Renderings of Zero Irving credit of New York City Economic Development Corp. and RAL Development Services
Within the city's emerging “Silicon Alley” area, RAL Development Services is building a state-of-the-art, 254,000-square-foot tech hub at 124 East 14th Street between Broadway and Third Avenue. Named Zero Irving, (formerly the Union Square Tech Training Center and 14 @ Irving), the 22-story facility is named in honor of its address near historic Irving Place. The P.C. Richard and Sons retail store previously on-site has been demolished, and the project was deemed essential construction at the height of the pandemic. A more recent visit saw construction topped out, the building nearing completion, and JLL handling the leasing.
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The project exceeds as-of-right zoning, but was nevertheless approved by the local community board and NYC City Council in summer 2018. Davis Brody Bond is listed as the architect, and the building features a glass and metal facade, a reflective curtain wall, a 13th-floor setback terrace, and open-air rooftop space. The double-height atrium space on the western half of the building will each be painted a different color and illuminated at night. The application shows the building will stand 286 feet tall to the top of its highest floor and there will be a roof terrace on the 21st floor. The NYCEDC is a co-developer of the project, which is aiming for LEED Gold and WiredScore Platinum certifications.
Serving as a linchpin to the project, non-profit Civic Hall will run a training program with the support of local tech companies. The Flatiron-based company will partner with city organizations to provide tech and job training to underserved communities and will have at least 15 classrooms in the building on floors 3-7. Civic Hall CEO and founder, Andrew Rasiej, told Crain's in 2018 that the organization will eventually turn out between 5,000 and 10,000 graduates a year. In fall 2018, the nonprofit received a $2 million grant from New Jersey-based Cognizant Technology. This comes on top of a $100,000 grant from Microsoft announced in August 2018.
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According to a stacking diagram found in the brochure, floors 8-21 will house office space with 11’6” ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and highly efficient floor plates. The building’s outdoor terraces and 6,300-square-foot Sky Lounge are ideal for hosting small-scale gatherings, and the second floor’s 13,650-square-foot conference center with high ceilings and a double-height pre-function space was designed for larger groups and events.
Zero Irving's lower floors will be anchored by a 10,000-square-foot food hall run by Urbanspace. A 1,700-square-foot landscaped terrace will also be open to the public, but the basement-level wellness offerings are for employees only. These include a bike room and fitness center with locker rooms and showers.
Image credit: Marvel courtesy of Union Square Partnership
Throughout construction, it was widely known that Zero Irving would take shape near top dining, shopping, and entertainment in Union Square, Gramercy, the Flatiron District, and Greenwich Village. Between the Union Square transportation hub and the 14th Street busway, there is no shortage of ways to get to the building. Additionally, if a new proposal for Union Square Park goes through according to plan, it will be well situated near an open, accessible, pedestrian-friendly space.
Union Square Partnership originally proposed the plan as a response to the L train shutdown, but it evolved in the wake of the pandemic. The plan calls for expanding the park to surrounding building edges, connecting Triangle Plaza to Union Square Park, and making the temporary plaza at 17th Street and Broadway permanent. Infrastructure improvements will include wider sidewalks, designated bus boarding areas and pedestrian zones, new subway entrances, more seating, and a permanent flexible space for the world-famous Greenmarket.
Union Square Partnership originally proposed the plan as a response to the L train shutdown, but it evolved in the wake of the pandemic. The plan calls for expanding the park to surrounding building edges, connecting Triangle Plaza to Union Square Park, and making the temporary plaza at 17th Street and Broadway permanent. Infrastructure improvements will include wider sidewalks, designated bus boarding areas and pedestrian zones, new subway entrances, more seating, and a permanent flexible space for the world-famous Greenmarket.
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