Glass paneling is steadily enclosing the tiered crown of Kohn Pedersen Fox’s One Vanderbilt as the supertall inches closer to completion. Developed by SL Green, the 77-story, 1,401-foot-tall commercial office tower is by far the largest construction project underway in Midtown East and is among the most prominent new additions to the New York skyline.
Construction is approaching the final floors at 249 East 50th Street, a 151-foot-tall residential building in Midtown East. The 15-story structure is designed by Issac and Stern and developed by Tun Kyaw, who purchased the land for $17 million.
Amazon has officially acquired the historic Lord & Taylor Building at 424 Fifth Avenue in Midtown, Manhattan. Although Amazon and WeWork, the building’s former owner, have not released any statements on the deal, the transaction is reportedly valued between $978 million and $1.15 billion.
When it comes to new development in New York City, one of the most prolific and notable of the current firms in existence is The Durst Organization, which previously led the construction of One World Trade Center in a public-private partnership with The Port Authority. YIMBY recently interviewed its eponymous head, Douglas Durst, who gave updates on the firm’s major new Long Island City project, dubbed Sven, as well as a range of other topics.
Work is continuing on The Fifth Avenue Hotel, an addition and renovation at 250 Fifth Avenue in NoMad. Designed by Perkins Eastman, PBDW Architects, and Martin Brudnizki Design Studio and developed by Flaneur Hospitality, the project involves the construction of a 230-foot-tall, 24-story structure and the renovation and conversion of an adjacent 115-year-old bank building designed by McKim, Mead & White.
