed for the stalling of planned accessibility upgrades at more than 50 other stops, the agency tapped federal grant money that had to be used in 2020 to install 17 elevators. Grant money that had been planned to route Metro-North trains into Penn Station will instead go toward accessibility in Queens (Beach 67th Street), the Bronx (East 149th Street), Manhattan (Dyckman Street), Brooklyn (7th Avenue, Grand Street and Metropolitan Avenue/Lorimer Street) and Staten Island (New Dorp).

The lack of funding for the authority's US$51-billion capital plan has been held by "the constraints of this incredible financial crisis on all of our huge priorities,” MTA Chief Development Officer Janno Lieber explained. While these latest installations with a 15-year maintenance contract will cost US$161 million, that figure is a savings of more than $400 million from MTA's initial projection. The source said the reason is that MTA has chosen machine-room-less elevators that will not require excavation and underground utility relocation. Construction on the first two elevators is set to begin as soon as May.

MOYNIHAN TRAIN HALL AT PENN STATION UNVEILED MIDTOWN

Gov. Andrew Cuomo cut the ribbon on December 31, 2020, to welcome the new Moynihan Train Hall, the centerpiece of a US$1.6-billion transit complex in the James A. Farley Post Office building in Midtown, one block east of Penn Station, various outlets, including the New York Post, reported. Boasting a 92-ft-tall, vaulted skylight with 2,000 steel-and-glass panels, the 255,000-ft² facility serves Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak passengers. Together, the train hall and Penn Station provide 50% more space than Penn Station alone. A food hall and stores are scheduled to open this fall, according to NY 1. The brainchild of the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the station between Eighth and Ninth avenues and West 31^st and 33^rd streets has been in the works for nearly 30 years. The project has been shepherded by Cuomo since before ground was broken in 2017. KONE provided equipment, including escalators, for the project; photo by KONE Escalator Installation Expert Gerry Matawa.

DEMOLITION TO MAKE WAY FOR MIDTOWN TOWER CONTINUES

Demolition is continuing to make way for a commercial tower, New York YIMBY reported in December 2020. The 672-ft-tall, 52-story tower designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill will bring residential, retail and hotel space to the site at 12 West 57th Street in Midtown Manhattan. Preliminary renderings show a slender black glass structure above a white glass and marble podium. Site preparation calls for the demolition of three buildings, with one that had already been razed. The building will have 80 residences spread across 202,738 ft², plus 180,396 ft² dedicated to the hotel and retail use. The project is being developed by Sheldon Solow of Solow Management Corp., who filed permits in 2019. No construction timeline has been announced.

GRAND CENTRAL SUBWAY ENTRANCES UNVEILED

Schindler tells ELEVATOR WORLD it provided five 9700 escalators and three elevators for the new entrances to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) Grand Central-42nd Street subway station at One Vanderbilt, a 67-story office supertall developed by SL Green and designed by Kohn Pederson Fox in Midtown Manhattan. The elevators are by Mongrain Vertical Transport with CEC Elevator Cab Corp. cabs and entrances. MTA and SL Green held a grand opening for the subway entrance in December 2020, reported by outlets including Mass Transit, which pointed out SL Green invested US$220 million in the new entrances. They will ease access to the 4, 5, 6, 7 and S subway lines and the Metro-North Railroad from one of MTA's busiest subway stations. MTA President of Construction & Development Janno Lieber described the project as an "example of how the MTA is leveraging private investment for public improvement," with entrances served by escalators and Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant elevators. Schindler also provided the vertical-transportation equipment for One Vanderbilt.

Lower level of direct street entrance to the Grand Central Station subway at One Vanderbilt; photo courtesy of Stantec, which provided design and engineering of the transit-related improvements

RENDERINGS OF THE SET SHOW GOTHIC INSPIRATION

Artist's conception of The Set in Hudson Yards; rendering by Handel Architects

New renderings of The Set, a residential tower under construction at 451 Tenth Avenue in Hudson Yards, show a 45-story, 587-ft-tall reinforced concrete skyscraper inspired by Gothic cathedrals, New York YIMBY reported on January 4. The design, by Handel Architects, emphasizes a vertical style that includes curved terracotta panels between floor-to-ceiling windows. The renderings project the exterior elements in light gray and bronze colors, although the source suggests that the final color mix of the outside may change. A diagram shows the tower will include residential units, as well as senior living accommodations. The number of residential units was not reported, though they will be market-rate rental homes. While the structure has already risen several floors above street level, no construction timeline was given, though the source said completion is likely in 2022. The developer is Related Cos.

CITY COUNCIL APPROVES HUGE FLUSHING DEVELOPMENT

The City Council has approved a US$2-billion waterfront development in Flushing, Queens, New York YIMBY reported in December 2020. The plan calls for a huge mixed-use project with residential, commercial retail space, offices and hotel facilities. Renderings show multiple towers at least 20 stories tall. The master plan, by Hill West Architects, is set to take shape on a 29-acre plot on Flushing Creek, with upgraded public waterfront access. The project is envisioned as a development that will make Flushing a destination, while creating numerous jobs. It would total 1,725 housing units, 400,000 ft² of office and community space, 287,000 ft² for retail and 687,250 ft² for hotel space. A development partnership of United Construction & Development Group, F&T Group and Young Nian Group is behind the project.

