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
| Jul 10, 2013
TED talk: Architect Michael Green on why we should build tomorrow's skyscrapers out of wood
In a newly posted TED talk, wood skyscraper expert Michael Green makes the case for building the next-generation of mid- and high-rise buildings out of wood.
| Jul 9, 2013
AISC releases Design Guide on Blast Resistant Structures
Design professionals now have a valuable new resource on blast resistant structures with AISC Design Guide No. 26, Design of Blast Resistant Structures.
High-rise Construction | Jul 9, 2013
5 innovations in high-rise building design
KONE's carbon-fiber hoisting technology and the Broad Group's prefab construction process are among the breakthroughs named 2013 Innovation Award winners by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
| Jul 1, 2013
LEGOLAND builds 12-foot replica of One World Trade Center
The LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester in Yonkers, N.Y., celebrated the completion of a LEGO replica of One World Trade Center by lighting the 12-foot-tall, 100-pound model.
| Jun 25, 2013
Mirvish, Gehry revise plans for triad of Toronto towers
A trio of mixed-use towers planned for an urban redevelopment project in Toronto has been redesigned by planners David Mirvish and Frank Gehry. The plan was announced last October but has recently been substantially revised.
| Jun 25, 2013
First look: Herzog & de Meuron's Jade Signature condo tower in Florida
Real estate developer Fortune International has released details of its new Jade Signature property, to be developed in Sunny Isles Beach near Miami. The luxury waterfront condo building will include 192 units in a 57-story building near high-end retail destinations and cultural venues.
| Jun 17, 2013
First look: Austin to get first high-rise since 2003
Developer Cousins Properties broke ground on the 29-story Colorado Tower in downtown Austin, Texas, the city's first high-rise building since Cousins' completed the Frost Bank Tower a decade ago.
| Jun 11, 2013
Vertical urban campus fills a tall order [2013 Building Team Award winner]
Roosevelt University builds a 32-story tower to satisfy students’ needs for housing, instruction, and recreation.
| Jun 11, 2013
Finnish elevator technology could facilitate supertall building design
KONE Corporation has announced a new elevator technology that could make it possible for supertall buildings to reach new heights by eliminating several problems of existing elevator technology. The firm's new UltraRope hoisting system uses a rope with a carbon-fiber core and high-friction coating, rather than conventional steel rope.
| Jun 4, 2013
SOM research project examines viability of timber-framed skyscraper
In a report released today, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill discussed the results of the Timber Tower Research Project: an examination of whether a viable 400-ft, 42-story building could be created with timber framing. The structural type could reduce the carbon footprint of tall buildings by up to 75%.