All the talk of East Houston Street's big new tumor drew our attention back to SHoP Architects' wavy tower rising just to the west at 290 Mulberry. We've been talking for months about SHoP's metal mesh facade and how cool and sexy it's gonna be. Well, sometimes we're wrong. The metal mesh is not to be. This being New York City, "contextual zoning regulations" mandate a more humble and utilitarian facade. In this case, it must be brick.
East Houston between Mott and Mulberry in Nolita is growing a tumor, right in the shadow of the undulous new SHoP tower rising to the west and just around the corner from a little bit of fun going up at 277 Mott. The new growth is from architect Arpad Baksa and will rise at 49 E. Houston, formerly a one-story bike shop that is currently undergoing demolition. The new plan calls for a "Residential Apt House" with 14-stories and -- hold on to your seats -- 41 units! But that's not the half of it.
LONG ISLAND CITY—Several emails have landed in the inbox today about PriceChopping at Fifth Street Lofts in Long Island City. 5SL fans will recall a Limited Edition Price Chop, a Price Upper and a Not So Limited Edition Chop. Here's a detailed one: "I see price cuts on some units of $50,000 effective 3/14/08. If they could hold the price still for few weeks together I can decide what these apartment are worth. Up and Down and Up and Down again. I guess these decisions are made at the corporate level at Toll Brothers. 22 apartments for sale for a long time. I wonder when the last contract was signed." Streeteast shows some units PriceChopped and some PriceHiked, so let's just call it general 5SL PriceMadness. [CurbedWire Inbox]
SOHO—The Puck Building is getting a new lobby with Gerner, Kronick + Valcarcel Architects doing the design duties and construction starting next month. Per an announcement, "the project’s specific focus is the lobby and refurbishment of antique elevator cages. Plans include concrete panels for walls and ceilings and two lobby walls done up by a glass artist [CurbedWire Inbox]
PLG—A lot of people have a lot of opinions about the 20-story glass tower planned near Prospect Park, but what about the birds? A reader emails, "Has anyone calculated how many dead birds this new structure will cause sitting as it is in one of the most important bird migration routes in the tri-state area?" [CurbedWire Inbox]
Yesterday's rumor about the famed Puck Building on Lafayette being converted to a hotel was sure to garner some fallout, and we think we've found some. A source on the inside dropped us a line:
From an office email today (apparently the bldg mgmt is looking at their options - one option they already took care of was to fire the old bldg staff earlier this week):
An individual from the puck building staff directly under the supervision of office services will be walking around the office today. He will be evaluating the windows on both the fifth and sixth floors. He will be wearing a tan jacket.
SOHO—Even though Puck Building (right) rumors have become a rite or autumn, the info keeps pouring in from very reliable tipsters. The latest is that the Puck Building is going hotel, says someone who works in the building who now must find a new office. There's only one question to ask: What Would Toshi Do? [CurbedWire IM]
MIDTOWN EAST—"It appears that there's activity on the site for 400 5th Ave (NW corner 36th/5th Av) for the first time in almost a year... several heavy earth movers plus a few folks in suits standing around on the lot today. Curious to see if the actual building built will be the 57 story condotel designed by Gwathmey Siegel originally proposed." Wouldn't that be something. [CurbedWire Inbox]
HUDSON HEIGHTS—Hey, remember that tower that may or may not be coming to West 184th Street and Overlook? No? Here's a refresher. Now, a tipster writes: "They've moved pieces of heavy equipment into the small parking lot next to the A Train entrance at 184th and Overlook Terrace, and have placed concrete barriers in the street in front of the massive rock outcropping that makes up the lot on the other side of the subway entrance. They cleared the rocky hill of all trees and shrubs weeks ago in order to survey. It sure looks like that beautiful piece of Manhattan schist will be destroyed any day now." All in the name of progress, baby! [CurbedWire Inbox]
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Yesterday's rumor about the famed Puck Building on Lafayette being 