Citing Bisnow, the report said the project was approved by the Committee on Land Use and the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, on the condition that an agreement is made the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council. Though approved, some council members complained of the minimal number — 90 residential units — set aside as affordable housing.

A watercolor rendering by Jeff Stikeman, Architectural Art, shows the Flushing waterfront development.

DOB UPGRADES REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTRACTORS

The Department of Buildings (DOB) requirements for contractors underwent a major upgrade and expansion, with Phase One of the upgrade becoming effective on December 28, 2020. Under the upgraded guidelines, companies and contractors must submit via the DOB NOW website before doing any of the following:

General construction for all job types other than new buildings, which must continue to be filed in the Building Information System, with general construction as the only work type until Phase Two.
Foundation work
Earthwork
All support of excavation work
Protection and mechanical methods

For complete details on Phase One, refer to DOB’s Service Notice. Phase Two of the DOB NOW expansion will roll out later this winter. A Service Notice will be posted with dates and further details ahead of that launch. Contractors and licensees can also receive free online training at the DOB NOW training page. In other news, DOB launched a new series of informational videos on elevator rider safety, including what passengers should do if entrapped. The series is available online.

EXCAVATION BEGINS FOR 35-STORY TOWER IN MIDTOWN EAST

A rendering shows the new design of 141 East 47th Street by Ismael Leyva Architects.

With four buildings demolished and out of the way, excavation work has begun for a 35-story residential tower set to rise at 141 East 47th Street in the Midtown East neighborhood, New York YIMBY reported in December 2020. The tower, designed by Ismael Leyva Architects, will hold 200 residences within its 183,310 ft². The US$250-million project has changed significantly since the site was first announced more than two years ago. Then, the original developer, New Empire Real Estate, was planning a 49-story, 122-unit building. In 2019, the site was purchased by Hopson Development Holdings, which brought in Silverback Development to shepherd the project. The overall design has been changed, as well, with the new rendering showing a series of setbacks rising to a crown that suggests Art Deco styling. Home sizes will range from studios to two-bedroom units, with prices averaging US$1.5 million. The building will also have 5,000 ft² of ground-floor retail space. The building is expected to be completed in 2022.

TIMES SQUARE MARRIOTT SPRINGHILL HITS HALFWAY POINT

A 34-story Marriott SpringHill Hotel under construction in Times Square reached its halfway point in December 2020, New York YIMBY reported. The 200-room, 70,000-ft² tower, designed by Gene Kaufman Architects, sits at 223 West 46th Street. As the reinforced concrete superstructure continues to rise, faҫade work consisting of gypsum panels shows cutouts where windows will be installed. Metal stud frames, to which the edifice's panels will be attached, are being installed between the floorplates. The flat design lacks setbacks, but a pushed-back mechanical extension will be visible from the southern elevation. Ground-level amenities will include a fitness center and a restaurant that also offers outdoor seating. The height of the building will make it roughly the third-tallest on the rectangular tract, but nearby skyscrapers, including the Marriott Marquis and the Morgan Stanley Global Headquarters, will overshadow the SpringHill. The project is being developed by McSam Hotel Group. No completion date has been announced, but it appears that work could finish in late 2021; photo by Michael Young for New York YIMBY.

RMITS FILED FOR 32-STORY TOWER IN LIC

Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biomarker-testing company Foundation Medicine filed permits to build a 32-story, 200-ft-tall tower at 2-01 50^th Avenue in Long Island City (LIC), New York YIMBY reported in December 2020. At the intersection of 50^th Avenue and Center Boulevard, the 395,509-ft² development would include 300,000 ft² for approximately 500 residences (likely rentals), 90,000 ft² of commercial space and 5,500 ft² of community space. A cellar and two enclosed parking spaces are also planned for the steel-based structure. Neither an architect nor a construction timeline have been revealed.

BUILDING LIKELY TO MAKE WAY FOR HELL'S KITCHEN HOTEL

The wrecking ball may be in the near future for a vacant building at 777 Eighth Avenue in Hell's Kitchen, a site where a developer is planning a new, 27-story hotel, New York YIMBY reported on January 5. The project, by Gene Kaufman Architect and developer McSam Hotel Group, and additional owner TSGL 8th Avenue LLC, would place the high rise on a 5,000-ft² plot on the west side of the block between West 47th and 48th streets, near Times Square. The building at the site, a red-and-black clad structure, at one time housed a theater and sightseeing company. Demolition could begin this year, making way for what would be the most recent among a number of lodging towers in the vicinity of Times Square. The site is near both the 49th and 50th Street subway stations. A construction timeline was not given; photo by Michael Young for New York YIMBY.

UPCOMING EVENTS

2021

NAEC Spring Educational Conference

Tucson, AZ

April 18-21

For more information, visit website.

IAEC Forum 2021 NYC

Crowne Plaza Times Square, NYC

April 19-23

For more information, visit website.

Pop/Joe 46th Annual Memorial Invitational Golf Outing

Port Washington, New York

June 14

For more information, visit website.

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