All articles by Devin Gannon

Williamsburg’s first ground-up commercial space in over 40 years tops out
May 7, 2018

Williamsburg’s first ground-up commercial space in over 40 years tops out

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Rendering via Steelblue/Gensler Silicon Valley will soon land in Williamsburg, according to the masterminds behind 25 Kent, an office building designed with the tech community in mind. The eight-story building at 25 Kent Avenue, the first ground-up commercial office development in the area in over four decades, has officially topped out. The building offers 500,000 square feet of office space along the Williamsburg waterfront, retail at ground level and underground parking, according to CityRealty. Designed by Gensler with concept designs by Hollwich Kushner (HWKN), 25 Kent will surely attract young professionals, with its millennial-friendly rooftops, terraces and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Details here
You can own an affordable co-op in the South Bronx for just $92K

Photo via Dan DeLuca’s Flickr

May 7, 2018

You can own an affordable co-op in the South Bronx for just $92K

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Applications are now being accepted for three newly renovated co-ops in the Longwood neighborhood of the South Bronx, part of the city's initiative to make affordable homeownership more accessible for first-time buyers. Located at 847 Fox Street, the three-bedroom units are move-in ready, with renovated kitchen and bathrooms, new electrical and heating systems and energy efficient appliances. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 120 percent of the area median income can apply for the three units, listed for a subsidized price of roughly $91,483.
Find out if you qualify
May 4, 2018

Two buildings near Crotona Park in the South Bronx launch lotteries, from $897/month

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Sixteen moderate-income apartments are up for grabs in two buildings located in the Claremont and Morrisania neighborhoods of the South Bronx. The buildings, located at 625 Jefferson Place and 3531 Third Avenue, sit near Crotona Park, a nearly 128 acre public park with a lake, 20 tennis courts a massive swimming pool and 28 species of trees. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 80 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments ranging from $897/month studios to a $1,764/month four-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
A Saudi prince and NYC real estate company will buy iconic Plaza Hotel for $600M

Photo via Creative Commons

May 4, 2018

A Saudi prince and NYC real estate company will buy iconic Plaza Hotel for $600M

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Update 5/8/18: Saudi Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal and Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp. will buy the Plaza Hotel for $600 million, besting a previous offer made less than a week ago, according to the New York Post. While it was reported White City Ventures and the Kamran Organization were in contract to buy the iconic building, the prince and Ashkenazy, as the minority owner, had the option to acquire the hotel if they matched the $600 million offer. The deal is expected to close this summer. A deal to sell the historic, 111-year-old Plaza Hotel has finally been reached, after the New York City landmark sat on and off the market for years and changed hands numerous times. As the Real Deal reported, a group of investors including Shahal Kahan of White City Ventures and Kamran Hakim of the Hakim Organization, are in contract to buy a majority share of the hotel for $600 million. While reports in March said the group was considering paying for part of the purchase with cryptocurrency, the deal instead is being made up of equity from investors and a $415 million loan from a pair of British billionaires, David and Simon Reuben.
More details here
Live in a one bedroom near the Brooklyn Children’s Museum in Crown Heights for $2,253/month
May 4, 2018

Live in a one bedroom near the Brooklyn Children’s Museum in Crown Heights for $2,253/month

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Photo by Julienne Schaer for NYC&Company A housing lottery launched Friday for just three one-bedroom apartments in the northern section of Crown Heights. Located at 730 Prospect Place, the building rises five stories and contains eight units. It sits between the colorful, Rafael Viñoly-designed Brooklyn Children's Museum and Brower Park and the myriad of food and drink options of Franklin and Washington Avenues. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the three $2,253/month one-bedroom units.
Find out if you qualify
16 chances to snag an affordable one bedroom in East Williamsburg for $1,080/month

Rendering via Leverich Design Studio

May 4, 2018

16 chances to snag an affordable one bedroom in East Williamsburg for $1,080/month

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Located in between artist-hipster enclaves of Bushwick and Williamsburg, a newly constructed building at 89 Bartlett Street has launched an affordable housing lottery for 16 affordable one-bedroom units. Qualifying New Yorkers earning between roughly $37,000 and $50,000 annually (or 60 percent of the area median income), can apply for the $1,080/month one-bedroom apartments.
Find out if you qualify
Judge rules Upper West Side condo can remove Trump’s name from its building
May 3, 2018

Judge rules Upper West Side condo can remove Trump’s name from its building

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Photo via Nick Normal’s Flickr Following year-long resistance from the Trump Organization, a judge ruled on Thursday that an Upper West Side condo could remove the president's name from the exterior of the 46-story building, according to the New York Times. Condo owners at 200 Riverside Boulevard will now be able to vote on whether to keep or remove the bronze letters spelling "TRUMP" on the building, where they have hung for nearly two decades. The ruling comes after board members at Trump Place asked a judge in January to issue a declaratory judgment that the condo has the right to either keep or remove the letters without violating its licensing agreement. On Thursday, Justice Eileen Bransten said removing letters does not violate the agreement.
More details here
Master planning for huge Sunnyside Yard project to begin this summer

