City approves the Upper West Side’s tallest building, a 668-foot tower in Lincoln Square

The Department of Buildings gave developers on Tuesday the go-ahead to construct a 668-foot residential tower on the Upper West Side. In a partnership between SJP Properties and Mitsui Fudosan America, the project at 200 Amsterdam Avenue will be the neighborhood’s tallest tower, surpassing the current title-holder, Trump International, by more than 80 feet. As Crain’s reported, construction was stalled after opponents argued the project did not follow required open space regulations and the buildings department shut down the site in July until the issue was resolved.

Due to city zoning restrictions, developers run into issues when building supertall buildings on the Upper West Side. To get around the city’s rules, the developers of 200 Amsterdam Avenue added unused air rights from other sites and connected them back to the project’s lot. As a result, the site totaled more than 100,000 square feet and could contain a 55-story tower. Open space is another requirement unique to the Upper West Side. The more space the tower takes up, the more open space developers need to set aside.

In addition to community members, critics of the project’s scale include City Council members. Council Member Helen Rosenthal, who represents the UWS, told Crain’s: “I continue to believe that this project is out of scale, out of context, and runs counter to existing zoning regulations. I will continue to work with community groups to push that case, and will explore all available options.”

Demolition of the site, which used to hold the Lincoln Square Synagogue between 69th and 70th Streets, began last summer. The project calls for a 400,000-square-foot tower made of stone and glass, designed by Elkus Manfredi and CetraRuddy. There will be 112 condos inside that will boast views of the skyline and Central Park.

[Via Crain’s]

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