Rendering of 520 Fifth Avenue from Top of the Rock observation deck (DBOX)
After years of being stuck in development limbo, 520 Fifth Avenue, an upcoming mixed-use skyscraper in the heart of Midtown, Manhattan, is beginning to soar into the skyline. The 71-story tower is approximately one-third of its way up, and in recent weeks received some of its eye-catching exterior cladding.
The project rises from the northwest corner of Fifth Avenue and West 43rd Street, just a block from Grand Central Terminal and Bryant Park. Upon completion, it will bring to market approximately 100 residences, many with sweeping views of the Midtown skyline and glimpses of Central Park.
The project rises from the northwest corner of Fifth Avenue and West 43rd Street, just a block from Grand Central Terminal and Bryant Park. Upon completion, it will bring to market approximately 100 residences, many with sweeping views of the Midtown skyline and glimpses of Central Park.
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The 450,000-square-foot development is being developed by Midtown-based Rabina Properties, who took over the project from Ceruzzi Properties and SMI USA in 2019. The tower was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects (KPF), the world's foremost designers of supertall towers, who were also behind the design of One Vanderbilt one block to the east. At 520 Fifth Avenue, KPF designed an elegantly cascading tower of spiraling setbacks that quietly echo the wedding cake massing of 500 Fifth Avenue directly to the south. The tower will be wrapped in a curtain wall of oversized windows recessed in stepped arches, giving the tower a majestic appearance, worthy of its very valuable location.
520 Fifth Avenue (Kohn Pedersen Fox)
The tower's slim, spiraling form has more in common with the pencil-thin spires of Billionaires' Row than the girthier office towers of Midtown East. The tower will measure just 85 feet wide along the avenue, giving it a slenderness ratio of 1:12, making it one of the most slender buildings in the city. Structural engineers generally consider skyscrapers with a minimum ratio of 1:10 to be ‘slender,’ and the world's skinniest tower, 111 West 57th Street, has an extraordinary profile of 1:23.
520 Fifth Avenue intends to reinvent the live/ work paradigm through its combination of retail, office, and luxury residences. Its efficiently sized layouts will have retail and dining establishments on and near street level, offices on floors 5-28, and residences from floors 31-69. One floor above five penthouse residences on floors 63-69 will be a residents' solarium and lounge with dazzling river-to-river views and a unique front and center view of the Empire State Building. There will be no more than four residences per floor, and some of the tower's residences will have open-air terraces. Many will enjoy views of Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Chrysler Building, and the United Nations Secretariat Building.
As expected for a tower of this caliber, the residential amenity package will likely be comprehensive. So far we know there will be a swimming pool, spa, fitness center, and a restaurant.
As expected for a tower of this caliber, the residential amenity package will likely be comprehensive. So far we know there will be a swimming pool, spa, fitness center, and a restaurant.
520 Fifth Avenue under construction in November 2023
Looking north up Fifth Avenue from 42nd Street
With the superstructure about one-third up, topping out is expected in spring 2024. While there's been no announcement regarding when sales will commence, it's likely to be in 2024. Project completion is anticipated for 2026.
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The 1,001-foot-tall building stands as one of more than 25 supertall towers poised to reshape the Manhattan skyline over the coming decade. It will claim the title of the third-tallest structure along the city's renowned avenue, with only the Empire State Building and another exceptionally slim competitor at 262 Fifth Avenue equaling it in height.
522 Fifth Avenue (RFR)
Sited in one of the city's liveliest districts, this area is continually evolving. Right next door, at 522 Fifth Avenue, Aby Rosen's RFR took ownership of the 23-story, 575,000-square-foot office tower from Morgan Stanley in 2020. Substantial renovations are underway to enhance the building, which will feature various terraces with landscaped outdoor spaces. Additional commercial projects are also in progress, including J.P. Morgan's new headquarters at 270 Park Avenue, the re-cladding of the mid-block office tower at 489 Fifth Avenue, and the inauguration of Amazon's latest office building, known as Hank, at 424 Fifth Avenue, previously the home of the department store Lord & Taylor.
Hank, Amazon's new NYC office (CityRealty)
Hank lobby (Photo by Hollis Johnson)
Hank's rooftop courtyard (Photo by Hollis Johnson)
The district has witnessed improvements in its public spaces, such as the partial closure of Vanderbilt Avenue, resulting in the creation of a new pedestrian plaza in front of Grand Central Terminal and One Vanderbilt. Further enhancing the transformation, Mayor Adams announced last December that Fifth Avenue, stretching from 42nd Street to 59th Street, is slated to become an innovative pedestrian-focused space, with plans encompassing increased green areas, new tree plantings, and improved lighting. Visitors are expected to get an early taste of it this year, when Fifth Avenue will go pedestrian-only from 48th to 59th Streets on December 3, 10, and 17.
“As a world-class city and destination, New York City needs a world-class, pedestrian-forward avenue,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “From historic Central Park to the iconic Bryant Park, Fifth Avenue has the potential to become an even grander corridor, open to New Yorkers and international tourists alike. I look forward to working with the stakeholders for this important planning process as we design an even more inviting Fifth Avenue.”
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Just complete the info below.
Or call us at (212) 755-5544
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