Architects of 59-story 500 Fifth Avenue building also designed Empire State Building. On December 14, 2010, Landmarks designated the 500 Fifth Avenue Building as an individual City landmark. The building’s architects, Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, also designed the Empire State Building, and both buildings share similar Art Deco motifs. Built in 1931 on a small 100 by 208 feet lot on the corner of Fifth Avenue and West 42nd Street, the 59- story skyscraper was built out to the maximum height and bulk available under the 1916 zoning resolution. It is clad in limestone, terra cotta, and brick, and features a limestone and granite entrance with reliefs by Edmond Amateis. The building is asymmetrically massed, with varying setbacks on its 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue frontages, because the lot was located in two zoning districts with different setback requirements.

At a hearing in October 2010, a representative of Assembly Member Richard Gottfried described the building as “a beacon of architectural ingenuity.” The Historic Districts Council’s Daniel Donovan stated that the building had been overlooked “as an icon of 20th century cityscapes simply because it fits in so well.” Cozen O’Connor attorney Howard B. Hornstein, representing the building owner, said the impact of individual landmarking on property values was difficult to quantify and asked that Landmarks refrain from voting for at least 60 days, pending a review of the designation’s economic impact on the building. Also representing the owner, attorney Paul J. Proulx said the owner had not yet taken a stance on designation, but argued that 500 Fifth Avenue did not rise to the level of the Empire State Building. (more…)

Board found that prior corrected violations justified increased penalty for glass panel broken by snapped cable. On December 10, 2008 a glass panel fell from the 50th floor of One Bryant Park in Midtown, Manhattan after being struck by a steel safety netting cable. Buildings issued a notice of violation to the contractor, Tishman Construction Corporation, for failing to safeguard persons and property while working on the building. The issuing officer noted that similar incidents involving falling glass occurred at the site in May and September of 2008 and charged Tishman with an aggravated violation and increased fine.

At a hearing before an ALJ, Tishman argued that it took all necessary safety precautions and that a mechanical defect caused the cable to snap. Tishman further argued that it should not be charged with an aggravated offense because it stipulated to or corrected the prior violations. Buildings countered that the fact the cable snapped and broke the glass indicated that Tishman failed to maintain safety measures. To support the increased fine, Buildings submitted a computer record showing 39 NOVs against Tishman, nineteen of which were upheld or settled. The ALJ upheld the NOV and found that the evidence established a history of non-compliance warranting an increased penalty. (more…)

The Council’s Land Use Committee approved the proposal after the developer agreed to provide permanently affordable on-site housing. On December 14, 2009, the City Council’s Land Use Committee modified and approved Goldman Sachs and Related Companies’ proposal to develop the Western Rail Yard site on the far west side of Midtown, Manhattan. The thirteen-acre site is bounded by West 33rd Street to the north, West 30th Street to the south, Eleventh Avenue to the east, and Twelfth Avenue to the west. The High Line runs along the site’s southern and western edges, but it is not part of the proposed project.

The approved plan will convert the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s open rail storage yard into a 5.7 million sq.ft. development that would include eight mixed-use towers, containing roughly 4,600 – 5,700 dwelling units, 5.4 acres of open space, and a new public school. The proposal included setting aside twenty percent of the project’s rental units as affordable housing. Related submitted applications to rezone the site from an M2-3 to a C6-4 district, obtain special permits to build two parking garages with a maximum of 1,600 combined spaces, and to extend the Special Hudson Yards District to include the site. (more…)

Council refused Hines’s request to restore the 200 feet cut from the proposed MoMA tower. On October 14, 2009, the City Council approved a modified version of Hines Interests’ proposal to build a mixed-use tower adjacent to the Museum of Modern Art complex at 53 West 53rd Street in Midtown, Manhattan. The original proposal called for an 85-story, 1,250-foot tower that would include 51,949 sq.ft. of additional gallery space for MoMA, a 147,965 sq.ft. hotel, and 458,412 sq.ft. of residential floor area. In order to build the project, Hines requested approval to transfer a combined 411,000 sq.ft. of development rights from the landmarked University Club and St. Thomas Church.

At the City Planning Commission’s July 22 hearing, opponents expressed concerns about the project’s impact on the neighborhood, arguing the tower was inappropriate for the site’s mid-block location. The Commission approved the project, but it reduced the tower’s height by 200 feet, noting that the building did not merit reaching the height of the Empire State Building, the City’s tallest building. 6 CityLand 138 (Oct. 15, 2009). (more…)

Hines Interests’ proposed tower at 53 West 53rd Street. Image: Ateliers Jean Nouvel.

Commission expressed doubts about whether Jean Nouvel-designed tower should equal Empire State Building. On September 9, 2009, the City Planning Commission approved a modified version of Hines Interests’ proposal to build an 85-story, 1,250-foot tall mixed-used building, which would reach the Empire State Building’s height below its antenna, adjacent to the Museum of Modern Art complex at 53 West 53rd Street in Midtown, Manhattan. The 19,615 sq.ft. through-block site is located in the Special Midtown District, and portions of its zoning lot are within four zoning districts: the C5-2.5, C5-3, C5-P, and C6-6 districts. The MoMA complex, the landmarked St. Thomas Church, the American Folk Art Museum, and the Museum Tower condominiums are all located on the project’s zoning lot.

Hines’ proposal called for a 658,306 sq.ft. tower that would include museum, hotel, and residential uses. MoMA would create a 51,949 sq.ft. gallery and exhibition space on the second through fifth floor that would connect internally to its neighboring building. A hotel would occupy floors eight through 17, providing 147,945 sq.ft. of space for approximately 167 rooms, and floors 19 through 81 would provide 458,412 sq.ft. of residential space. The hotel’s lobby would occupy the ground floor, and it would use the cellar-space as a restaurant. Hines would build a residential entrance on West 54th Street. (more…)