Is This the Site of André Balazs' Next Hotel?

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A couple of weeks ago, the Post's Katherine Dykstra had a chance to chat with hotelier/developer André Balazs about the wave of change overtaking the Meatpacking District, and his neighborhood-defining (once it opens) Standard Hotel. She also got a word in with Balazs about a rumor first reported on Curbed: that Balazs and Jay-Z are enlisting Metal Shutter Houses architect Shigeru Ban to design a new hotel or members-only club on West 14th Street, not too far from the Standard. This was before Jay-Z bailed for his own hotel. Here's what Balazs had to say:

Rumors of a Balazs-owned, Jay-Z-partnered, Shigeru Ban-designed private club, however, are false, says Balazs. He admits to having a members-only club in the works, but not with Jay-Z and not in the area. He also admits to a hotel project he's planning with Ban, but he says it's also out of the immediate vicinity, not to mention "too far off to talk about."

Well, André, let's talk about it shall we?

Way up top is a picture of 320-324 West 14th Street, three slightly rundown walk-up buildings that were cleared not long ago, with the rumor being passed around that the property would be cleared for a "boutique hotel." At the time, we wondered if this could be the Balazs-Ban site, and indeed, a reliable source tell us that an AB Hotel is planned for the site. The hotel specifically, and not the private club.

This patch of the southside of 14th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues, is not what you would call "glamorous," but the luxury condo building The Prime is going up across the street, and hoity-toity private club Norwood is nearby, so it is at least changing. According to our source, Balazs has some tricks up his sleeve for this one, like working fireplaces in every hotel room. Yowza. According to property records, it looks like developers The Icon Group are now in possession of the buildings under an LLC called 320-324 West 14 Development, so we're hesitant to put this one in the confirmed file. Still, we have a feeling. And it is "out of the immediate vicinity" of the Standard, at least in spirit.
· Industry Standard [NYP]
· CurbedWire: Karl Fischer Row Gift Cards, Balazs Sighting? [Curbed]
· Rumor: Ban Teaming With Balazs, With a Jigga on the Side [Curbed]

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