Construction has begun at 61 Ninth Avenue, the site of a future Rafael Viñoly-designed commercial building in the Meatpacking District. Viñoly is currently best known for his recently finished 432 Park Avenue skyscraper uptown and has penned an office and retail building here that features a form of staggered and stacked cubes, providing many terraces and outdoor opportunities for future tenants. The architect also plans to utilize sustainable design strategies in order to achieve LEED Gold certification.
Developers Vornado Realty Trust and Aurora Capitol Associates purchased the property in 2014, which formerly hosted Prince Lumber. The new building will notably host the world’s largest Starbucks at its base, a space that will span 20,000 square feet. The coffee enterprise has dubbed the space-to-be the “Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room”, with hopes of bolstering growth and offering a special experience to customers. The store will be similar to an existing one in Seattle, which offers customers an intimate look at the company's roasting process.
Upon its planned completion in 2017, the building will top out at nine stories and 175 feet in height to the top of its rooftop bulkhead. After Vornado successfully purchased air rights from the neighboring Meatpacking District properties, including the Apple Store, the building grew to 170,000 square feet. The building will feature retail on its first two floors and cellar level, with commercial office spaces above. The developers estimate the project will cost $100 million total with a targeted completion in late 2017.
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