When YIMBY last visited the site of the 192-room hotel at 100 Greenwich in October 2015, the 25-story tower’s foundations were only beginning to take shape. Rebar was being laid out for the concrete foundation mat at the rear on the site, while the front portion was still under excavation. Three months later, the building is yet to breach ground level, but its foundations are virtually complete.
The tight site, which clocks in at approximately 4,500 square feet, is now entirely occupied by a one-level-deep, concrete “bathtub” that runs directly against the masonry foundations of its pre-war neighbors to the north, south, and west. The high-rise will be anchored by a series of thick reinforced concrete walls that run along the perimeter of the structure. An unusual feature of the bathtub is where the south perimeter of the foundation runs as a steep concrete slope.
The foundations are arguably the most important, and the most work-intensive, part of any construction project, so the relatively slow pace at the site is justified. But even keeping that in mind, the spring 2016 completion indicated on the project board seems overly optimistic given the current state of progress. To meet the indicated deadline, the general contractor, Cava Construction & Development, Inc., would have to go from basement level to a functional 25 story hotel tower within a few months. On the other hand, buildings with floorplates of uniform size, such as the one at 100 Greenwich, tend to rise rapidly once the footings are finished. During our afternoon visit, limited construction activity was ongoing despite freezing temperatures, though most action came from overzealous security guards.
The context of 100 Greenwich Street. Looking north, with the W Hotel and Residences and One World Trade Center in the background
At 235 feet in height, the tower will rise prominently over its low-rise neighbors along Greenwich Street, though it will be all but blocked from view by taller neighbors old and new. It will join the ranks of several other new hotels in the Greenwich south neighborhood, such as the 50-story Holiday Inn at 99 Washington Street directly behind 100 Greenwich, as well as the 30-story Marriott Courtyard at 133 Greenwich across the street from the World Trade Center two blocks north. However, not all change in the neighborhood is positive. The most outrageous ongoing demolition in all of New York City is underway at 68-74 Trinity Place across the street.
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