A year ago, SL Green began knocking down a full block of prewar commercial buildings next to Grand Central to make way for a 1,401-foot-tall office tower at One Vanderbilt Avenue. Now YIMBY has a time lapse of the lengthy demolition between 42nd and 43rd Streets, courtesy of the project’s PR team.
SL Green is planning an official groundbreaking ceremony for next Tuesday, but earth movers have been excavating several stories below the streets of Midtown since August.
Kohn Pedersen Fox is designing the 1.6 million-square-foot development, which will become one of the tallest buildings in New York City. The building’s roof will reach 1,301 feet into the air, and mechanicals and a spire will boost it to 1,401 feet. PR representatives for One Vanderbilt insist that it will stand 58 stories tall, but building permits still say it will be 67 stories.
One Vanderbilt Avenue from Bryant Park, courtesy SL Green
A TD Bank branch will fill 200,000 square feet on the first few floors, and the top three floors of the tower will also be devoted to retail. The ground floor and cellar levels will have a host of transportation improvements, which SL Green is funding in exchange for a huge upzoning. A 4,000-square-foot transit hall will function like an extension of Grand Central’s waiting area. The lowest level feature a link to East Side Access, the MTA’s multi-billion-dollar boondoggle that will bring Long Island Railroad trains from Sunnyside Yards to Grand Central. SL Green has promised to pump $220 million worth of transit upgrades into the new building and the Grand Central subway station.
One Vanderbilt Avenue from above, courtesy SL Green
Construction is expected to go vertical at the One Vanderbilt site in the spring of 2017. The tower is scheduled to be complete in 2020—two years before East Side Access.
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Retail space on the top floors is very interesting.
This building will be an absolutely IDEAL commute for anyone living in Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess or Connecticut. Linked directly to GCT… no subway or long walk needed! Get off the train and walk right in to work.
Light on top is able to develop the city has become an exciting, that is easy to see how tall on the charming with skyline.
Only 58 floors? If that’s accurate, then these must be super high floors because 1 Vanderbilt is going to dwarf the Chrysler Building at 77 floors.
I thought that was strange too.
hi, as i note, the permits say it will be 67 stories. i think it’s possible that they just aren’t counting the mechanical floors in the 58 story thing.