Photo via NYCEDC

May 3, 2018

Master planning for huge Sunnyside Yard project to begin this summer

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The master planning process for the Sunnyside Yard project, a mammoth plan to build a new, fully planned neighborhood to Queens, will begin this summer, the city announced Thursday. Along with Amtrak, the city's economic development corporation said it will form a steering committee made up of local leaders and planning experts who will organize meetings and workshops to gain feedback from local residents. The Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) has officially been tapped to lead the planning process. A 2017 feasibility study found 70 acres of the 180-acre development would be viable for development. According to the city, the project could bring between roughly 11,000 and 15,000 new housing units and 15 to 20 acres of open space, new schools and retail amenities. About 3,300 to 4,500 new permanently affordable units could also be created. As of last year, the plan has an estimated price tag of $10 billion.
Find out more
Plan to upgrade signals on 7-line delayed again, more service outages possible

Photo via Tim Adams on Flickr

May 2, 2018

Plan to upgrade signals on 7-line delayed again, more service outages possible

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Another day, another missed deadline for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The plan to modernize the 7-line's ancient signals has been delayed yet again, according to the Wall Street Journal. The MTA said the new system would be implemented by June 30, but the contractor installing the signals, Thales Transport and Security, told officials they won't be able to finish until November. Andy Byford, the new chief of NYC Transit, said he refuses to accept the rescheduled deadline and has hinted at more outages on the 7, as a way to accelerate installation of the system. "I think customers would prefer to rip the band aid off and get on with it rather than have this slow creeping limp to the finish line," Byford said on Wednesday.
Find out more
Vornado likely to keep Bjarke Ingels’ wave-like canopy design for 2 Penn Plaza overhaul

Rendering via BIG

May 2, 2018

Vornado likely to keep Bjarke Ingels’ wave-like canopy design for 2 Penn Plaza overhaul

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Instead of razing and redeveloping its 2 Penn Plaza office tower, Vornado Realty Trust said on Tuesday it will simply renovate the building. As Commercial Observer reported, the company's CEO, Steven Roth, said earlier plans of demolishing the 31-story tower and grabbing 5 million square feet of development rights from Madison Square Garden to build a bigger tower, would not be feasible. Moving forward with option B, Vornado will likely stick with designs from Bjarke Ingels Group. More than two years ago, BIG revealed renderings that showed a wave-like canopy of glass panels that would envelope 2 Penn Plaza above the retail entrances on the ground floor.
More this way
May 2, 2018

7 chances to live across from Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx, from $1,600/month

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A newly constructed rental in the Bronx has launched a lottery for seven middle-income apartments, located across from the city's largest public park, Pelham Bay Park. The park measures over three times the size of Central Park and includes two golf courses, miles of hiking trails, many fields and courts and Orchard Beach, a man-made beach designed by Robert Moses. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for three one-bedrooms for $1,600/month and four two-bedrooms for $1,800/month.
Find out if you qualify
Hamptons windmill once rented by Marilyn Monroe is asking $55K for the entire summer

Photo of Marilyn Monroe via Wikimedia

May 1, 2018

Hamptons windmill once rented by Marilyn Monroe is asking $55K for the entire summer

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Haven't planned a summer vacation yet and have $55,000 floating around? Then consider renting this East Hampton windmill home, a unique abode once leased in 1957 by Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller. The charming two-bedroom, one-bathroom house measures 1,100 square feet across three floors. The windmill home, located in the historic Amagansett neighborhood, is currently only available for the entire summer, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and year-round for $68,000 (h/t Curbed Hamptons).
Take a tour
See the rooftop sculpture garden that will grow next to Zaha Hadid’s High Line condo

Rendering via Future Green

May 1, 2018

See the rooftop sculpture garden that will grow next to Zaha Hadid’s High Line condo

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Related Companies announced last year plans to add 15 new gallery spaces around their Zaha Hadid-designed condo at 520 West 28th Street. One of the galleries tapped for the project, the Paul Kasmin Gallery, will serve as the anchor tenant and expand into a 5,000-square-foot space. In addition to boasting 22-foot ceilings and 28 skylights, the single-floor gallery will have a sculpture garden designed by Future Green on its roof. Because it sits alongside the High Line, "the garden serves as a verdant extension to the elevated park and showcases outdoor artworks in a rich seasonal tapestry," according to the landscape architects.
More details here
Lottery launches for 250+ mixed-income apartments in East Tremont, from $822/month
May 1, 2018

