SL Green’s planned tower next to Grand Central is making significant headway, and demolition for the site’s former buildings is already ongoing. And while we had previously revealed several prospective views of the 1,500-foot supertall, which was approved by the City Council this past May, a tipster has sent along a few more renderings, giving a more comprehensive overview of the tower within the context of its Midtown surrounds.
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.
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.
The saga behind the rise of 53 West 53rd Street is finally drawing to a close, and after excavation began approximately one year ago, foundation work is finally beginning for the future supertall. When we last checked on the project, digging had made some progress, but the latest photo set from ILNY shows the base of a crane has now been installed, rebar is arriving, and that excavation work has seemingly wrapped up.
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.
