The more indecisive among us will be able to relate to the back and forth dance Silverstein Properties is currently doing as it tries to make a decision about what to build on a large property in Manhattan’s Far West Side.
Before purchasing a Mercedes-Benz dealership on the site for $115 million and demolishing it back in 2015, Silverstein announced its plans to build two 60-story-plus towers with a total of around 1,000 apartment units. But after the purchase was made official, Silverstein instead decided to build a 1,100-foot tower with 1,400 apartments and a large retail component, Curbed New York reports.
But the best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry, and Silverstein has once again scrapped its plans and appears to be pursuing a different approach. The new plan, which, according to Crain’s, has not been set in stone, eliminates the supertall tower and goes back to a two-tower approach; one residential and one commercial.
This time, however, the project would be constructed in two phases. The first phase of the new plan would see a CetraRuddy-designed 600,000-sf condo tower rise on the site. Building the residential tower first would prove to be more lucrative and could help fund the construction of the second tower in phase two. The second tower would be the larger tower of the two, comprising 1.2 million sf of office space.
Plans have not been filed for the new two-tower project yet, however, and Silverstein is still exploring other options for the site. So don’t be too surprised if another change of plans occurs.
Related Stories
| Dec 17, 2014
11 predictions for high-rise construction in 2015
In its annual forecast, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat predicts that 2015 will be the "Year of the Woodscraper," and that New York’s troubled B2 modular high-rise project will get back on track.
| Dec 16, 2014
'Wedding dress' tower to be tallest in Africa
The $1 billion tower will have 114 stories, alluding to the 114 chapters of the Koran.
| Dec 16, 2014
Architect Eli Attia sues Google over tall building technology
Attia and tech company Max Sound Corp. have brought a lawsuit against Google because of Flux, a Google X-developed startup launched in 2014. Flux creates software to design environmentally-friendly buildings in a cost-effective way.
| Dec 12, 2014
SOM names winner of One World Trade Center photo contest
Gerry Padden's winning photo offers a striking juxtaposition of the Brooklyn Bridge with the sparkling One World Trade Center tower.
| Dec 4, 2014
10 tallest buildings to be completed in 2015
This year has seen the completion of many signature tall buildings, including the One World Trade Center. CNN reports that 2015 promises to be another busy year for skyscraper construction across the globe.
High-rise Construction | Dec 1, 2014
ThyssenKrupp develops world’s first rope-free elevator system
ThyssenKrupp's latest offering, named MULTI, will allow several cabins in the same shaft to move vertically and horizontally.
| Nov 29, 2014
20 tallest towers that were never completed
Remember the Chicago Spire? What about Russia Tower? These are two of the tallest building projects that were started, but never completed, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The CTBUH Research team offers a roundup of the top 20 stalled skyscrapers across the globe.
| Nov 24, 2014
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill-designed crystalline tower breaks ground in southwestern China
Fitted with an LED façade, the 468-meter Greenland Tower Chengdu will act as a light sculpture for the city of Chengdu.
| Nov 24, 2014
OMA morphs Miami condo tower development plan
Initially, the design included six slim towers to be set on the Miami shoreline, but the cylinders have been nudged into pairs to form three larger towers.
| Nov 11, 2014
Renzo Piano's third building at London Bridge Quarter approved, will be built adjacent to the Shard
Renzo Piano Building Workshop has been granted planning approval for its residential building at London Bridge Quarter—a 26-story apartment tower dubbed Feilden House.