325-329 West Broadway - Soho - Condo

[londonlawyer]

Does anyone know what's being built there? This lot is huge.

[Front_Porch]

Confused; isn't SoHo Grand on West Broadway?

I was just showing an apartment at 7 Wooster, and my rough memory of what would be at 11 is an active parking lot ..

ali r.
{downtown broker}

[londonlawyer]

Yes. But this lot runs from W. B'Way to Wooster. It was a lot, but it is now enclosed by plywood construction barricades and is being dug up as we speak.

[Front_Porch]

You'll have more luck with the address 311 West Broadway.

Curbed called it a five-story Gwathmey Siegel building over a garage, which I believe, but then Lockhart very publicly changed his mind, saying new intel was coming soon . .

ali r.
{downtown broker}

[lofter1]

It's also 311 West Broadway -- former parking lot.

DOB info HERE (http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showpost.php?p=136609&postcount=1200)

Pics from mid-December (http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showpost.php?p=136604&postcount=1196) (info from that time at curbed (http://www.curbed.com/archives/2006/12/15/311_west_broadway_update_soho_royalty_unites.php) ) :

The block-thru parking lot where this development will rise has just been fenced in and they are starting to clear the site:

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p242/Lofter1/SoHo/311WBway_01c.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p242/Lofter1/SoHo/311WBway_01a.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p242/Lofter1/SoHo/311WBway_01d.jpg

Info HERE (http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showpost.php?p=136604&postcount=1196) and HERE (http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showpost.php?p=136610&postcount=1201)

Krulltime posted THIS (http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showpost.php?p=76862&postcount=657) back in December 2005.

And THIS (http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showpost.php?p=93829&postcount=859) in April 2006:

Landmarks commission approves design for new building in SoHo

http://www.cityrealty.com/graphics/uploads/1145391146_wbway325.gif

18-APR-06

The Landmarks Preservation Commission today unanimously approved with minor modifications a plan by Adg-Soho LLC to erect a new 9-story at 325-9 West Broadway and restore two buildings behind it at 23-25 Wooster Street.

The new building has been designed by Beyham Karahan and will have 29 residential condominium apartments. The approved design had been revised slightly to make its asymmetrical fenestration pattern align somewhat better with its neighbors.

Commissioner Thomas Pike stated that it was a “wonderful design” and Commissioner Roberta Brandes Gratz praised it as a “terrific design” that is “dramatic and subtle at the same time.” Commissioner Richard Olcott said that the design was “very elegant.

Commssioner Stephen Brynes also liked the plan but suggested that the rooftop setbacks on Wooster Street might be made less visible.

The left third of the building’s façade is setback about two feet. The building’s top floor also has a cantilevered element that is a symbolic cornice.
The mid-block building is between Grand and Canal Streets. It is close to the Soho Grand Hotel and many boutiques and restaurants.

Copyright © 1994-2006 CITY REALTY.COM INC.

***

[lofter1]

Here's what seems to be on track for this site ( POST (http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showpost.php?p=126825&postcount=1124) ):

Chocolate Factory - Soho

Location: New York, NY

Beyhan Karahan & Associates (http://63.240.68.115/firmtemplates201/60/projectdetail_bka.cfm?categoryname1=%2B%3C%3FFIEZ% 2D6%2F6%2A%3ALG4%29%0A&categoryname=%284%5CZ5M%28%29P%21T6%3A%0A&tableid=%21%24%21%5F6%0A&projectid=%26%24HC%2DZ%3D4%40%0A)

http://63.240.68.122/FirmFiles/60/images/WBroadwayWeb1.jpg
The West Broadway Facade

http://63.240.68.122/FirmFiles/60/images/WestBroadwayFrontWeb.jpg

New Building in Soho Approved By Landmarks

South of Grand Street on a through-lot between Wooster St. and West Broadway, this mixed-use building will become part of the modern future of the Soho historic district. As part of the development, two existing 4-story industrial brick buildings will be restored to their 1940 condition.

The Commisioners of the NYC LPC commented on the skillful system of proportions derived from the 19th Century Soho cast-iron buildings, and the use of setbacks and balconies to evoke the prominent fire escapes of this unique neighborhood. The reinforced concrete structure of the building will be exposed on the north side of the parti-wall of the building and through selective exposed columns and a trellis above the metal-clad facade. Undulated and perforated preweathered galvalume panels will be used to provide transparency and shadow lines, in conjunction with flat insulated panels.

