Financial District

Last month, Gov. Andrew Cuomo put out a request for proposals for 5 World Trade Center, the last remaining site at World Trade Center’s southern end and the former home of a Deutsche Bank Building that was severely damaged during the September 11 attacks. The RFP seeks commercial or mixed-use proposals for a roughly 900-foot-tall building, that may include a residential component. As the process continues to unfold—and rapidly, with a site tour for interested developers scheduled on July 22—local residents worry that their voices are being left out, as Daily News reported.
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“Gertrude Ederle Parade,” 1926, via Wikimedia Commons

July 10, 2019

From the Statue of Liberty to the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team: A history of NYC’s ticker-tape parades

When the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team walks along the Canyon of Heroes from Broadway up to City Hall today in the city’s 207th official Ticker-Tape Parade, they will be in good company. For more than 120 years, politicians, aviators, adventurers, generals, and sports teams have been showered with felicitations and falling office paper. But this beloved tradition actually originated spontaneously on October 28, 1886, when Wall Streeters began throwing ticker-tape out their office windows as an enraptured public marched down Broadway to the Battery to celebrate the dedication of “Liberty Enlightening the World,” or the Statue of Liberty as we know her. Ahead, learn the entire history of Ticker-Tape Parades in NYC, from George Washington and Teddy Roosevelt to Jesse Owens and Joe DiMaggio.
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History

Developer Silverstein Properties funds a new artist residency at 3 World Trade Center

Images courtesy of Silver Art Projects

July 5, 2019

Developer Silverstein Properties funds a new artist residency at 3 World Trade Center

As rents and costs of living continue to rise in the city, artists have an increasingly hard time finding affordable studio space—particularly in Manhattan. In an effort to help struggling artists, a new artist residency is launching at 3 World Trade Center this fall. Funded by developer Silverstein Properties, Silver Art Projects is a “corporate social responsibility initiative” that will host 30 artists every September for up to eight months, providing them with 44,000 square feet of free studio space on the 50th floor of the building.
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Cuomo releases RFP for 5 World Trade Center, may include 900-foot tower and affordable housing

Image via flickr cc

June 26, 2019

Cuomo releases RFP for 5 World Trade Center, may include 900-foot tower and affordable housing

Earlier this month, the Port Authority and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation arrived at a deal to release a request for proposals for the development of 5 World Trade Center, Crain's reported. The two state agencies had been locked in negotiations over how to develop the last site, which lies at the World Trade Center's southernmost end, surrounded by Washington, Albany and Greenwich streets, for years; as a result, the site has remained in limbo. Today, Governor Cuomo officially released a Request for Proposals for the site, which allows for either commercial or mixed-use proposals for a roughly 900-foot-tall building. Any proposals putting forth a residential component must include "onsite affordable units that comply with New York City's Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program," according to a press release.
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MAP: Where to watch the 2019 4th of July fireworks

All map images courtesy of Macy’s

June 25, 2019

MAP: Where to watch the 2019 4th of July fireworks

The talented folks behind the hotly anticipated Macy’s Fourth of July live fireworks spectacular happening next Thursday evening have provided a detailed guide to the prime Manhattan spots for watching the night sky light up. Read on to get the scoop on official viewing points–and some unofficial favorites–and use the interactive map to make sure you’re in the right place when the pyrotechnics start at the Brooklyn Bridge.
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Events & Things To Do

Via Wikimedia

June 10, 2019

Leaking skylight of World Trade Center’s Oculus may not be fixed for 9/11 anniversary

Since 2016, the skylight of the World Trade Center's Oculus has reopened on each anniversary of September 11 as part of the "Way of Light" ceremony. But the annual event may not happen this year. The skylight, which has been leaking since last fall, may not be repaired in time for this year's anniversary, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.
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Preservationists call for landmarking of Little Syria vestiges in Lower Manhattan

A man wearing a fez selling drinks in Little Syria in the early 1900s, via Wiki Commons

June 5, 2019

Preservationists call for landmarking of Little Syria vestiges in Lower Manhattan

