505 W 37th St - 43/24 story towers (37th @ 10th)

[sfenn1117]

This development has been hinted at for a while and is certainly a big one, well over a thousand units.

http://www.archpaper.com/images/features/feature2007_13/grid10.jpg

505 WEST 37TH STREET
Location: 505 West 37th Street
Developer: Rockrose Development
Architect: Handel Architects
Size: 860,000 sq. ft.
Completion (est.): 2009

http://www.archpaper.com/features/2007_13_grid.htm

I wish those thumbnails could be viewed larger. Here's the building permits:

453 west 37th
http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/JobDetailsServlet?allisn=0000791028&requestid=1

505 west 37th
http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/JobDetailsServlet?allisn=0001375503&requestid=1

[antinimby]

How 'bout that? A residential proposed in this city that actually looks promising (although I'm not too fond of what appears to be a plaza in the middle there).

Naturally, the permits would be disapproved. :rolleyes:

Anyway, I decided to magnify the thumbnail a little...

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/4426/505w37jx0.jpg

[Stern]

Im not as excited about this project.

It looks like his Millennium Place in Boston.

http://www.aiany.org/designawards/2002/architecture/jpegs/098c.jpg

[infoshare]

Anyway, I decided to magnify the thumbnail a little...

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/4426/505w37jx0.jpg


Thanks: even if it is a bit blurry it's an improvement over the standard (postage stamp) thumbnail image. :)

[BrooklynRider]

What park is that to the left? A new public space?

[Derek2k3]

It's that new mid block boulevard, park and garage. Didn't realize this development consisted of 3 towers until now. The sites are all well excavated.

[antinimby]

Here you go infoshare. No more eye strain. :D

View of the entire site looking north/northeast
http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/2161/w37rockroseae9.jpg


Site 'A' (453 W. 37 St.)
http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/3507/w37rockroseayp3.jpg

CLIENT: Rockrose Development
FACILITY: Residential, Retail, Parking
SIZE: 1.1 Million SF (Total)
STATUS: Site A: Under Construction, Site B: Design Development

Situated between 37th and 38th Streets along Tenth Avenue in the new Hudson Yards District, the West 37th Street sites provide residential, retail, and parking uses to this quickly growing neighborhood.

Site A, at 453 W. 37th Street, which just began construction, will total 335,385 square feet and feature rental units ranging from 400 to 1400 square feet. Across the street from Mikhail Baryshnikov’s new arts center, the project rises 25 floors with approximately 400 units, 80 of which will be low income units. In this strategically zoned residential portion of the West Side City Planning initiative, W. 37th Street recaptures the grandeur of New York's great boulevards with the Tenth Avenue facade rising to a uniform height of 100 feet. The 37th Street facade is 147-feet and 38th Street rises to 122 feet.

Amenities include a fitness center, laundry, valet, a public rooftop garden, as well as ample storage space - including approximately 150 automobiles and bicycles. Its exterior is sensitively composed of brick, metal panel, and glass, carefully yet modernly echoing its 100-year-old neighborhood fabric.

Across Tenth Avenue at 505 W. 37th Street, Site B will total 860,000 square feet and feature two towers: the East Tower is 43 stories tall with 463 rental residential units and the West Tower is 34 stories with 373 units. The ground floor has gardens, 22,000 square feet of retail space, and a 14,000 square foot residential lobby and amenity space. The Residents’ Club includes a gym, club rooms with access to the garden, and second floor terraces. It is organized around a grand stair (and dedicated elevator) connecting the three amenity levels. The West Tower roof will a club room and landscaped roof terrace. The project will also include two levels of below grade parking.Above images and project information taken from Handel Architects' website (http://www.handelarchitects.com/main.html).

[sfenn1117]

Boring!

[antinimby]

But...but...it's beautiful. In fact, they're all beautiful!

We don't want anyone here to accuse us of being NIMBYs, right? ;)

[lofter1]

That design ^^^ is somewhat reminiscent of the Archstone Clinton (formerly Mosaic, formerly Clinton Green) - Hell's Kitchen (http://wirednewyork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3281&highlight=mosaic)

Pics HERE (http://wirednewyork.com/forum/showpost.php?p=139098&postcount=73)

[Derek2k3]

Reminds me of a couple of our new ho-hum buildings.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1370/1132211484_62b0f3e051_o.jpg


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1023/1132211406_bd4e970e28_o.jpg


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1343/1132211474_d1a58f67dc_o.jpg


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1246/1132211502_1da17b7e69_o.jpg
The east site already has its foundation dug.