A green courtyard with a reflective pool has been created at the cellar and ground floor levels. Each residential unit will have large, floor-to-ceiling windows and high ceilings capturing the character of the interiors of 19th Century industrial buildings.

http://63.240.68.122/FirmFiles/60/images/SiteWeb2.gif

http://63.240.68.122/FirmFiles/60/images/ElevationWeb.jpg

http://63.240.68.122/FirmFiles/60/images/DetailWeb2.jpg

[londonlawyer]

Thanks for the info, Lofter.

I thought that Gwathalmy Siegel was the architect.

[bigkdc]

these things are going to cost a fortune i bet...i agree that the west broadway address will do better than the wooster.

front porch - how has 7 wooster done?

[kurokevin]

Thanks for the info, Lofter.

I thought that Gwathalmy Siegel was the architect.

I may be wrong, but I believe he is the architect for a larger development adjacent to this property.

[Front_Porch]

front porch - how has 7 wooster done?

Oh, I am the furthest thing from an unbiased source on that, since I was the rental broker on one of those apartments . . . and fully expect to sell that unit in two years when its lease is up.

It's a very small building, two units per floor. I feel like a lot of the units I have seen were bought by investors who had a two- or three-year holding timeframe: attracted by the new build, small building, cobblestone street, fireplaces, mint finishes, and the fact that the developer supposedly took a unit in the building.

That said, you are steps away from a strip of Canal where you can get a watch for ten bucks ... so the investor argument is that you wait till One York is finished and sells, plus that bit of Canal gets somewhat nicer, and those two factors jack the micro-neighborhood up in value.

ali r.
{downtown broker}

[TriHobo]

I had seen Laboz's plans when they were done by Gwathmey. Nice design, ridiculously expensive build. Laboz spent most of last year trying to flip the project, he was asking almost $1,000/buildable sf! He contended that finished units would sell in the $2500/sf range.

I guess with no takers, he's figuring he'll build it himself. (And maybe he went with a less expensive design from other architects).

[bigkdc]

On 7 Wooster that seems like a decent thesis with one york. When do you think that will actually open? 2008 sometime?

The 11 wooster location is pretty interesting as it is loud as anything on the weekends with the west broadway traffic.

The building itself looks great and I am sure they will get tons of foreign interest given the location

[lofter1]

...you are steps away from a strip of Canal where you can get a watch for ten bucks ... so the investor argument is that you wait till One York is finished and sells, plus that bit of Canal gets somewhat nicer, and those two factors jack the micro-neighborhood up in value.

Sam Chang / McSam is building a HOTEL (http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showpost.php?p=125631&postcount=332) around the corner on Canal ...

You should get yourself a comfy pillow while waiting for that stretch of Canal in the area of 7 Wooster to get "somewhat nice" -- it could be a really looooong wait ...

[londonlawyer]

Sam Chang / McSam is building a HOTEL (http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showpost.php?p=125631&postcount=332) around the corner on Canal ...

You should get yourself a comfy pillow while waiting for that stretch of Canal in the area of 7 Wooster to get "somewhat nice" -- it could be a really looooong wait ...

Will that hotel rise just on the empty lots or will the small crappy buildings west of those lots be razed too? I hope the latter bec. those buildings are mierda. There's an absolutely magnificent building just west of the P's O S on the corner of Canal and W B'Way.

[lofter1]

I think one of the low-rise POS will be part of the McSam Hotel site, but it seems that it won't take down one or two of the POS that abut the beauty at the corner.

[antinimby]

Replacing a low-rise POS with a taller McSam POS seems redundant.

I'd rather have the low-rise then, because it'll be easier to get rid of in the future.

[londonlawyer]

I think one of the low-rise POS will be part of the McSam Hotel site, but it seems that it won't take down one or two of the POS that abut the beauty at the corner.

That's a shame. Those filthy little P's O S really detract from the masterpiece on the corner.

[lofter1]

Based on what I can figure out from metes + bounds for the MCSam Hotel (370 Canal Street) this map shows the boundaries for that development -- and it seems the POS at the right in the pic below (yellow awning / "Pro Sound") will come down (but not the tawdry ones to the west of that ) ...

btw: On the map you see Wooster Street meeting Canal Street opposite the hotel site ...

***

[ramvid01]

Ugh, another McSam. It's like an endless line of these things. And there so ugly, guuuuuh :mad: .

[pianoman11686]

You'll have more luck with the address 311 West Broadway.