Three structures on Lower Manhattan's Washington Street--St. George's Syrian Catholic Church at 103 Washington Street, The Downtown Community House at 105-107 Washington Street, and the block's sole surviving tenement at 109 Washington Street--are the last standing architectural vestiges of the once-thriving community of Little Syria. The area served as home to immigrants from Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Greece, Turkey, Armenia, Moravia, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Ukraine, Germany and Ireland that flourished on the Lower West Side in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries. Before that surviving history is lost, local preservationists are calling for the structures to become part of a mini historic district, citing a "landmarks emergency."
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New 9/11 memorial honoring rescue and recovery workers opens at World Trade Center

Photo by Monika Graff for the 9/11 Memorial & Museum

June 3, 2019

New 9/11 memorial honoring rescue and recovery workers opens at World Trade Center

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum's new monument honoring first responders opened Thursday, on the 17th anniversary of the official end of the recovery effort at Ground Zero. The 9/11 Memorial Glade monument recognizes first responders who are currently sick or who have died from illnesses caused by toxins following the September 11 attacks. Located at the World Trade Center site, the memorial consists of six stone monoliths that point skyward to "symbolize strength and determination through adversity."
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From George Washington to war bonds: The revolutionary history of Fraunces Tavern

Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York outside 54 Pearl Street on opening day. Taken from Broad Street facing east. 1907. From the archives at Fraunces Tavern Museum. Courtesy of the Fraunces Tavern Museum

May 29, 2019

From George Washington to war bonds: The revolutionary history of Fraunces Tavern

Fraunces Tavern is breaking out the champagne this year to celebrate its 300th birthday. Called "the oldest standing structure in Manhattan," the building you see today at the corner of Broad and Pearl Streets owes much to 20th-century reconstruction and restoration, but the site has a storied and stately past. In fact, any toasts delivered to mark the Tavern's tri-centennial will have to stack up against George Washington's farewell toast to his officers, delivered in the Tavern's Long Room, on December 4, 1783. Named for Samuel Fraunces, the patriot, spy, steward, and gourmand, who turned the old De Lancey Mansion at 54 Pearl Street into 18th century New York’s hottest watering hole, Fraunces Tavern connects New York’s proud immigrant history with its Dutch past, Revolutionary glory, maritime heritage, and continuous culinary prowess. Dive into the building’s unparalleled past and discover secrets and statesmen, murder and merriment – all served up alongside oysters as big as your face.
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History

David Adjaye’s first NYC skyscraper in FiDi tops out at 800 feet

Photo by Chris Coe for Optimist Consulting

May 16, 2019

David Adjaye’s first NYC skyscraper in FiDi tops out at 800 feet

Construction at 130 William Street, starchitect David Adjaye’s first skyscraper in New York City, topped out at 800 feet this week. The 66-story tower is making its mark on the Financial District with its hand-cast façade featuring large-scale arched windows and bronze detailing. When complete, it will house 242 residences ranging from $1,300,000 for a one-bedroom to $20,000,000 for a four-bedroom, full-floor penthouse. According to developer Lightstone, there was enormous interest in the units as soon as sales launched less than a year ago, and the tower has since become one of the city’s best-selling condos.
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Renderings courtesy of Binyan Studios

May 13, 2019

FXCollaborative’s skinny FiDi school-condo tower reveals new looks and launches sales

Sales at Trinity Place Holding’s new condominium tower at 77 Greenwich Street have officially launched, and a new batch of renderings are offering us a look inside the elegant residences. Designed by FXCollaborative, the 42-story high-rise will comprise 90 residential units on top of a new public elementary school. Though it hasn’t topped out yet, the finished building will hit 500 feet in height. The residences begin on the 15th floor and will feature sprawling river views with prices starting at $1,780,000 for a one-bedroom unit.
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Via Wikimedia

May 13, 2019

The $32M skylight of the World Trade Center’s Oculus is leaking

A rubber seal that runs along the middle of the retractable skylight of the World Trade Center's Oculus has ripped, causing leakage, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. The tear may have stemmed from the reopening of the skylight during last year's anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, according to the Port Authority, which owns the World Trade Center site.
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See the stone monoliths being installed at new 9/11 memorial for first responders

Photo courtesy of 9/11 Memorial & Museum

April 8, 2019

See the stone monoliths being installed at new 9/11 memorial for first responders

