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."
CHELSEA—The model apartment at The Prime on West 14th Street is now open for inspection. It's a 2BR, 2 bath, full-floor loft clocking in at 2,257 square feet. The email that came with the pic says "the living and dining areas are adjacent to a wall of south-facing windows, which floods the home with abundant natural light" whereas the master bedroom "overlooking a charming backyard garden" is "a tranquil oasis." Getting this prime is $2.895 million. [CurbedWire Inbox]
WILLIAMSBURG—The price of chocolate is apparently $20M. A tipster passes along word that the former Manhattan Chocolate Factory site on Union Avenue in Williamsburg has been sold for $20M to an outfit operating out of a Long Island-based company called Heatherwood Communities that creates "rental communities." It's unclear yet whether 568 Union LLC is Heatherwood or is just using an address there and what it means for this plan for the site. [CurbedWire Inbox]
MANHATTAN—Look for something called "Manhattan Construction Watch" that will "act as the eyes and ears of the community," announced by the Borough President's Office, to be a kind of neighborhood watch for buckets of cement that could fall from the sky and kill you. There will be will be plenty to watch. Safety violations at high-rise construction sites nearly doubled last year with some dramatic problems. [CurbedWire Inbox]
CHELPACKING VILLAGE—According to these photos submitted by a special Curbed tipster, The Prime is not letting its status as a Development Du Jour from September 2006 keep it from what looks like a 2008 completion. It's only nine units, so what's the hold up? [CurbedWire Inbox]
MIDTOWN—It sounds like the Bank of America Tower near Bryant Park got crowned: "If someone is near the new bank of america building... They are lifting the largest hunk of steel ever onto the roof of the building this am. Its the radio tower and plane beacon... And its enormous. Neat." [CurbedWire Inbox]
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