Curbed called it a five-story Gwathmey Siegel building over a garage, which I believe, but then Lockhart very publicly changed his mind, saying new intel was coming soon . .

ali r.
{downtown broker}

Thanks for the info, Lofter.

I thought that Gwathalmy Siegel was the architect.

I may be wrong, but I believe he is the architect for a larger development adjacent to this property.

I dug up these renderings of a project called 311 West Broadway on Gwathmey Siegel's website (http://www.gwathmey-siegel.com/portfolio/proj_detail.php?job_id=200418). It seems there are two separate projects on this one lot, by two different architects.

http://www.gwathmey-siegel.com/images/portfolio/projects/200418/thumbs/0418_facadenight.jpg

http://www.gwathmey-siegel.com/images/portfolio/projects/200418/thumbs/0418_r41.jpg

http://www.gwathmey-siegel.com/images/portfolio/projects/200418/large/0418_da05.jpg

http://www.gwathmey-siegel.com/images/portfolio/projects/200418/thumbs/0418_r40.jpg

http://www.gwathmey-siegel.com/images/portfolio/projects/200418/thumbs/0418_r45.jpg

http://www.gwathmey-siegel.com/images/portfolio/projects/200418/thumbs/0418_kitchen.jpg

http://www.gwathmey-siegel.com/images/portfolio/projects/200418/thumbs/0418_masterbath.jpg

Project Description:

311 West Broadway is a residential condominium in New York City’s Soho Cast Iron Historic District. The two-building project consists of a nine-story structure facing West Broadway and an eight-story one facing Wooster Street, with a shared courtyard mews between them. The 175,000-square-foot project offers 5,000 square feet of commercial space, 63 luxury apartments and underground parking.

The design features a stone base, metal panels and floor to ceiling glass with horizontal and vertical channels expressing floor slabs and columns. The metal and glass facade recalls the evolution of these materials in the Soho Cast Iron Historic District. Three different types of glass are used—clear, frosted and fritted - to give a sense of layered depth to the facade. The buildings’ massing relates to the specific scale of West Broadway and Wooster Street and maintains the continuity of the street wall.

***

The project is called SoHo Mews, and it's got a website (http://sohomews.com/) up and running (not much on it though).

***

Here's a photo of the site from back in December, posted at Curbed:

http://www.curbed.com/2006_12_311wbroadway-thumb.jpg

If I've got this figured out right, the Gwathmey development will go on that lot. The other development (325-329 Broadway) will go on the other side of the two-story building with the awning (which will remain). That's also the project that had some difficulty getting approval from Landmarks (chronicled on the previous page).

[pianoman11686]

Putting Out the Welcome Mat

By LISA CHAMBERLAIN
Published: May 27, 2007

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/05/27/realestate/27post.large1.jpg
Neighborly Project A rendering of the SoHo Mews,
designed by Gwathmey Siegel, which will have condos
and town houses.

SOHO is not exactly thought of as the most welcoming place for new development. But sometimes, the neighborhood does get along with developers.

There has been close cooperation between the neighborhood and a developer and architecture team on a project under construction on the largest buildable site left in the area, called SoHo Mews. The luxury residential development will consist of a condo building on West Broadway, town houses that front Wooster Street, and a courtyard in between.

“It is rare, if not unique, where a developer and an architect worked so closely with the community,” said Sean Sweeney, the director of the SoHo Alliance, an umbrella organization of community groups.

The developer, United American Land, is a family-owned company run by the Laboz brothers — Albert, Jason and Jody — who have owned property in SoHo for years, but had not undertaken a project of this magnitude in the neighborhood.

“I was nervous,” Albert Laboz said. “This is my family’s money, so I wanted to make sure we weren’t going to get in a fight with people. So I went to the community and asked them what they wanted. It took longer. But it’s worth it.”

United American Land bought what had been a parking lot just north of Canal Street more than two years ago, and immediately began talking with Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects to design a modern interpretation of the famed cast-iron buildings in SoHo.

The result will be two buildings totaling 175,000 square feet, with 68 luxury units, priced at $2.1 million to $11 million.

The ground floor of the West Broadway building houses the main residential lobby as well as stores and an entry to an underground parking garage. In both buildings, the floors above will have two- and three-bedroom loft units overlooking the street and the interior courtyard from floor-to-ceiling windows. On the top setback floors of the buildings are four glass penthouse units with wraparound terraces.