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1329/1161373123_08b1a6bf14_o.jpg

[scumonkey]

Today 11/01/07
east site crane
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/crane.jpg

SW corner
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/SW-corner.jpg

NE view
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/NW-corner.jpg

West Site: center of the block looking west (through a tight hole in the wall)
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/west-side.jpg

[sfenn1117]

Thanks for the update!

[econ_tim]

site a:

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/7352/siteaeb8.jpg

[antinimby]

This building's construction really impresses me a lot. Look how much more thicker the floorplates are compared to most other constructions around the city.

Compare that with the paper-thin plates over at River Place II for example:

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/2878/rp2bbn9.jpg

Even the columns look more robust and thicker than most elsewhere.

[Skylimitone]

I stumbled across this project last week. So much going on....:o

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/3461/dsc05404bgp2.jpg

The site across the street is huge felt like I would get sucked into the pit.

So the two western towers have one address?

[scumonkey]

The building has now risen high enough to obliterate my
sunsets over river/jersey view
(taken from my back terrace on 38th & ninth)
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/lostview.jpg

[antinimby]

453 (Site 'A') rising in the background...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2271/2208239180_480681054c.jpg (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2271/2208239180_2af7644054_o.jpg)
AllWaysNY (http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=2208239180&size=m&context=pool-18964236@N00)


Hope they'll tear down that Best Western eyesore for that planned greenway. Would be a real travesty if they got rid of some of those nice older buildings on the other nearby streets but leaves the piece of garbage above alone.

[lofter1]

Is that fugly Best Western on land planned for the new Greenway?

[econ_tim]

to be fair, that best western is in a pretty desolate neighborhood. and give it some credit for trying to ornament its blank wall.

[lofter1]

credit for that ^ ?

OK, 0.027 ;)

[scumonkey]

Already hit the setback....
http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/3507/w37rockroseayp3.jpg
Picture below taken across the street from Red car in picture above
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/blended.jpg

[antinimby]

You can follow the progress of this project (and others nearby) on webcam 1 (http://wirednewyork.com/webcam/).

[scumonkey]

They started putting the brick work up.....
it's prefab, concrete gray in colour, and looks sad :(

[lofter1]

Oh, skubala ... :(

Before not too long the entire "new" west side could look like the outskirts of Rome (http://www.aliciapatterson.org/APF001971/Downie/Downie06/Downie02.jpg) ...

[Clarknt67]

The building has now risen high enough to obliterate my
sunsets over river/jersey view
(taken from my back terrace on 38th & ninth)


I feel your pain, I work at 475 10th & the towers of 505 w. 37th will block my office view of uptown where I can see the Hearst tower, TW Center etc...

Oh well, that's life. At least it might attract some decent lunch places and save me the daily trip to 9th ave. and parts beyond.

[scumonkey]

today....(going up fast!)
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/comp.jpg
(too bad they are using cheap looking prefab brick panels.)
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/brick.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/rising.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/sign.jpg

across the street (the taller sister)
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/pit-2.jpg

[antinimby]

The quality of the glass will be the key in how this will turn out overall. I'm glad to read from that sign that this building will have ground floor retail.

By the way, they seem to be having trouble getting the NB permit approved for 505. Looks like the tub is finished but the superstructure can't go forward yet until the NB permit is issued.

I expect them to get it within the next couple of weeks.

[scumonkey]

they're at floor # 20...just 3 more to go!

[Clarknt67]

Looks like 453 w 37th is almost topped out.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h237/Clarknt67/453w37A.jpg

They are also finishing the lower floors (rather bland, imo).
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h237/Clarknt67/453w37B.jpg

Birds-eye view of 505 w. 37th
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h237/Clarknt67/505w37A.jpg

And a landlocked one:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h237/Clarknt67/505w37B.jpg

[Derek2k3]

Thanks for the pictures.

