Earlier this week, we posted photos of work at 217 West 57th Street as viewed from the street level, and now we have a fresh set of overhead shots from reader Andrew McKeon, featuring both 220 Central Park South and 217 West 57th Street. And when comparing with the last set of similar shots from February, progress has been very significant.
Earlier this September, YIMBY broke news that Extell’s 99-story Nordstrom Tower lost its spire and will rise 1,550 feet to the parapet, and today, the building is on the rise at 217 West 57th Street, per Curbed. Since YIMBY’s last construction update in July, significant progress has been made. The tower’s concrete core is currently above street level, and the rest of the building is slowly rising out of the pit. Nordstrom will occupy a significant chunk of the building’s base, and the 1.3-million square-foot tower is expected to be finished by 2019.
Last month, a rep for Extell told the NY Post that all images of Nordstrom Tower released so far are inaccurate, which is especially confusing considering some of the images came from documents produced in-house at the firm. But the PR doublespeak is technically correct, and YIMBY can now confirm that there has indeed been an additional tweak to the plans, and the country’s future tallest building (by roof height) has been scalped of its spire.
With formwork about to rise above ground level at Nordstrom Tower, the Smith + Gill-designed supertall’s plans seem to be finalized, pending possible adjustments at the very top. But other renderings for Extell’s site were created by several firms during the RFP process, and we now have images of proposals by Foster + Partners and Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. While they will remain unbuilt, both versions of the building offer fantastical takes on the future of Midtown in their own right.
The permitting process surrounding high-profile projects is becoming increasingly convoluted, with ‘dummy filings’ now commonly submitted prior to actual new building applications. This is particularly true at 217 West 57th Street, which still doesn’t have any on-site renderings. But luckily some new supporting documents have been filed with the city, revealing what appear to be the actual height numbers for the tower’s parapet and roof, confirming it will become the country’s tallest building.
