Extell, the developer behind some of the most prominent projects in New York City such as Central Park Tower, One57, Brooklyn Point, and One Manhattan Square, recently filed demolition permits for two four-story structures at 724 and 726 Eighth Avenue. Located at the busy corner of West 45th Street and Eighth Avenue, the block-wide development stirred interest in early 2018 when a concept proposal was release. YIMBY last reported on the Midtown West site when it was addressed as 265 West 45th Street.
Looking at the site from across the street. Photo by Michael Young
724 Eighth Avenue and 726 Eighth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
The backside of the property. Photo by Michael Young
Both buildings are now vacant, while a couple of small businesses to the north are still operating. Below are some of the previous concept proposals and renderings, each with its own unique architectural style. While Extell did not commission the renderings by RB Systems, the project’s square footage should be similar in scope.
265 West 45th Street in Midtown, rendering courtesy RB Systems
265 West 45th Street lobby entrance, rendering courtesy RB Systems
265 West 45th Street lobby (left) and observation deck (right), rendering courtesy RB Systems
265 West 45th Street office space, rendering courtesy RB Systems
265 West 45th Street elevation, rendering courtesy RB Systems
265 West 45th Street Tuned Damper, rendering courtesy RB Systems
265 West 45th Street, rendering courtesy RB Systems
265 West 45th Street (left) with the Empire State Building (center), rendering courtesy RB Systems
The above photos are a proposal from RB Systems, which debuted last March as a super-slender, cylindrical 1,312-foot-tall office building with a software-controlled tuned mass damper. There would be sky lobbies on the eighth, 28th, 49th, 71st, and 81st floors of the chrome-clad structure, offices on floors 81-93, an observation deck on the 96th floor, and underground parking. This vision would incorporate a width-to-height ratio of 13.4:1.
Boston Properties and Related also released a previous concept for a more traditional glass skyscraper that would more closely match the height and style of the surrounding buildings.
Boston Properties and Related’s proposed development for 265 West 45th Street
The involvement of Extell, with its history of building large skyscrapers, suggests a strong likelihood that a supertall will eventually rise from the site. While the tentative use has not been confirmed, the previous concepts for the site suggest an office supertall is a decent guess for the eventual occupant.
The A, C, and E trains and the buses at the Port Authority Bus Terminal are a short walking distance to the south. There are also connections to the 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, W, and shuttle to Grand Central via 42nd Street-Port Authority Bus Terminal. The heart of Times Square is to the east, while a plethora of dining, retail, nightlife, theaters, and other entertainment options surround 724-726 Eighth Avenue.
A start date to the demolition and completion of the project has not been announced yet.
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Does Manhattan need a new Smokestack or just another sliver glass box?
This is never going to happen in this form first and foremost because small cylindrical floorplates are about the opposite of what modern office tenants are looking for.
Pooh.
Everyone gets a corner office darling.
AND- it’s sooo phallic!
It probably never will happen, but boy, would it be cool if it did. Something to break up the monotony of boxes our skyline is becoming.
Totally agree with NFA’s comment above. Additionally, how many observation decks does midtown need? There’s one going on at 30HY and another at One Vanderbilt. Isn’t that enough? Other than that, I don’t mind a supertall in this location, so long as it’s not in the form in the current rendering.
By the time this opens the times will have changed – those floorplates are unique and interesting and I’m sure there’s a market. This is a nice rendering and it would be a welcome departure from the mediocrity in the area and of the alternate proposal.
Better a smokestack than yet another glass box. Lots of hedge funds don’t need huge floor plates. Or make it a hotel.
I don’t believe Boston Properties and Related are serious with that travesty of design for Manhattan. What do they think Manhattan is: South Station, Boston?? Come on block heads at BP&R.
We need something interesting like this to compliment the skyline.
Not another dull glass box!
Sensational vision and engineering.
I like the design. It’d be a great residential building
A super tall monstrosity of a building is out of character with the area. 8th Avenue to 10th Avenue starting from West 45th Street to West 57th Street is heavily residential with low and mid rise apartment buildings.
As a former resident of Hell’s Kitchen and one who works in the Broadway community, I am against all these horrible high rises being built. I remember after 9/11 there was serious talk of not allowing ridiculously high buildings any longer. Sadly that didn’t last. Our city is losing all of it’s personality. We don’t need these ugly, unsafe “supertall” buildings.