The West, 547 West 47th Street. Credit: Optimist Consulting
Ironically enough, a stretch of Eleventh Avenue once known as "Auto Row" is poised to see fewer cars and a lot more pedestrians. A new bike lane works wonders to connect this once-isolated area to the rest of the city, and a 2011 Bloomberg-backed rezoning has allowed developers to take advantage of this part of Hell's Kitchen's excellent proximity to Hudson Yards, Columbus Circle, and the Theater District. A mini-building boom has taken place in recent years, and the latest addition is The West, a new full-block condominium that spans the full length of Eleventh Avenue between West 47th and 48th Streets.
A two-story Lexus dealership was demolished to make way for the new building, but the luxury carmaker will return to an auto showroom planned for the ground floor. A recent site visit showed that construction of the 12-story building has reached the halfway mark and continues to climb.
A two-story Lexus dealership was demolished to make way for the new building, but the luxury carmaker will return to an auto showroom planned for the ground floor. A recent site visit showed that construction of the 12-story building has reached the halfway mark and continues to climb.
The West, 547 West 47th Street in January 2020. Credit: Optimist Consulting
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The West, 547 West 47th Street. Credit: Optimist Consulting
Building permits filed in late 2017 detail a 222-unit mixed-use building with Greenberg Farrow, the firm behind Zinc in Tribeca and the Offerman House conversion in Downtown Brooklyn, as the designer of record. Developer CBSK Ironstate closed on the 30,000-square-foot lot in June 2018 for $93 million. The developer's most recent endeavors include CORTE in Long Island City, The Lindley in Murray Hill, and The Jefferson in the East Village.
A rendering posted by the consulting MEP engineers at GEA offered a glimpse of the building-to-be. Consistent with approved zoning drawings, the first seven floors will display a clean factory-esque facade that echoes the loft buildings dotting the area. Upper floors will be decisively modern and feature projecting volumes, variously-sized terraces, a fully-glazed facade, and a rooftop terrace.
The eighth floor represents a break in the building's form and host a large outdoor terrace with a lounge and a dog run. In all, the 25,000-square-foot amenity package will include a fitness center, a yoga studio, a children's playroom, a dog grooming station, a greenhouse, and a rooftop pool with sweeping Hudson River views. The communal kitchen's name, Hell’s Kitchen, references the building's neighborhood. In addition, two suites are available for guest booking.
The West, 547 West 47th Street. Credit: Optimist Consulting
Rendering of The West via Greenberg Farrow
Illustration of the 222-unit condo to rise at 646 Eleventh Avenue in Hell's Kitchen
via NYC DOB
According to permits, there will be roughly 27 apartments per floor on lower levels and about 14 apartments per floor on upper levels. Some units will be duplexes, and select units will come with private terraces. The project will have some environmentally sustainability features and go for LEED certification. Completion is estimated for 2021.
An offering plan was accepted earlier this spring, but a sellout price was not listed. However, nearby buildings may offer a hint of what is to come. Down the street, sales at Charlie West come to an average of $1,869 per square foot with current availabitilies ranging from $866K for a studio to $4.59M for a three-bedroom penthouse. The nearby Bloom on Forty Fifth, which recently topped out construction, has an accepted offering plan with a $165.33 million sellout. Closed sales at Inkwell, a successful school-to-condo conversion, average $1,582 per square foot.
Residential development has taken strong hold in the once-underutilized area, but it is far from the only type. Other incoming projects include a new office building at 603 West 44th Street (589 Eleventh Avenue), a new auto dealership at 589 Eleventh Avenue, and the Class-A repositioning of 787 Eleventh Avenue by Pershing Square Capital and Georgetown Company.
Google Earth aerial showing location of the prject site
All photos of The West circa November 2019 via CityRealty/Ondel
Construction progress circa November 2019
Eleventh Avenue bike lane and development
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