As more New Yorkers become eligible for the coronavirus vaccine, a return to regular city life is starting to look more like a distinct possibility than a distant mirage. However, some argue in favor of seizing the moment to make much-needed changes that would help keep pace with ever-increasing housing demand. A recent Crain’s New York Business editorial by Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission, blames outdated building codes, restrictive zoning, and a property tax system that taxes multifamily buildings at a higher rate than owner-occupied housing.
It will take time to implement the changes cited in the editorial, but city developers and designers are already rising to the challenges of increased housing capacity and healthier living space. We take a look at some of the most eye-catching and transformative projects planned for New York.
It will take time to implement the changes cited in the editorial, but city developers and designers are already rising to the challenges of increased housing capacity and healthier living space. We take a look at some of the most eye-catching and transformative projects planned for New York.
In this article:
Rendering of 27 East 4th Street via BKSK Architects for Landmarks Preservation Commission
27 East 4th Street
Neighborhood: Noho
Building Type: Hotel
250 Water Street stole the show at this morning’s Landmarks Preservation Commission ("Landmarks") hearings, but there are several other items on the docket. One of them is the application to demolish a garage/repair shop at 27 East 4th Street, located in the Noho Historic District Extension, and construct a new hotel measuring 112.5 feet and eight stories high. A presentation by BKSK Architects calls for a brick facade, sizable windows, a setback penthouse, and terra cotta screens in metal frames, all of which were inspired by local architecture.
No one is likely to lament the loss of the garage, which Landmarks has already declared “is not one of the buildings for which the historic district is designated.” However, there is abundant concern for the site’s neighbor, the Merchant’s House Museum. Dating back to 1832, this is New York’s only 19th century family home to be preserved both inside and out, and the sixth structure to ever be designated a New York City Landmark. The museum fears irreversible damage and extended closure due to construction; as a result, the project dating back to 2011 has been significantly delayed. Landmarks approved an application in 2014, and the City Planning Commission also signed off on it. But in September 2018, the City Council subcommittee on zoning and franchises rejected the project and delayed it yet again. Developer Kalodop II Park Corp sued the city in January 2019, and the lawsuit is still pending.
Rendering via Office of Governor Cuomo
High Line Extension
Neighborhood: Chelsea
For more than a decade, New Yorkers and visitors have eagerly watched the High Line, a decaying rail line turned public park, introduce new artwork and open new sections. And one more could be on the way - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced plans to connect the High Line to the newly opened Moynihan Train Hall in a move that would improve access to the train station and spur local development. The existing High Line will connect to a pedestrian path at the mixed-use Manhattan West development via a 1,200-foot elevated walkway designed by James Corner Field Operations.
State officials and Friends of the High Line have spoken in favor of the extension; even local preservationist group Save Chelsea, which has historically been unhappy about the High Line, couldn’t object to the extension as long as no historic buildings are demolished to make way for it. A timeline is not yet available for this project, nor for the governor’s plans for a second High Line extension to extend past the Javits Center and end at Pier 76, which is currently a tow pound.
Rendering of 218 Madison Avenue via BKSK Architects
218 Madison Avenue
Neighborhood: Murray Hill
Building Type: Condominium
According to Daytonian in Manhattan, 218 Madison Avenue has served as the mansion of the Archbishop of New York, a single-family home at the height of the Gilded Age, a club for “self-supporting women,” the headquarters of the American Review, and the home of various shops, offices, and small businesses. Sadly, the building experienced nearly as many structural and interior changes through the years with the result that its most beautiful and memorable features are now gone.
For its most recent incarnation, the building is set to be demolished to make way for a boutique condominium with 12 full-floor units. Its central address across the street from the Morgan Library was a key selling point when its last owner, Sapir Organization, sold the building. Renderings show a slender building with massive windows, and BKSK Architects revealed interior renderings featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, dark wood walls, and white stone and plaster.
Rendering of 840 Atlantic Avenue via Vanderbilt Avenue Holdings
840 Atlantic Avenue
Neighborhood: Prospect Heights
Building Type: Mixed-Use Rental
Directly across from the Pacific Park mega-development, grand plans are in store for the site of a McDonald’s with a drive-through: Developer Vanderbilt Avenue Holdings has called for a new 18-story building with two floors of commercial and community space and 316 housing units, 30 percent of which would be affordable housing.
While the proposed building is similar in size to the nearby 550 Vanderbilt, Bklyner reports that Community Board 8 is wary of the project due to the bulk of it. There has also been some quibbling about the affordable housing units; rents at 80 percent Area Median Income have been proposed, but Community Board 8 recommends 60 percent Area Median Income. ULURP is likely to begin this year.
Rendering of Spence 412 via Rogers Architects
Spence 412, 412 East 90th Street
Neighborhood: Carnegie Hill
Building Type: Academic
Spence families expect the best of everything from the school, and that extends to its athletic facilities. To that end, the prestigious private school has teamed up with Rogers Architects for a new six-story, 58,000-square-foot building with a regulation-size gym and nine full squash courts. In addition to the athletic components, it will feature a multipurpose performing arts room, an ecology center with teaching lab and kitchen, a greenhouse, and outdoor roof space. The glass facade maximizes daylight, but patterned glazing provides privacy.