Lottery launches for 250+ mixed-income apartments in East Tremont, from $822/month

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Rendering via Mastermind Development The Tremont Renaissance housing complex this week launched a lottery for 255 apartments, part of Mayor Bill de Blasio's affordable housing plan aimed at bringing more mixed-income units to New York City. Located in the East Tremont neighborhood of the Bronx, the development at 4215 Park Avenue rises 12 stories and features roughly 40,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground level. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60, 100 and 120 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments ranging from $822/month studios to $1,965 three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
Historic photos take you back to the 1939 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows

Aerial view of the 1939-1940 New York World’s Fair; via NYPL

April 30, 2018

Historic photos take you back to the 1939 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows

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On April 30, 1939, the New York World's Fair opened in Flushing Meadows Park in Queens. The fair, which spread across 1,200 acres, commemorated the 150th anniversary of George Washington's inauguration in Lower Manhattan, and had a central theme of "Building the World of Tomorrow." Construction of the fair began in 1936, which involved turning the Corona city dump and tidal swamp into the fairgrounds. After the land was cleared, hundreds of architects, designers, engineers and construction workers came together to transform the dump into the site for the World's Fair. The "Trylon", a 700-foot obelisk, and the "Perisphere," a 200-foot globe, stood in the center of the fairgrounds, soon becoming permanent symbols of the Fair. Many American corporations, including the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, the Borden Company and General Motors, participated, as a way to introduce fairgoers to new products. With close to 60 nations and 33 U.S. states participating, and its own subway line, the 1939 World's Fair remains one of the largest, and most iconic, international fairs in history. Ahead, check out some of the photos of the historic World's Fair, found in the New York Public Library's extensive collection.
Go back in time
Lottery opens for 15 affordable apartments in Riverdale, just across from Van Cortlandt Park

Photo of Van Cortlandt House Museum via mtchlra via photopin cc

April 30, 2018

Lottery opens for 15 affordable apartments in Riverdale, just across from Van Cortlandt Park

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If you're looking for a bit of the suburban lifestyle without leaving the boroughs, this affordable housing lottery in the Bronx may be for you. Fifteen apartments at Stagg Group’s Riverdale project The Station (so named for being adjacent to the 1 train station) at 5959 Broadway are up for grabs for New Yorkers earning 80 percent of the area median income. These include 12 $1,292/month one-bedrooms and three $1,458/month two-bedrooms. Just as good as the price is the location; the mixed-use building is directly across from the southeast entrance to Van Cortlandt Park, right near the swimming pool and Van Cortlandt House Museum. And for families, it's also just a couple blocks from the prestigious Horace Mann School and Manhattan College.
Find out if you qualify
Construction is underway at the World Trade Center performing arts center

Rendering by REX

April 30, 2018

Construction is underway at the World Trade Center performing arts center

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Construction of the Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center is officially moving forward, with the first pieces of the center's structural steel now visible above street level, according to CityRealty. The idea for an arts center at the World Trade Center was included in the original vision for rebuilding the area after Sept. 11, a plan proposed nearly 15 years ago. Designed by REX, the flexible "Mystery Box" will be wrapped in translucent marble, the same material used on the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, and laminated with insulated glass. Named for Ronald O. Perelman who gifted $75 million to the project, the center will include 200,000 square feet of space, three halls and a rehearsal space, a restaurant and a gift shop.
More details here
Two weeks of free art and music kick off in Hudson Yards, giving a first taste of The Shed

Rendering of Prelude to The Shed by NLÉ Works

April 30, 2018

Two weeks of free art and music kick off in Hudson Yards, giving a first taste of The Shed

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Starting Tuesday, there will be two free weeks of art and music, as a teaser for the much-anticipated cultural center coming next year to Hudson Yards, The Shed. The festival, "A Prelude to The Shed," will take place on a lot at 10th Avenue and 30th Street, one block from the arts center's future home. Performed on a pavilion outside, the events will feature dancers, musicians and a variety of visual art. Measuring 200,000 square feet, the Shed will open to the public next spring and contain two floors of column-free galleries and an intimate theater.
Find out more
Artist Es Devlin unveils a trippy gallery show inspired by Bjarke Ingels’ twisting High Line towers
April 27, 2018

Artist Es Devlin unveils a trippy gallery show inspired by Bjarke Ingels’ twisting High Line towers

