Work has resumed at the infamous 305 East 51st Street, which was the site of a 2008 crane collapse that killed seven people and destroyed a neighboring brownstone. The site’s safety record prompted a change in the new building’s official address to 305 East 51st Street – it was officially at 303 East 51st Street prior to the accident – and developer HFZ Capital has named the new tower ‘The Halcyon’.
Besides HFZ Capital, CIM’s website also mentions 305 East 51st Street as an investment – and has several renderings of the project, also visible at the building’s actual website – so it seems multiple entities are involved in the resumption of construction.
The dissonance between renderings of the project and what’s actually been built so far is surprising – the 19-story stub of the original design has many balconies, and a frame that appears far skinnier than the revised proposal. It does seem the uncompleted tower will be demolished, as The Wall Street Journal reports the site will host another tower facing Second Avenue, in addition to 305 East 51st Street.
Once complete, the new tower will rise 32 floors and house a total of 123 residential units. 305 East 51st Street’s height has been reduced since the crane collapse, as the tower was originally supposed to rise 43 stories – but the new scope does include two towers instead of one.
Permits filed with the Department of Buildings confirm the resumption in activity. Exact plans regarding demolition remain unclear, but progress is finally occurring – a welcome change to a site that has been stale for five years.
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