Hell's Kitchen Swimming Hole Might Go Hotel

Friday, January 5, 2007, by BL

Our admiration for the swimming hole that developer Related Companies had been nice enough to construct for the residents of Hell's Kitchen (on 42nd Street between Tenth and Dyer Aves.) is not echoed, oddly, by neighborhood residents. Yesterday, Theater Row developer Fred Papert sued Related, claiming the hole has become a genuine hazard for the neighborhood. In its defense, Related says it has started picking up after itself, and besides, they've got plans that might even exceed the original Cirque Du Solei scheme for the site. Per the NYT:

According to a real estate executive who has been briefed on the developer’s plans, Related wants to form a joint venture with an unnamed hotel operator to build a 60-story, one-million-square-foot tower. The tower, with a hotel and luxury apartments at the top, would sit above shops, an Equinox gym and a couple of small theaters.

· Neighbors Recoil at Void in Hell's Kitchen [NYTimes]
· Hell's Kitchen's New Swimming Hole [Curbed]
· New Development Amenity Update: Cirque du Solei [Curbed]

Filed under Manhattan: Midtown West/Times Square, Real Estate Development, Hell's Kitchen Swimming Hole, Related

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Comments (4 extant)

Cirque du Soleil is becoming like NYU -- it seems they want a piece of every new development project. Guess they've got the dollars, though.

I do think considering them 'culture' is stretching things a bit, but folks seem to enjoy them.

By Bing at January 5, 2007 11:11 AM

I love it. These community group dinks got just what they deserved. A muddy hole.

By Anonymous at January 5, 2007 11:18 AM

There were a number of great things on that block, especially the Tank, a small non-profit arts space. What a shame that this is the best Related can do.

By thfs at January 5, 2007 2:56 PM

From my (limited) understanding of this situation it seems that the community group stopped this project because Related was not building the off-Broadway theatres that was agreed upon. I understand their desire to grrom the neighborhood into a cultural enclave but what could have done more to draw people to the area's present and future theatres than Cirque?

By Objective at January 7, 2007 9:46 PM