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Es Devlin with Egg; photo by Nikolas Koenig In a remarkable collaboration, Danish architect Bjarke Ingels and artist Es Devlin unveiled on Tuesday a series of multi-sensory installations in response to The Eleventh, a pair of twisting towers rising on a full-block along the High Line. The three immersive encounters are featured at the XI Gallery, a 12,000-square-foot space in the Meatpacking District. Through the lens of Devlin, known for her work with Beyoncé,  Adele and Kanye West, the Eleventh, or XI, is seen on a projection-mapped sculpture, a 360-degree film strip and a rotating pair of sculptures. The gallery is the artist's first site-specific art installation in New York. Ziel Feldman, the chair of HFZ Capital, the group developing the project, called the Eleventh a defining moment and "a signature development for Manhattan and a triumph of design, living, culture, and wellness."
See the impressive installations
58 affordable units up for grabs in historic Queens neighborhood of St. Albans, from $558/month

Image via Sisca

April 27, 2018

58 affordable units up for grabs in historic Queens neighborhood of St. Albans, from $558/month

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A lottery launched this week for 58 mixed-income apartments in a newly constructed building in St. Albans, a suburban enclave in western Queens. Located at 118-35 Boulevard, the development sits near the historic district of Addisleigh Park. Although it started as a white-only community, the neighborhood was home to many notable African Americans, including famous jazz musicians, from the 1930s and on. Artists like Count Basie, James Brown, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, and even baseball superstars like Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson all have lived in this area. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 40, 50, 60 and 80 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from $558/month one-bedroom to a $1,511/month two-bedroom apartments.
Find out if you qualify
New renderings unveiled for Tribeca’s educational, eco-focused park at Pier 26

Rendering via OLIN

April 26, 2018

New renderings unveiled for Tribeca’s educational, eco-focused park at Pier 26

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The Hudson River Park Trust and landscape architects OLIN have released a fresh set of renderings of the Pier 26 transformation, a project aimed at turning the Tribeca pier into an ecological park. As Curbed NY learned, a portion of the pier will have a wooden deck, with the western end rising up to 15 feet high in order to look at the wetlands. The pier's eastern side will include a large lawn and an indigenous tree-filled forest. The revamp of Pier 26, projected to cost over $30 million, is scheduled to wrap up in the fall of 2020.
Find out more and see all the renderings
Landmarked William Lescaze House, the first modern residence in NYC, asks $5M

Photos via Leslie J. Garfield

April 26, 2018

Landmarked William Lescaze House, the first modern residence in NYC, asks $5M

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New York City's first modern residence, designed by architect William Lescaze, has hit the market for $4.95 million. Swiss-born New Yorker, Lecaze is credited with pioneering the modernism movement in the United States, beginning with a townhome he designed for himself in 1934. Known as the William Lescaze House, the four-story home at 211 East 48th Street served as the architect's personal home and studio. The now-landmarked townhouse was totally restored by Sage Realty, who "painstakingly renovated" the street facade to match its original condition.
Take a tour
Cost of East Side Access project jumps again, now over $11B
April 26, 2018

Cost of East Side Access project jumps again, now over $11B

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Workers at East Side Access project in 2016 via MTA's Flickr The Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved on Wednesday an amendment to its capital plan that allows for more than $400 million to be invested in the East Side Access, a project that began more than a decade ago. In addition to exceptional construction delays, the project's price tag has jumped dramatically, from early estimates of roughly $2.2 billion to now over $11 billion (h/t NY Times). As a way to reduce crowds at Penn Station, East Side Access will connect the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Terminal.
Find out more
De Blasio pens letter to MTA seeking transparency in spending of $836M subway action plan
April 25, 2018

De Blasio pens letter to MTA seeking transparency in spending of $836M subway action plan

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Photo via Wikimedia Mayor Bill de Blasio agreed earlier this month to fund half of the MTA's $836 million emergency rescue plan for the subway, leading many to believe the feud between the mayor and Gov. Andrew Cuomo about the funding had simmered. But on Wednesday, de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson penned a joint letter to MTA chair, Joe Lhota, laying out terms of the funding agreement, with plenty of subtle insults to the MTA included. While the city's commitment of $418 million came with a "lock box" arrangement, to ensure the money goes to repairs and nothing else, the mayor and speaker are calling on Lhota and the MTA for even further transparency, better measurements of progress and frequent briefings about the plan.
Find out more
Uncover secrets of the World’s Fair with free, monthly walking tours of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park

Photo via Wikimedia

April 25, 2018

Uncover secrets of the World’s Fair with free, monthly walking tours of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park

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For two six-month seasons in 1964, the World's Fair came to Queens, with exhibits featured from over 80 nations spread across 646 acres. The fair came at a time of mid-20th-century innovation and culture, at the height of the Space Age. It served as a moment of peace before the start of the Vietnam War, with its motto "Peace Through Understanding." And while many New Yorkers attended the historic event, or have heard stories recounted by parents and grandparents, it's hard to imagine what it was truly like to experience. Making it easier to understand what the World's Fair was really like, the city's parks department is offering free, monthly tours of the park, allowing visitors to hear the stories behind the Unisphere, the New York State Pavilion and many more landmarks.
Details here
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