Glenwood has filed permits for its second residential tower as a part of Fordham University’s redevelopment. The filings call for a 48-story tower that rises 533 feet, with 257 new residential units.
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| Mock render of 160 West 62nd (left) and 175 West 60th (right), from Fordham |
If the new tower follows the same path as its neighbor 160 West 62nd, which already has a completed foundation, work should be underway very quickly.
All development along Amsterdam in the West 60s should be encouraged, given the dismal state the neighborhood is currently in. There is absolutely no street life between Roosevelt Hospital and 72nd Street, as block after block of Amsterdam is dominated by an environment hostile to pedestrians.
The biggest problems are Lincoln Center and the Amsterdam Houses, which accomplish their anti-urban goals (both were built in the time of Robert Moses) through different means.
Lincoln Center is a grand pedestrian space unto itself, but the back-end is what faces Amsterdam. Along the entire stretch of Amsterdam, the only interaction with Lincoln Center are openings to the underground parking garages. The walk is neither attractive nor inviting, especially when the only obstacles are cars emerging from sunken garages.
The Amsterdam Houses are one of the worst public housing legacies in New York, representing a dark spot on an otherwise excellent neighborhood. Crime is rampant, and again, the buildings were built in the ‘tower in a park’ style, meaning they have no street interaction whatsoever. The crime element is the largest deterrent for pedestrians, as the Amsterdam Houses are notoriously dangerous.
Fordham’s new development will do a great deal to address the failings along the lower stretch, bringing in pedestrians. Fordham’s interaction with Amsterdam Avenue is also unfriendly to pedestrians due to the lack of development, so the new apartment towers should go a long way towards improving the overall attractiveness and accessibility of the street.
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