Construction is nearing completion on a Cube Smart self storage facility at 41-47 East 21st Street in the Flatiron District. Developed by Mequity Companies, which purchased the property from The Zucker Organization for $32.3 million in March 2019, the project involves the conversion of a four-story, 50,000-square-foot parking garage into a storage facility. Equity E. 21st Owner LLC is the owner and Park East Construction is the general contractor for the property, which is located Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue.
Recent photos show the exterior largely completed above the sidewalk scaffolding. The façade is composed of metal paneling in varying shades of gray along the main southern elevation, while the eastern-facing walls incorporate a small amount of red brick above the roof parapet. The conversion is a significant departure from the appearance of the former parking garage, as seen in the below Google Street View image.
Photo via Google Maps from June 2014
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
The following photos from the first few months of 2023 document the gradual progress of façade modernization on the former garage. The old window grid was walled up with cinderblocks before the new envelope began installation.
Photo by Michael Young. Taken in early January 2023.
Photo by Michael Young. Taken in early January 2023.
Photo by Michael Young. Taken in early January 2023.
Photo by Michael Young. Taken in early April 2023.
Photo by Michael Young. Taken in early April 2023.
Photo by Michael Young. Taken in early April 2023.
Photo by Michael Young. Taken in early April 2023.
Photo by Michael Young. Taken in early April 2023.
Photo by Michael Young. Taken in early April 2023.
Photo by Michael Young. Taken in early April 2023.
The on-site rendering shows the southern face adorned with the Cube Smart logo on the darker-paneled section on the western end of the building. The facility’s entrance doors will sit on the opposite end of the frontage, and a pair of retractable garage doors for vehicular access will be located in the middle.
A former completion date was anticipated for December 2022, but YIMBY expects 41-47 East 21st Street to be finished sometime in the second half of this year.
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That’s something to behold.
What a beautiful facility. This will fill a much-needed void in this neighborhood and based on the other storage facilities shown on the developer’s website, this will easily be the nicest self-storage building in Manhattan.
That poor building behind the facade.
This is criminal. A self storage in that neighborhood?
Ha ha. Better than a garage for cars.
a complete disaster !
The parking garage was more interesting than this monstrosity.
This is not going to age well.