Rendering of proposed mixed-use building at 625 West 57th Street. Image Courtesy: Durst Development LLC.

New development plan promises period of residential affordability, lively streetscape, and small public space in Manhattan. On December 19, 2012, the City Planning Commission approved Durst Development LLC’s mixed-use development project at 625 West 57th Street. A unique, pyramid-shaped, 35-story building between West 57th and 58th Streets will be the centerpiece of the project. The building will contain 753 rental units including 151 affordable units, ground floor retail space, and a 285-space accessory parking garage. The development project will also include a conversion of a Manhattan Mini Storage building at 600 West 58th Street to community facility, residential, or retail uses. Finally, an access drive will be built connecting West 57th and West 58th Streets to provide access to the new building’s parking garage and lobby. (See CityLand’s past coverage here).

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Rendering of proposed mixed-use building at 625 West 57th Street. Image Courtesy: Durst Development LLC.

99-year ground lease hinders owner’s ability to provide permanent affordable housing. Durst Development LLC proposed a mixed-use, Large-Scale General Development (LSGD) project on multiple lots in Manhattan adjacent to the Hudson River. The property block is bounded by West 57th and West 58th Streets, and 11th and 12th Avenues. The west side of the block is currently a vacant lot, while on the east side of the block is The Helena – a residential and retail building also owned by Durst – and a Manhattan Mini Storage. On the surrounding blocks are the former Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) Powerhouse to the north, now operating as a Con Edison steam station, and car dealerships and a City Department of Sanitation garage to the south. (read more…)