The main pieces of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum's new monument were laid in place on Saturday at the corner of the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. The memorial, dubbed the 9/11 Memorial Glade, honors first responders and those who are sick or who have died from 9/11-related illnesses. The Memorial Glade's six stone monoliths will flank a pathway and point skyward, to represent the "strength and determination through adversity" of rescue and relief workers in the aftermath of September 11.
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April 1, 2019

Where I Work: Architecture and interiors firm CetraRuddy shows off their self-designed offices

By Dana Schulz

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we’re touring the Battery Park office of architecture-interior design firm CetraRuddy. Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! Husband-and-wife team Nancy Ruddy and John Cetra started architecture/design firm CetraRuddy in 1987, and after working from an office in Soho for 25 years, the firm moved to One Battery Park Plaza a year-and-a-half ago. Now with 100 employees, they had outgrown the space and wanted to use the move as an opportunity to revamp and improve the things that didn't work. They were first attracted to the space's light and views, but the firm was also able to occupy the entire floor, meaning they could design the entire office space, as well as the corridors. After recently interviewing Nancy about CetraRuddy's many successes, 6sqft paid a visit to their new offices, where we received a tour from Eugene Flotteron, Director of Architecture. Eugene has been with the firm for 17 years and has been a partner for five, so he's had the opportunity to see them grow and transform over the years.
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De Blasio unveils $10B plan to flood-proof Lower Manhattan by extending shoreline into the East River

Via Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office

March 14, 2019

De Blasio unveils $10B plan to flood-proof Lower Manhattan by extending shoreline into the East River

Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled on Thursday a $10 billion plan to extend the coastline of Lower Manhattan as much as 500 feet to protect from future floods. The Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency project is the result of a study that looked at ways to build resilience in low-lying neighborhoods like the Financial District and South Street Seaport. The study found the only feasible measure for these areas would be extending the shoreline about two city blocks into the East River by adding a new piece of land at or above 20 feet from current sea level.
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Neighborhood association calls for a ‘slow street’ district in FiDi

Sketch of Nassau and Beekman Streets as slow streets; via FDNA

March 13, 2019

Neighborhood association calls for a ‘slow street’ district in FiDi

A neighborhood association is calling for safer streets and sidewalks for pedestrians walking through Manhattan's Financial District. In a report released on Tuesday by the Financial District Neighborhood Association (FDNA), "Make Way for Lower Manhattan," the group calls for making the neighborhood a "slow street" district that would require cars to share space with pedestrians in an area stretching roughly between the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge and Battery Park.
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Policy

Current views of 125 Greenwich Street at its full height. Photos courtesy of Field Condition.

March 7, 2019

Rafael Viñoly’s 88-story tower at 125 Greenwich Street officially tops out at 912 feet

Situated at the northwest corner of Thames Street, just south of the World Trade Center and northwest of Wall Street, Bizzi & Partners Development's condo tower at 125 Greenwich Street has officially topped out at 912 feet. Designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects, the firm behind 432 Park Avenue, the building will offer some of the highest apartments in the Financial District. Upon completion later this year, the 88-story tower will house 273 residences.
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Bjarke Ingels-designed 2 WTC may move forward without anchor tenant

Rendering of 2 World Center via DBOX, courtesy of Bjarke Ingels Group

February 11, 2019

Bjarke Ingels-designed 2 WTC may move forward without anchor tenant

Silverstein Properties, Inc. chairman Larry Silverstein has said construction may begin on the final World Trade Center tower before a committed tenant signs a lease, Bloomberg reports. Following work on the building's foundation, the developer was waiting to progress with further work until a lease was signed. But optimism about the economy and strong leasing progress at neighboring towers may mean the building might rise "on spec." The 2.8 million-square-foot office tower, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, will be the last of Silverstein’s four skyscrapers to occupy the site.
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Memorial honoring those stricken by illness after 9/11 to open May 30

Rendering by Moso Studio.

