Kicking off our annual Turkey Week rundown of notable stalled projects is Seaport Residences, a 60-story residential skyscraper at 161 Maiden Lane along the border of Lower Manhattan’s Financial District and the South Street Seaport District. Designed by Hill West Architects and developed by Fortis Property Group, the 670-foot-tall tower has been on hold since sometime in late 2020, and its future remains uncertain. The 200,000-square-foot structure is planned to yield 80 units with interiors by Groves & Co. Ray Builders was the latest contractor for the property, which is located on a narrow rectangular site bound by South Street and Maiden Lane.
Seaport Residences. Photo by Michael Young
Seaport Residences. Photo by Michael Young
Seaport Residences. Photo by Michael Young
Seaport Residences. Photo by Michael Young
Seaport Residences made headlines in early 2019 when it was reported that the superstructure was allegedly leaning three inches to the north. Despite this, Fortis had deemed the tower to be structurally safe, and progress resumed on the curtain wall with a new contractor. However, our visit in September 2020 revealed that a portion of the glass panels had been removed. Today, the tower remains in largely the same condition. Click here for YIMBY’s coverage of the building’s structural findings from April 2019.
Seaport Residences. Photo by Michael Young
Seaport Residences. Photo by Michael Young
Seaport Residences. Photo by Michael Young
Seaport Residences. Photo by Michael Young
Seaport Residences. Photo by Michael Young
Seaport Residences. Photo by Michael Young
Below are additional photographs of Seaport Residences from the South Street Seaport District showing its height and contrast with the restored historic buildings along Fulton Street.
Seaport Residences. Photo by Michael Young
Seaport Residences. Photo by Michael Young
Should the project ultimately reach completion, residents will have convenient access to Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s recently opened seafood-themed market at the Tin Building next to Pier 17.
Seaport Residences (right). Photo by Michael Young
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What is actually going on with this building? What a puzzling development this has been.
So what if this project DOES NOT get completed by the developer, does it become an 60-story “eyesore” on the skyline… or does it get demolished?!🤫
Reminds me of a massive casino project in Las Vegas, and another multi-tower high rise project in downtown LA… both not completed.
This is a “larger scale” version of countless smaller projects never built, which resulted in historic buildings being demolished, then the site is left empty, due to financial reasons! 😡
How unfortunate..
Almost too horrific to understand.. with the sophisticated computer technology…. Certified engineers that such a situation should occur.
Hopefully things will improve but responsibilities and financial penalties should be severely placed on the responsible parties
How does one correct a 3-inch lean in a building of this height? Hydraulic jacks? The city should sue the developer to fix this or demolish it ASAP. That’s just negligent.
Exactly and it should have been years ago now!
A three inch lean shouldn’t be an issue. The building could be underpinned, though very expensive, to prevent any further movement.
I havent read the deeper dive on this tower regarding the lean but I don’t understand how this even happens. The foundations are tapped into bedrock. Bedrock doesnt allow settling, therefore why the lean? Seems like a problem one would have in Miami, or famously in San Francisco.
First of all, this was a surface parking lot at least since 2011, so no building was destroyed for this disaster.
The world famous Millennium Tower in San Francisco, also tilts and continues to get worse. That building has sunk 18 inches into the ground and is currently tilting at an astonishing 28 inches! It is slightly shorter than 161 Maiden Lane, but has a much larger footprint.
Both buildings are heavy concrete structures, and both buildings were placed on a concrete pad sitting on landfill with a consistency of pudding. Ongoing lawsuits and worthless apartments plague the tenants at Millennium Tower. Attempts to fix the problem have only increased the tilt.
Why Fortis Property Group decided to copy the disaster of the Millennium Tower is a complete mystery other than to save money by not driving piles down to bedrock.
There is no mystery why this project is stalled, everyone knows about Millennium Tower, and so nobody would be stupid enough to buy an apartment at Maiden Lane.
You know definitely this does not have piling to bedrock? I hadn’t heard that but like i said i havent followed this saga very closely.
I read it in an article a couple of years ago. I remember thinking, how could they repeat this mistake?
They must have run out of money.
If the Palace Theater can be lifted 30’, while simultaneously tearing down one building surrounding it, and then building a new one around it, they should be able to figure this out. If they need help, they should ask for it.
They should ask the guys that lifted The Palace!
Apparently, pilings were not placed under the foundation slab and it does not rest on bedrock as some of Lower Manhattan along the water is landfill. There is currently a lawsuit between the various parties. The lean was discovered when glass facade panels were found not to fit properly. Some were removed for fear of their falling. The company that built the foundation as requested expects the subsidence to continue.
What a debacle!
Sounds like a job for the” Pinball Wizard”…..Tilt…..
Omg I loved that episode of The Magic School Bus!!!