Excavation work is underway at 249 East 62nd Street, site of a residential tower on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Developed by Zeckendorf Development with CM & Associates as the general contractor, the project has undergone some design modifications since our last update in early 2018, when renderings and plans for a Rafael Viñoly-designed 32-story, 510-foot-tall skyscraper were revealed. There is now a revised building diagram that depicts a roughly 27- to 28-story edifice with a tall ground floor, a tiered and multi-faceted crown, and an L-shaped footprint with frontage on both East 62nd Street and Second Avenue. Zeckendorf had hired INC Architecture & Design in late 2020 to redraw plans for a scaled down residence roughly 330 feet tall with 30 floors.
Not much can be spotted from across the street through the green wooden sidewalk boards and beyond the foreground of mechanical equipment and machinery. Work is progressing below street level and foundations should likely commence in the coming weeks and months.
249 East 62nd Street. Photo by Michael Young
249 East 62nd Street. Photo by Michael Young
249 East 62nd Street. Photo by Michael Young
Viñoly’s iteration would have yielded just over 150,000 square feet with over 98,500 square feet of residential space divided into 83 units, averaging 1,200 square feet apiece, and about 2,600 square feet of retail space. It’s unclear what the new configurations entails, although the setbacks on the upper levels could likely be private outdoor terraces for a select few homes. The old list of amenities called for a bar/wine tasting area with private dining room and pantry, a media lounge, and a study room around the midway point of the tower. See YIMBY’s previous update for more details and imagery of the former design as seen below.
249 East 62nd Street, image by Rafael Vinoly Architects
A completion date of spring 2023 has been posted on the construction board.
Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail
Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews
Well thank gawd it’s been redesigned from that Vinoly freak show.
I’m not sure what to think of the previous design…
Ugh, the NIMBYs strike again. Will never understand people who live in the middle of Manhattan and then complain about tall buildings. Think I’m gonna move to Antarctica and complain about the cold.
ok crawdad
Not as concerned about the height considering the neighboring buildings. But the Vinoli rendering was another example of deploying something that looks like Mars Base One in the middle of a fully developed neighborhood.
Looks like a whole bunch of neighbors will lose their windows. That can always happen with lot line windows of course, but I do feel for these people. That must suck.
Yes, I noticed that too, so am guessing no need for window coverings…their view will now be a concrete wall! ☹
Lesson here… rent or purchase apts. or condos facing the STREET! 🤗
Fingers crossed RASMA has been tapped to take over the design.
I hope that’s true. I’ll take a RAMSA over a Vinoly any day.
Just simply weird.