In 2016, The New York City Economic Development Corp. (NYCEDC) sought a developer
for a group of buildings at the southeast corner of Tenth Avenue and West 41st Street in Midtown West. The reputable large-scale builder Gotham Organization was ultimately selected, acquiring the site for $78 million in January 2018 with plans for a 453-unit mixed-use, mixed-income residential tower in tow.
Construction permits were filed for the site at 550 Tenth Avenue earlier this year. The design by the prolific firm of Handel Architects call for a 45-story, 520-foot-tall tower enveloped in buff-colored brick. New renderings posted by Gotham Organization show that the building's shifting elements and more traditional envelope may counterbalance the sea of monotonous glass facades engulfing the area.
Construction permits were filed for the site at 550 Tenth Avenue earlier this year. The design by the prolific firm of Handel Architects call for a 45-story, 520-foot-tall tower enveloped in buff-colored brick. New renderings posted by Gotham Organization show that the building's shifting elements and more traditional envelope may counterbalance the sea of monotonous glass facades engulfing the area.
Renderings of Covenant House via Gotham Organization
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Before this goes up, however, Gotham will finish work on a new 12-story headquarters for Covenant House next door at 460 West 41st Street.
In 1976, the non-profit purchased the group of buildings near the Port Authority Bus Terminal to provide housing and services to homeless youth. In the decades that followed, as Covenant House grew into an international organization that was sometimes forced to turn people away due to space constraints, the 7 train was extended, Hudson Yards rose, and developers awoke to the potential this stretch of Midtown West offered. The symbiotic agreement between the non-profit and the private developer will bring modernized facilities for those in need while adding more than 400 units of much-needed apartments to the area.
Interior rendering
Entrance
According to permits, the Covenant House building will have office space and 60 sleeping units. Amenities will include a cafeteria, courtyard, terraces, art room, sub-level exercise room, music room, and laundry room. FXCollaborative is the design architect. Covenant House has maintained all operations during construction, and completion is anticipated by year-end.
Gotham's page on the project
says the residential tower is estimated for completion in 2024. It will participate in the city's inclusionary housing program which will allocate a percentage of units as affordable housing. The tower will have more than 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities, which permits state will include a fitness center, residents' reading room, common terraces, a top-floor lounge, and a roof deck.
As a sign of the times, the building will have several commual terraces
Back in 2015 Community Board 4 has specifically requested that new development “avoid looking like a dystopian glass box” (DNAinfo). At the time, the program was to contain a mix of rental and condo units in addition to ground-floor and cellar retail space. The project is located within easy walking distance to many Broadway theaters, Hell's Kitchen restaurants, the Javits Convention Center, and Hudson Yards.
While some of the area's seediness has returned due to the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, the area has seen a significant renaissance since the 1970s. Rents at luxury building MiMA range from $4,035/month for a studio to $6,450/month for two-bedrooms. Directly across the street from the site, listings at the amenity-rich 555TEN start at $4,350/month. And given its success with Gotham West, Gotham Organization is keen to keep up the good work in this part of Midtown West.
The nearly finished Covenant House in October 2021 via CityRealty
Covenant House (bottom center) under construction circa 2020 via Brown Harris Stevens
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