Articles by Vitali Ogorodnikov

The Phantom Of Times Square: A Century Of Radical Change At 701 Seventh Avenue

4:15 pm on February 12, 2016 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

The year 2015 marked the near-complete demolition of Times Square’s second oldest structure. The Columbia Amusement Co. Building, which opened at Times Square’s northeast corner on West 47th Street in January 1910. 701 7th Avenue was known by a variety of names during its century-long life span. Like the slightly older yet much more famous One Times Square at the opposite end of the square, the building engaged in the neighborhood’s classic disappearing act, where giant billboards seen by millions made their renovation-scarred hosts all but invisible. But behind the ads, standing on a 16,000-square-foot lot, was a building with a history as dramatic and diverse as that of the famous square on which it stood.

Sneckdowns: Using Snow Pileup to Design Better Streets

4:30 pm on January 29, 2016 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

New Yorkers breathe a collective sigh of relief as the city’s second largest snow pileup on record is steadily melting away. But while snow cover is a hazard to pedestrians and drivers alike, it also offers an opportunity to make the streets safer and more pleasant.

11-07 Welling Court Tops Out In Astoria’s Welling Court Mural Arts District

5:27 pm on January 22, 2016 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

A six-story residential building has topped out at 11-07 Welling Court in western Astoria, in the middle of one of New York City’s most important street art and graffiti destinations.

Foundations Complete For 25-Story Hotel At 100 Greenwich Street

6:30 am on January 22, 2016 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

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.

Eight-Story Vernon Tower On Astoria Waterfront Rises To Second Level

6:00 am on January 21, 2016 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

The residential building at 31-43 Vernon Boulevard, on the East River waterfront in Queens, has risen to its second level. The project, known as Vernon Tower, is designed by PACS Architecture and developed by Michael Heletz of Vernon Tower LLC. The grey and white, panel-clad building will rise directly from the sidewalk to the pinnacle, with two-story setbacks at the corners. 1,409 square feet of retail will activate the ground level facing Vernon Boulevard.

What Notable NYC Buildings Were Demolished in 2015?

4:30 pm on January 8, 2016 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

In 2015, New York’s landmarks law turned 50 years old. Events and discussion panels were held across the city throughout the year. The Museum of the City of New York held the commemorative Saving Place exhibit. As YIMBY reported, six individual landmarks and four historic districts were designated during this period. However, last year also saw its fair share of demolitions. Here, we look back at a small selection from the dozens of buildings that met the wrecking ball over the course of 2015. These eight structures range from architectural masterpieces to eyesores and span across a variety of decades, styles, and uses – as diverse as the Big Apple’s built environment itself.

Construction Update: 995 Washington Avenue

6:30 am on January 6, 2016 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

A one-unit, five-story residential building is nearing completion at 995 Washington Avenue in the southwest corner of the Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Construction Update: 5-33 48th Avenue, Long Island City

6:30 am on January 5, 2016 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

While most ongoing projects in booming Long Island City involve ground-up construction, 5-33 48th Avenue, two blocks east of the East River, is a conversion of the type more commonly seen in the borough across that river. The renovation and expansion of a four-story manufacturing building into a seven-story residential property is well underway. The project will feature 36 units, as well as retail at the ground floor. Joseph A Sultana of JLS Designs Architecture is indicated as the general contractor on the project’s work permit.

Foundations Are Excavated For Retail Project At 719 Seventh Avenue, Times Square

8:00 am on January 4, 2016 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

As SL Green is developing Midtown’s largest commercial property at One Vanderbilt across the street from Grand Central Terminal, the company is also building the neighborhood’s smallest ground-up project at 719 Seventh Avenue, just one block north of Times Square’s northern terminus. Despite its diminutive four-story size, the retail building will assert itself via a 150-foot-tall, 5,000-square-foot array of digital billboards. On-site demolition is complete, and excavation is well underway. Pavarini McGovern LLC is listed as the construction manager.

Times Square Toys “R” Us, Once World’s Largest Toy Store, To Close December 30

1:15 pm on December 28, 2015 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

2015 will go down in New York’s storied retail history as the year when the city lost two of its flagship toy stores. At 6:00 p.m. on December 30, Toys “R” Us will shut down its Times Square store at West 44th Street and Broadway. The retail giant decided not to renew the lease due to ever-rising rents in the pedestrian-heavy neighborhood. Earlier in July, the company closed the famous FAO Schwarz store on at 767 Fifth Avenue, which had served the city since 1986.

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Articles by Vitali Ogorodnikov

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