Excavation and piling work are underway on the site of a planned nine-story, 153,754-square-foot commercial building at 61 Ninth Avenue, located on the corner of West 15th Street in Chelsea. The site can be seen thanks to a photo posted to the YIMBY Forums. The latest building permits indicate the project will rise 135 feet to its roof, or 175 feet if the bulkhead is included.
One of the city’s most unusual new buildings is under construction on the Upper East Side, where the Rockefeller University is expanding its York Avenue campus by decking over the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Drive. When a visitor would stand atop the high-perched, river-facing promenade, the lawn beneath their feet would conceal two stories of state-of-the-art research labs, spanning three-and-a-half city blocks, with six lanes of traffic running directly beneath. The $500 million Niarchos Foundation–Rockefeller River Campus is on its way to housing one of the city’s largest, and most unusual, green roofs, designed with the high-concept urban spirit of layering buildings, infrastructure, and public space.
Less than two weeks ago, the foundation was completed for a new mixed-use tower in the Financial District. Now, new renderings are out for the building going up at 125 Greenwich Street, thanks to the eagle-eyed contributors on the YIMBY Forums, and they would appear to confirm a final height exceeding 1,000 feet, given the tower will stand taller than the nearby 977-foot-tall 4 World Trade Center at 150 Greenwich Street.
Rockefeller University’s Stavros Niarchos Foundation-David Rockefeller River Campus expansion is now being constructed above the FDR Drive between East 64th and 68th streets, at 1228 York Avenue on the Upper East Side. The expansion consists of a two-story academic building and two acres of green space, according to the New York Times. The new building, called the Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Research Building, will encompass 152,641 square feet. It will feature laboratories, two amphitheaters, offices, conference rooms, a dining area, and outdoor terraces. The new structure will connect to the university’s existing buildings. Rafael Viñoly Architects is behind the design. Construction is being accomplished with the Chesapeake 1000, which is the “largest marine crane based on the East Coast.” Completion is expected in 2019.
Foundation work is now complete at 125 Greenwich Street, in the Financial District, the site of a planned 88-story, 273-unit mixed-use tower being developed by SHVO (headed by Michael Shvo), New Valley, and Bizzi & Partners Development. The concrete pit is now ready to make way for the tower portion, as seen in a photo by ILNY that was posted to the YIMBY Forums. The exact dimensions of building are not known, as the permits at the Buildings Department have yet to be amended, but we know it will rise 898 feet above street level (per Curbed NY) and will encompass roughly 450,000 square feet. There will be 20,000 square feet of retail space in its base and 16,000 square feet of residential amenities, including multiple terraces throughout the tower. The residential units will also be condominiums, ranging from studios to a triplex penthouse. Rafael Viñoly Architects is behind the design. Earlier this year, the developers were in the process of securing financing through various sources. Completion is expected in 2018.
