215 West 28th Street

In Chelsea, Cleared Site Awaits 21-Story Residential Project at 215 West 28th Street; Demo Permit Issued for Sister Building at 223 West 28th Street

6:30 am on June 1, 2016 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

Last month, we presented an updated design for a residential complex developed by HAP Investments and designed by DXA Architects. The two-building project would span an unusual site at 215-219 and 223-227 West 28th Street, split by a tenement in between. Our latest visit reveals that the plot for the east building at number 215, which would feature some of the city’s most striking cantilevers, appears ready for construction prep. Demolition has not yet started for its counterpart at number 223.

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Bronx Museum of the Arts

Mónica Ponce de León to Design Latest Expansion of Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse, South Bronx

6:00 am on June 1, 2016 By Reid Wilson

The Bronx Museum of the Arts, located at 1040 Grand Concourse, on the corner of East 165th Street in the South Bronx, is planning a $25 million overhaul and expansion of their 36,000-square-foot facility. The expansion will include more exhibition space and a “glassed-in” area for educational and community programing, the New York Times reports. Venezuelan-American architect Mónica Ponce de León, head of MPdL Studio, will be responsible for the design of the expansion. The museum will remain open during the construction. The first phase is expected to be complete by 2020. The city has already contributed roughly $7 million to the project.

2749 Cruger Avenue

Four-Story, Seven- and Nine-Unit Residential Buildings Planned at 2749 Cruger Avenue, Allerton

4:00 pm on May 31, 2016 By Reid Wilson

Newburgh, N.Y.-based property owner Artan Prelaj has filed applications for two four-story, multi-unit residential buildings at 2747-2749 Cruger Avenue, in Allerton, located around the block from the Allerton Avenue stop on the 2/5 trains. From north to south, the buildings will measure 6,219 and 7,543 square feet each. The smaller building will contain seven units averaging 714 square feet apiece, while the larger building will host nine units averaging 659 square feet apiece, both indicative of rental apartments. Both buildings will be topped by a penthouse level that will be associated with one of the fourth floor apartments. There will also be private residential storage in the cellar. Fernando Geremia’s Pelham, N.Y.-based Fred Geremia Architects & Planners is the architect of record. The 50-foot-wide lot is currently occupied by a two-story brick house. Permits were filed to demolish it last year.

124 West Houston Street

Mixed-Use Conversion Planned for Six-Story Building at 124 West Houston Street, Greenwich Village

3:00 pm on May 31, 2016 By Reid Wilson

An anonymous New York investor has acquired, for $15.4 million, the six-story, 13,150-square-foot former residence and studio of artists Madeline Arakawa Gins and Shusaku Arakawa at 124 West Houston Street, in Greenwich Village. The new owner plans to convert the building’s ground and cellar levels into retail space and turn floors two though six into residential units, according to Commercial Observer. The building is vacant, except for a rent-controlled apartment on the fifth floor. It’s not clear if the apartments will be rentals or condos, but the future residential floors contain 14-foot ceilings and large floor plates. The property is located within the South Village Historic District, which means the Landmarks Preservation Commission would have to approve any exterior alterations.

Chelsea Market

Jamestown Converting Basement of Chelsea Market Into Retail Corridor, Chelsea

2:00 pm on May 31, 2016 By Reid Wilson

Jamestown is planning to convert the basement level of Chelsea Market – a 1.2-million-square-foot, multi-use commercial complex located on the block bound by Ninth and Tenth avenues and West 15th and 16th streets, at 75 Ninth Avenue in southern Chelsea – into retail space. The conversion of the basement would double the retail space of the property to 80,000 square feet, according to Crain’s. The basement would be made into a single corridor similar to how the ground floor is currently configured with retailers. The project is expected to take five years. After the retail expansion, and pending an anchor tenant, the owners plan to vertically expand the complex’s office space by roughly 300,000 square feet. The office plans passed the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) in 2012.

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