General Growth Properties' and SHoP Architects' plan for a new South Street Seaport that features new retail buildings, hotels and a 42-story waterfront tower (see it rendered and modeled) isn't beloved by all, of course. And the opposition is starting to make some moves. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) represents the Seaport's cleaning crews, and they have fired off a letter to Community Board 1 expressing concern about Seaport leaseholder/mall developer General Growth. In the letter, the SEIU targets General Growths' history of seeking public subsidies to finance big projects, and adds, "we are concerned the Seaport will turn from a unique New York treasure enjoyed by all into a private development project paid for by New York City tax dollars." And what a treasure it is! Pier 17, we don't know what we'd do without your As Seen on TV and Sharper Image stores. Read the full letter here...
We've seen the renderings, we've heard the concerns, and now, we've got the hot sexy model. SHoP Architects, the firm enlisted by landlord/developer General Growth Properties to makeover the South Street Seaport, sent over some fresh photos to give us a better feel for the layout of the proposed new Seaport, and we are definitely feeling it. Of course, there's a long way to go before that 42-story hotel/condo tower can rise along the waterfront, but these shots may convince a few more Lower Manhattanites to ditch the mall and get with the program.
· Proposed New South Street Seaport Fully Revealed [Curbed]
· Say Hello to the New South Street Seaport, Approval Pending [Curbed]
Well, that didn't take long. The same morning the Times reveals General Growth Properties' mixed-use plan for the redevelopment of the South Street Seaport, the developer has launched a comprehensive website detailing the specifics of its massive proposal. And there are renderings galore of SHoP Architects' designs—the hotels, retail spaces, open plazas and, most importantly,the 42-story apartment/hotel tower. Current zoning allows only buildings up to 350 feet in height, and this baby is pegged for 495 feet. Those who assume that the hellishness of the current Seaport means this proposal will sail through the approval process are sorely mistaken. One neighbor tells us, "The Times failed to mention massive standing-room-only opposition when the project was presented to the Seaport Committee of Community Board 1." Prepare the battleships!
· The New Seaport [thenewseaport.com]
· Say Hello to the New South Street Seaport, Approval Pending [Curbed]
South Street Seaport owner/developer General Growth Properties has been teasing a new design for the tourist-laden mall for a while now, and the moment of the big reveal has finally arrived. The ultra-ambitious plan would replace the three-level shopping center on Pier 17, move the 19th century Tin Building from the foot to the end of the pier, and raze another more recent building once occupied by the Fulton Fish Market. A SHoP Architects-designed 42-story apartment and hotel tower wrapped in terra-cotta would rise from new pilings in the East River. The new retail would be a cluster of two-story buildings, which would connect to a four- and six-story hotel in a crisscross of walkways and esplanade. It would—to say the least—be an improvement.
NOLITA—Sure, there's some controversy as to whether SHoP Architects' wavy 290 Mulberry Street is "real" brick façade, but we don't care! We think it's purty, and these updated Construction Watch photos sent in by a Curbed tipster do nothing to dissuade us from that opinion. We'll take that penthouse, please! [CurbedWire Inbox]
WaHI—Residents of 700 Fort Washington Avenue were joined by Manhattan Borough Prez Scott Stringer today at a rally against their building owner, the Ohebshalom family, also known as the Shalom family (they reportedly own over 100 buildings under various names). This latest protest against the notorious slumlords was held because Con Ed had to shut down gas to the 73-unit building in May, and cannot restore service until repairs are made to the cooking gas system in the building, which obviously will never happen. [CurbedWire Inbox]
UPPER EAST SIDE—According to a press release from developers the Ascend Group, Georgica, the latest family-friendly glassy addition to the Upper East Side, is over 30% sold. Must be all that sweet sweetkhaki. [CurbedWire Inbox]
Those gazing up at the Manhattan skyline of the future will be forgiven for getting a little seasick. Every developer and their mama is building waves--waves of glass, waves of black bands, waves of crinkled steel, etc. One of our favorites, however, is SHoP Architects' waves of bricks coming to 290 Mulberry Street. And after keeping a close eye on the rising guts, finally, we get to see some skin. Curbed Photo Pool contributor Stu_Jo caught workers in the act of installing some of the brick panels that will put Nolita in motion. Maybe now that purty penthouse will sell?
· SHoP Piling On the Bricks at 290 Mulberry [Curbed]
· Inside 290 Mulberry Street's Wavy Goodness [Curbed]
· 290 Mulberry [Official Site]
SHoP Architects' 290 Mulberry is one of a small crop of very intriguing new Nolita developments, and while a lot of the attention lately has been focused on its new red neighbor, the gang at Core Group Marketing knew precisely how to win us back: release the penthouse listing, with brand new renderings. Yes, we've had some looks into the wavy brick (not metal!) building before, but not of the $7.5 million, 2,613-square-foot duplex crown with private roof deck. From the copy: "Eight private exits to three separate private terraces, twelve oversized windows, three levels with 360 views everywhere and a 30 tall south facing atrium in glass." Um, yes please?
· Listing: 290 Mulberry Street [CORE]
· SHoP Piling On the Bricks at 290 Mulberry [Curbed]
· 290 Mulberry [Official Site]
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.
While the fight about Pier 40 on the Hudson River has been getting a lot of attention, the debate over the future of Pier 15 on the East River Esplanade has gotten a bit testy too. Those with an appetite for such things might recall that a presentation of plans for Pier 15 last fall was panned for, among other things, not providing space for ships to dock. One group called it a "couch potato area." SHoP Architects came back with a double-decked pier and a more maritime-friendly strategy, but Downtown Express reports that the South Street Seaport Museum, which has been critical of the remake, wants Pier 15 to dock historic ships and says that it has the historic rights to run the pier. The city says it will select an operator through an RFP process and the fight isn't over by a long shot.
· Museum Hopes for Historic Ships on Pier 15 [Downtown Express]
· East River Esplanade Plan for Couch Potatoes [Curbed]
Comments
