New Look: The Taystee Building

Taystee BuildingEntrance to the Taystee Building: image from Leven Betts/Janus Property

A fresh set of renderings are up for Harlem’s Taystee Building, at 450 West 126th Street, which will anchor the wider Manhattanville Factory District. The project is located between Amsterdam and Morningside Avenues, and is being developed by Janus Property Company and Monadnock Construction; Leven Betts is the design architect.

The Taystee Building

The Taystee Building: image from Leven Betts/Janus Property

West Harlem continues to see piecemeal redevelopment, but the Taystee Building will likely accelerate the neighborhood’s revitalization, breathing new life into a block that has long been neglected. The 11-story tower will span 300,000 square feet, becoming one of the larger office properties in Upper Manhattan.

Janus’ assemblage for 450 West 126th Street spans through to 125th Street, and the Taystee development will include a public passageway linking the streets, which will also create a courtyard for the building.

The Taystee Building

The Taystee Building: image from Leven Betts/Janus Property

No tenants have publicly committed to the project, though several companies were rumored to be interested last year. With construction continuing on Columbia’s Manhattanville expansion, the neighborhood should prove increasingly appealing to all sorts of companies, and while office development is not typically associated with West Harlem, the Factory District has already proven successful.

Taystee’s design is contemporary and attractive; while it will not impact the skyline, its influence will greatly improve a formerly derelict span of 126th Street. Per Leven Betts, “The building is organized into four volumes – two thin white lobby and circulation towers and two wide black commercial blocks,” and besides its LEED-silver status, the project will boast finished ceiling heights of 10′.

The Taystee Building

Manhattanville Factory District, Taystee Building at right, image from Janus Property/Leven Betts

The Manhattanville Factory District’s website outlines plans for surrounding blocks, which will see several older buildings refurbished. Between all of the structures involved, the total amount of new office space will measure approximately one million square feet; renovations of the Mink Building and Sweets Building are already complete, and Taystee is the next phase of the project.

Concept rendering for future development on 128th Street, image by Janus Property/Leven Betts

Concept rendering for future development on 128th Street, image by Janus Property/Leven Betts

Future plans for adjacent blocks are also pending, and while nothing formal has been announced, renderings are up for another major project that could rise on 128th Street, utilizing 165,000 square feet of development rights. While those plans are conceptual, the potential is immense, and West Harlem’s prospects are looking increasingly bright.

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