Features

From Piano Row To Billionaires’ Row: Demolition Wraps Up On Three Buildings At 27-33 West 57th Street

5:36 pm on February 26, 2016 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

The stunningly tall towers rising along 57th Street are taking the Manhattan skyline to a whole new level. Despite their relatively small footprints, some projects are actually replacing true architectural gems. Between the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2016, the LeFrak Organization and Vornado Realty leveled three pre-war buildings at 27-33 West 57th Street. Although the latest reports indicated a “seven star hotel,” final plans are still unknown. Given the site’s Billionaires’ Row location and proximity to Central Park, whatever gets built will most likely be very tall, and very expensive.

Five of the sites prioritized for designation by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Landmarks Prioritizes 30 Backlog Sites for Designation, Permanently Removes Five

8:00 am on February 24, 2016 By Evan Bindelglass

As we have reported, the Landmarks Preservation Commission is in the process of dealing with the backlog of 95 items that have been on its calendar since before 2010, some for decades. That process took a big step forward Tuesday, with 30 sites remaining on the calendar as priorities for designation vote by the end of 2016. Five sites were removed from the calendar for lack of merit.

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.

A rendering of the proposal for 46-74 Gansevoort Street as seen from the Whitney Museum of American Art. All renderings courtesy BKSK Architects.

Architects Tout Gansevoort Market Plan As Return to History

8:00 am on February 5, 2016 By Evan Bindelglass

In November, a plan for a commercial revitalization of the south side of a block of Gansevoort Street, in the Meatpacking District, went before the Landmarks Preservation Commission. In a rare, but hardly unheard of occurrence, the hearing was paused before the commissioners could discuss the proposal. With the continuation of that session likely to come soon, YIMBY sat down with the architects behind it to talk about its place in the history of the area.

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.

25 Kent Avenue, rendering via Heritage Equity Partners

How the City is Encouraging Office Development and Manufacturing in North Williamsburg

4:30 pm on January 15, 2016 By Rebecca Baird-Remba

Just as the MTA considers a lengthy L train shutdown to repair flood damage from Hurricane Sandy, the Department of City Planning has kicked off the approval process for Williamsburg’s first new office building in decades. But the rezoning for the development at 25 Kent Avenue includes a policy that could shape industrial areas throughout the city. It would create a special district that allows developers to trade light manufacturing space for extra office space.

Why 2016 Will Be the Manhattan Skyline’s Biggest Year Ever

8:00 am on January 11, 2016 By Nikolai Fedak

The rise of the supertalls has been several years in the making, and One57, 432 Park Avenue, and One World Trade Center have offered a preview of the increasingly gargantuan changes taking place across New York City. But 2016 will mark the start of a new era for the city’s skyline. With six supertalls of 300 meters (984 feet) or greater now rising, the city’s total number of such buildings will nearly double, from seven to thirteen. Yesterday, the New York Post featured YIMBY’s compilation of the towers, and today we wanted to give our own rundown on the image and its implications for our continually-changing city.

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.

What New York City Landmarks Were Designated In 2015?

8:00 am on December 30, 2015 By Evan Bindelglass

This year marked the 50^th anniversary of the New York City landmarks law, which empowered the Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate landmarks and historic districts in the five boroughs. With 2015 coming to an end, we thought it would be a good time to review what the commission has protected this year. Six individual landmarks and four historic districts were designated, adding up to protection for over 2,000 more structures.

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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