The Wooster Street building has five town houses at its base in deference to the street’s quieter low-rise character. The town houses are three-, four- or five-bedrooms with private entries. Each town house has a secluded backyard, set within the landscaped courtyard, that is accessible through an industrial-inspired nesting glass wall system that opens the interior to the outside.

The collaborative process behind the SoHo Mews is also likely to mean it will get a better reception from its neighbors than did the Sculpture for Living at Astor Place, the Gwathmey Siegel luxury condo building that landed like a spaceship in the East Village, was reviewed poorly and did not sell well.

“You can’t judge an entire body of work by one building,” Albert Laboz said. “But I want this to be their comeback building.”

Charles Gwathmey took issue with that characterization, but agreed that the projects are different.

“I think Astor Place is great,” Mr. Gwathmey said. “This is not a comeback building. That’s his perception as a developer, which is fine, but I don’t think of it that way. Astor Place has its own identity. SoHo Mews is much more of a mural and streetscape-oriented.”

Indeed, it is the streetscape orientation, or the facade on West Broadway, that steals the show. The architects sought to simulate the depth of the cast-iron facades, which take up a lot of floor space, through detailing, including three types of glass, and by breaking the building’s front into three parts, with a center that is vertically oriented and has two flanking sides.

The stone base and curtain wall of metal panels and recessed glass allude to but do not overtly mimic classic SoHo materials and design.

“This facade is going to emit and absorb different light, day and night, because of the different glasses and the way the structure is articulated,” Mr. Gwathmey said.

His partner, Robert Siegel, added: “The facade floats a few inches in front of the columns, providing an area between the two, so layers of drapery can be adjusted. The idea was to maximize glass and have owners create as much light and privacy as they wanted.”

The interior courtyard will be designed by Peter Walker, who is doing the World Trade Center memorial landscape design.

There will also be a small but public gallery space run by the Art Production Fund, a SoHo-based nonprofit arts group, which will also curate work to be displayed in the courtyard and throughout open spaces in the building.

SoHo Mews is only the second building to go through a permitting process implemented in 2003 specific to the area. It came about after many fights involving residents, developers and the city.

The new rules mandate that all new apartments are a minimum of 1,200 square feet, and that no new eating and drinking establishments are allowed, among other bulk and height limits. In addition, all designs have to be seen by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the city’s Department of Planning, the community board and neighborhood groups.

“To go through this kind of a process and come out of it at the end so positive, it’s unique,” Mr. Siegel said.

“This could be an example for how other neighborhoods could welcome development and have input.”

Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company

[pianoman11686]

More from http://cityrealty.com/new_developments:

Construction begins at SoHo Mews across from SoHo Grand Hotel 25-MAY-07

Construction has begun at 311 West Broadway, a 68-unit residential condominium project known as SoHo Mews.

It is directly across from the SoHo Grand Hotel and extends through the block to Wooster Street. United American Land LLC of which Albert, Jason and Jody Laboz are principals are the developers. Gwathmey Siegel & Associates is the architect.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission has approved the plans, which it described as "an elegant interpretation of the SoHo aesthetic" and "a beautiful and supremely appropriate addition to the district."

The metal-clad facades are rectangular grids with recessed windows that recall the district`s cast-iron architectural history.

The marketing for the project emphasizes that its residents will become members of the New Museum of Contemporary Art and can avail themselves of an art information service provided by Art Production Fund, a non-profit organization that be on-site. Residents will also receive "shopping benefits" from Moss, a design store on Greene Street, Fort Street Studio, a carpet maker, and private exhibition previews at the Deitch Projects gallery.

Public spaces in the lobbies and gardens at SoHo Mews will feature contemporary works commissioned by the Art Production Fund. The garden is being designed by Peter Walker.

The development will have a garage and a 24-hour in-building concierge service provided by Luxury AttachHomes.

There will be 59 two- and three-bedroom lofts with floor-to-ceiling windows, 5 two-story townhouses and four penthouses with terraces and outdoor spa features.

Prices are expected to range from about $2,100,000 to $11,000,000 and occupancy in anticipated late next year.

The project consists of a 9-story building fronting on West Broadway and an 8-story building facing Wooster Street.

[lofter1]

Any posts for the Gwathmey/Siegel West Broadway Mews building (311 West Broadway between Grand & Canal) should go into a separate thread -- as the project posted hs NOTHING to do with the proposal for 325-329 W. Broadway (which is one block north and on the other side of the street) ;)