Once again, we’re counting down the final days of the year with a list of the 31 tallest skyscrapers under construction across the New York metropolitan region. The first project on the list is 3 West 29th Street, a 551-foot-tall, 34-story office tower in NoMad. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group for HFZ Capital Group and formerly known as 29th & 5th, the project will bring nearly 300,000 square feet of newly built space to the expanding neighborhood. The site is located between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, almost directly in line with the Empire State Building. Pavarini McGovern, LLC is the general contractor for the development.
Recent photos shot through the green construction fence reveal the degree of excavation progress that has occurred since our last visit in mid-October. Most of the below-grade work is proceeding on the southern end of the property along West 29th Street, while the northern half is still mostly untouched. Separating these sections is a line of cylindrical steel pilings, which are visible in the first photograph. Excavators are also simultaneously working at varying elevations with a dirt ramp in the middle of the site. Sections of the foundation walls for the abutting low-rise structures are being steadily being exposed as more dirt is hauled away from the rectangular parcel.
3 West 29th Street. Photo by Michael Young
3 West 29th Street. Photo by Michael Young
3 West 29th Street. Photo by Michael Young
Stepping back one street to the south better illustrates 3 West 29th Street’s position on the skyline, namely its nearly direct alignment with the Empire State Building. Although Bjarke Ingels’ skyscraper will partially obscure views of the lower half of the famous Art Deco landmark, the buffer space between the two and their significant disparity in height will leave the latter unchallenged as the focal point of the Midtown skyline.
Looking south at 3 West 29th Street, Rendering by BIG
YIMBY last reported that 3 West 29th Street is expected to be completed in the spring of 2023.
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Hurray! The New York YIMBY December Top 31 Tallest Under Construction Buildings in the New York City area! Yes, what a mouthful, but that is what this basically is, right? Well, I really enjoyed last year’s edition so I can’t wait to see what is to come in this year’s edition.
So, as for 29th & 5th, as I’ve said before on YIMBY, I REALLY don’t like it. Ok, I have maybe been a little harsh with this tower, but you can’t escape the fact that this building will significantly obstruct the one and only Empire State Building. And yes, as said in the article, it will be slightly far away from the ESB but you’ll still see 29th & 5th in all sorts of key locations regardless because of its isolated location on the skyline. Why is that a bad thing? Well, it’s not really nicest looking building I’ll say. So, my final verdict on this one is very clearly negative. ?
I’m not in love with this tower either but I don’t understand everyone saying it obstructs the view of ESB. While it certainly does when looking north, but have you tried to view ESB looking east? Not only is that direct view obstructed, it’s obstructed by a taller skyscraper (30 Hudson Yards) and 4 other supertalls, not some tiny little building like 29th & 5th. I would also argue that there are many more people who lost their Eastern view than will lose there view looking North.
At the end of the day, one need only walk a few feet North or South to view ESB from the West (looking East). Same will be true when this tower is completed.
The photo here of the Empire State Building with a perfect blue sky, is very beautiful.
I dubb the “The I-beam on 29th”!
?
I don’t care about obstruction of views, at 551 feet this is a relative shorty anyway. This would have been an appropriate and welcome addition to the LIC or downtown Brooklyn skylines, but as a replacement of the Bancroft building it’s an entirely forgettable insult, a pile of mediocre dreck.
The Bancroft Building should have been landmarked. It was gorgeous.
There are a couple of project milestones you’ll want to look out for on this project. They are as follows:
1) HFZ loses all control of their architect and design changes run rampant.
2) HFZ then stops approving change orders to Pavarini.
3) Work grinds to a halt as a result of all the design changes that need to be approved in order to finish the building.
4) HFZ begins cutting Pavarini’s reqs as the project slows down.
5) Eric McGovern has Ziel Feldman’s head taxidermized and displayed on his desk.
I’m very excited to watch all of this play out.
Keep building skyscrapers..the taller,the better..NYC is the pinnacle of capitalism minus DeBlasio..
Agreed!
This is what happens when BIG gets value engineered to death by NY developers.
There hasn’t been any work on this site in several weeks-the site is completely filled with last week’s rain water.
You’re right, site has been dead for a few weeks now. And I don’t know why if the building is now planned to be a 551′ office tower, this blog keeps reposting the original, much taller incarnation (more than 800? 1000? I forget). For reference, the existing residential buildings near the rendering are 500-600′.
So, it looks like we’ve already reached Step 3 from my list. I figured the building would at least be out of the ground before we got to this point. Good work, HFZ.
Perhaps-they don’t even have a currently active construction permit that I could find.