Rendering of 324 East 93rd Street via Issac | Stern Architects
324 East 93rd Street
Neighborhood: Yorkville
Building Type: Condominium
Issac | Stern Architects has released renderings of a six-story condominium under construction at 324 East 93rd Street, located between First and Second Avenues in Yorkville. Nexus Development is at the helm of the project, which will feature modern aluminum glass panels, one unit per floor, and high-end finishes and fixtures. There will be one unit per floor, and the cellar and first floor will have a rear exterior garden.
Rendering of 1009 Second Avenue via Issac | Stern Architects
1009 Second Avenue
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Building Type: Condominium
Located on the cusp of Midtown East and Sutton Place, 1009 Second Avenue is being designed to make the most of East River views: Amenities will be located on the 19th floor, and renderings by Issac | Stern Architects show a modern facade with large glass enclosures and double-height windows. The 19-story condominium will also feature setback floors and penthouse levels from floors 14-18.
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Rendering of 542 Atlantic Avenue via Issac | Stern Architects
542 Atlantic Avenue
Neighborhood: Boerum Hill
Building Type: Condominium
In the heart of Boerum Hill, a post office is set to be replaced with a 90,000-square-foot, 11-story building designed by Issac | Stern Architects. Renderings include such historic elements as a brick facade, massive arched windows, arched pathways on Pacific Street, and geometric paneling at the crown. The project will contain 43 condo units and two four-story townhouses with interiors by Workshop/APD, not to mention amenities like a luxurious lobby, residential storage, and a parking garage. Permits have not yet been filed, and an estimated completion date has not yet been announced.
Rendering of 21 Charles Place via Samuel Wieder Architect
21 Charles Place
Neighborhood: Bushwick
Building Type: Condominium
As Williamsburg prices climb, creative types have turned their attention to Bushwick. New housing has had to keep pace with the new arrivals, with the latest entrant at 21 Charles Place. Renderings by Brooklyn-based firm Samuel Wieder Architect depict a two-toned building with oversized windows and prominent private balconies. Permits filed in May 2020 call for such amenities as on-site parking, a bike room, a library, a fitness center, a laundry room, and a roof terrace.
Rendering of 784 Courtlandt Avenue via NYC HPD
784 Courtlandt Avenue
Neighborhood: Melrose
Building Type: Rental
A stone's throw from Grand Concourse, a 20-unit affordable housing development is on the rise in the Bronx. The homes within will be affordable to a range of incomes (HPD lists Extremely Low Income to Moderate Income), and features and amenities will include rooftop solar panels, a landscaped recreational terrace, a central laundry room, a lounge, and a bike room.
Rendering credit DBOX via New York Blood Center/Longfellow Real Estate Partners
New York Blood Center, 310 East 67th Street
Neighborhood: Lenox Hill
Building Type: Medical
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the importance of life sciences cannot be overstated. With that in mind, the New York Blood Center ("the Blood Center") announced a major expansion of its Upper East Side headquarters in October 2020. These call for the three-story brick building to be demolished and replaced with a glassy, 16-story tower that will serve as a sciences hub. The Blood Center will occupy the first five floors, to be renamed Center East, and the remaining levels will be leased out to other tenants.
Both the de Blasio administration and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer have spoken in favor of the expansion, which is currently in the early stages of the rezoning progress. The Blood Center hopes to break ground in 2022 and wrap up construction in 2026.
Rendering of Allen Street Mall via Kossar + Garry Architects
Allen Street Mall
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Building Type: Commercial
As the Lower East Side’s transformation from grungy to glam continues, even a bathhouse between East Houston and Canal Streets has gotten swept up in the mix. Plans to convert the structure dating back to the 1930’s into a restaurant have been in the works since 2016, and renderings from Kossar + Garry Architects depict a brick building with arched windows at grade level, a glassy second floor, and abundant greenery. (We’re assuming the project will also include much nicer public bathrooms than its predecessor.) Upsilon Ventures, whose credits include Winter Village, the Big Apple BBQ Block Party, and the ice rink at Prospect Park, is at the helm.
Rendering of Opus Point via Dynamic Star
Opus Point, 23-10 Queens Plaza South
Neighborhood: Long Island City
Building Type: Commercial
During the ongoing Long Island City building boom, much has been made of the close proximity to multiple subway lines and quick commute to Midtown Manhattan. That's very good, but the ability to walk to work would be even better. Such would be the case at Opus Point, the name given to a proposed expansion of the former Eagle Electric Company headquarters into a 400,000-square-foot office building.
Opus Point would be one of the first office buildings to be developed post-pandemic; with that in mind, developer Dynamic Star is aiming for WELL certification with such components as enhanced ventilation, UV air treatment, touchless building systems, operable windows, and a landscaped roof garden. Additional components are to include an Eagle Electric exhibit, ground-floor retail and restaurant space, indoor bike parking, and recreation space like a gym and half basketball court. Dynamic Star expects to file ULURP applications later this year and break ground in 2022.
Rendering of 4778 Broadway via LoopNet/CityRealty
4778 Broadway
Neighborhood: Inwood
Building Type: Commercial
In summer 2020, a long-planned rezoning of Inwood was permitted to go forward. The ruling clears the way for as many as 5,000 new housing units, and more commercial space is planned as well: A nine-story office building is in the works at 4778 Broadway, the former site of a car wash near the Dyckman Street A and 1 subway stops. Renderings show oversized windows, and delivery is estimated for 2022.
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Just complete the info below.
Or call us at (212) 755-5544
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
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