All stories about "440 Park Avenue"

In the wake of developer Harry Macklowe's financial troubles, his plans for the former Drake Hotel site at Park Avenue and 56th Street have all but been forgotten. But, one GM Building sale and torch-passing to his son later, those plans are back! Previously, the planned 440 Park Avenue skyscraper (the Drake was sadly demolished last summer) was having loan issues. Now, the Observer reports, Macklowe Properties is making aggressive moves on the project. The company just bought out the sole tenant at 40 East 57th Street, adding another of that block's row of townhouses to its portfolio. According to the seller, Macklowe "wants to build either a 30-floor building or 50 floors." Earlier reports had indicated what could be a 70-story tower thanks to all those acquired development rights, and a source told the Observer that he heard Macklowe's Drake replacer would have a retail base, a hotel in the middle and condos on top. The "short, fat box" design seen up top was an old placeholder yanked from the Macklowe website, so we can't really base anything on it, but how tall is this sucker going to be? Or will Macklowe Properties just sell off the whole thing?
· Macklowe Moves on Drake Site, Buys Out Sole Tenant in 40 East 57th [NYO]
· Big Mack's Burden Affecting Hot New Developments [Curbed]
· Macklowe's Drake Replacement Revealed, To Much Chagrin [Curbed]

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Developer Harry Macklowe—he of the GM Building and $60M Plaza apartment fame—owes a lot of money to a lot of people. So much money, in fact, that over the weekend the Times filed a gigantoid story that broke down Macklowe's debts. He'll come back strong (he has a habit of doing that), but the story contained some very intriguing updates on two Macklowe hot properties: the new office building at 510 Madison Avenue (complete with swimming pool!) and the controversial demolition of the Drake Hotel on Park Avenue, and its redevelopment as a "short, fat box" complete with New York City's first Nordstrom's. Good lord, talk about craziness.

Megadeveloper Harry Macklowe was Public Enemy #1 on the Wired New York boards over his acquisition and impending tear-down of the Drake Hotel (shrouded above; photo via Wired's NYGuy) and various townhouses along East 57th Street, and now that a rendering of what Macklowe is building on the site has popped up on his website, the hate continues. As you can see, the vision for 440 Park Avenue is pretty bare bones right now, but that doesn't stop the "short, fat box" comments and references to Macklowe as a "gremlin developer." You knew this crowd would be a tough one to please no matter what was designed for the Drake site, and indeed, they are not pleased. At least Macklowe will have a nice place to curl up and cry.
· Thread: 50 East 57th (Drake site) [WiredNY]
· Architecture Geeks Pissed About Big Mack's Attack [Curbed]