February 4, 2019

Memorial honoring those stricken by illness after 9/11 to open May 30

As 6sqft previously reported, after the rescue and recovery effort for the September 11th attacks ended, an estimated 400,000 people were exposed to life-threatening toxins, and since then, nearly 70,000 first responders and more than 14,000 survivors enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program. Last May, 9/11 Memorial & Museum president Alice Greenwald revealed the official design for Memorial Glade, a monument to all those who have lost their lives or are sick due to these related illnesses. The New York Post now reports that work is underway at Liberty and West streets.
Find out more about Memorial Glade

Huge food and music complex coming to FiDi’s 28 Liberty

Image: Wikimedia Commons

January 22, 2019

Huge food and music complex coming to FiDi’s 28 Liberty

A massive new venue will be serving up food and entertainment on the ground floor of 28 Liberty Street–originally named One Chase Manhattan Plaza–the New York Post reports. Legends Hospitality will be opening a 35,000-square-foot space, designed by noted architect Jeffrey Beers, that will feature live music and a restaurant. The property's historic Noguchi rock garden will be incorporated into the new venue.
Food, music, film, this way

Food & Dining

Make way for the Women’s March on NYC: Street closings, maps and more

2017 Women’s March on NYC; image: mathiaswasik via Flickr.

January 17, 2019

Make way for the Women’s March on NYC: Street closings, maps and more

The streets of NYC will fill once again this Saturday, January 19 for the third annual Women's March on New York City. The first march took place in 2017, as a demonstration in support of women's rights and in resistance to a growing list of gender-related injustices during the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Last year's march drew an estimated 200,000 participants. As with any jubilant mass display of human resilience, there will be street closings. Read on for info on where to march, how to avoid traffic snarls and what makes this year's march different.
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Events & Things To Do

On this day in 1790, George Washington gave the first State of the Union in NYC

Photo of Federal Hall and the George Washington statue, via John Schiller/Flickr cc

January 8, 2019

On this day in 1790, George Washington gave the first State of the Union in NYC

Right now, Federal Hall at Wall and Broad Streets is closed due to the Government Shutdown. But long before the current crisis, Federal Hall was the site of several Federal firsts. New York was the nation’s first capital, a distinction the city held until 1790, and the original Federal Hall, at the site of today’s monument, was the first Capital Building. Federal Hall hosted the first Congress, Supreme Court, and Executive Branch Offices. The building witnessed the drafting of the Bill of Rights and the passage of the Northwest Ordinance. George Washington took his Oath of Office from the balcony of Federal Hall on April 30, 1789, and on January 8, 1790, he delivered the nation’s very first State of the Union Address from the building’s Senate Chamber.
What were the hot-button issues of 1790?

History

Photo courtesy of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

December 27, 2018

Port Authority offers to help in reconstruction of World Trade Center’s St. Nicholas Shrine

Last December, construction on the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at the World Trade Center stopped due to lack of funding. The Archdiocese has remained committed to finishing the construction of the church, which was destroyed during the 9/11 attacks. Recently, the Port Authority — who owns the land on which the church is sited at Liberty Street — said that it wants to help the church with its rebuilding efforts, as the New York Post first reported.
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New Developments

December 3, 2018

In the market for a palace? This massive FiDi landmark is 50% off

A FiDi landmark with a storied past is back on the market with a significant price drop. The American Bank Note building was built in 1908 by architects Kirby, Petit & Green to serve as the company’s headquarters, then later bought by a foundation of the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and used as a meditation retreat. The landmarked building at 70 Broad Street was last sold to a Chinese construction firm in 2010 for $18 million. The new owners renovated the opulent Neo-Classical structure in 2015 and put it on the market for a whopping $88 million in 2016. On Friday, the listing hit the market again, this time with a slightly more moderate $43 million price tag.
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City scraps controversial plan for a new 40-story jail on top of the Manhattan marriage bureau

80 Centre Street via Wiki Commons

November 29, 2018

City scraps controversial plan for a new 40-story jail on top of the Manhattan marriage bureau

On Wednesday, city officials announced that plans to build a 40-floor high-rise detention center at 80 Centre Street will not be moving forward, reports the Daily News. The site had been proposed earlier this year as part of a plan to close the jail at Rikers Island and relocate the inmate population to four local jails spread throughout the boroughs. The de Blasio administration cited logistical challenges associated with moving the current tenants, which include the Manhattan Marriage Bureau and offices of the Manhattan District Attorney, as reason for the decision.
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Policy

‘Fearless Girl’ statue begins her move to permanent Stock Exchange home

Image credit: State Street Global Advisors.

November 28, 2018

‘Fearless Girl’ statue begins her move to permanent Stock Exchange home