[Clarknt67]

you're welcome. What a difference a 100 years makes. I work across the street on the 13th floor and the 24th floor of that building doesn't look too much higher.

[scumonkey]

def topped off!
(little American flag planted at top on other side)
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/toped-off.jpg

[krulltime]

Thanks for the update. Was it a challenge for you to take that one photo?

[scumonkey]

Naw....just stepped out onto my back terrace! ;)

[antinimby]

From the webcam, something, perhaps glass (and ugh AC vents), appears to have gone up on the second and third floors on the 38th St. side.

[sfenn1117]

a/c vents and a very drab facade. Rockrose is actually one of the lower tier of nyc developers, I never realized it before but take into account their prior work and you'd agree (inc. 2 gold)

[antinimby]

A tidbit of news (http://ny.therealdeal.com/articles/following-tishman-bid-win-developers-forge-ahead-on-far-west-side):

...Rockrose has contracted Landmarc Restaurants to open an eatery at 455 West 37th Street, an 80/20 building with 425 units, and they are close to a deal with Food Emporium...

© 2008 The Real Deal

[scumonkey]

It changes appearance depending on what the light outside is like.
It seems to have a metallic/pearly sheen to it's two tones
of greenish/greenish-blue glass.
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/pearly.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/greened.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/green.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/glasson.jpg

[lofter1]

The lower smaller panes would be much better if they were opaque.

Where do you put anything when you live in these floor-to-ceiling all glass units?

The view from outside is nasty. If you don't believe it then get down on your hands and knees and take a look around your house.

That's what foks see from outside these buildings looking in :eek: .

[antinimby]

The AC vents just shatters all chances of the windows looking good.

New rentals in this city all seem to have that cheap Avalon-look now.

[BrooklynRider]

This is the Rockrose Development of the east side of Tenth Avenue between Wesy 37th Street & West 38th Street. It in the middle of five or six sites currently being developed.

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd121/BrooklynRiderRob/DSCN1628.jpg

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd121/BrooklynRiderRob/DSCN1627.jpg

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd121/BrooklynRiderRob/DSCN1629.jpg

[antinimby]

NB permits were just issued for the second phase of the project across Tenth. Expect work there to start up very soon.

[scumonkey]

Excellent, I was wondering what the holdup there was since the
shorter tower went up so fast....

[Stroika]

I don't know if this is what you meant by "Avalon cheap," Antinimby, but what on earth is up with the windows on nearly every condo building (i.e., nearly every building, period) going up these days? So many of them have this 1970s-cheap International Style style of a longer rectangle perched atop a squatter rectangle. All in all it looks terrible; and what's more, as we know from nearly anything built in the 60s and 70s that looks like this (take my suburban high school's pool, e.g.), it ages very, very poorly. I didn't see a need to return to those kinds of windows; apparently cheapskate developers did.

[antinimby]

Yeah, you pretty much described what "Avalon" windows look like.

Avalon is development company that has put up many atrocious buildings and they all seemingly share the same characteristics: highly reflective and wiggly glass with AC vents. (They are by no means the only ones that do it but unlike others, no one does it more than they do).

Here's an example of an Avalon:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/39/122155102_e22ee78121.jpg?v=0


Contrast that with the much, much better looking windows such as these:

http://curbed.com/uploads/2008_06_RentOnyx3a.JPG

Notice there's no AC vents, the glass is clear and not wavy. A whole world apart in terms of quality and aesthetics.

[scumonkey]

I just wish since it had to block my sunset over the river view,
it could have been a better design :(
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/blocked-view.jpg

At least with all the glass in now, the sun makes it look
like it's burning on fire (I can dream)!:cool:
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/burnning.jpg

[scumonkey]

The 43 floor tower across the street is now at street level...
Bet this one flys up!
(crawled up onto the mobile crane while the guard was occupied for this inside shot.)
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/across-the-street.jpg

[antinimby]

Good job sneaking around the guard to get that shot and thanks for the update.

I wonder why they haven't put in a stationary crane (or two) yet.

[stache]

That's a handsome building across the street in that photo.

[scumonkey]

street glass!
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/streetGlass.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/gettinready.jpg

[antinimby]

3 updates for the price of one in that pic above. (hint: reflections) ;)

Good job.

[Derek2k3]

What's the 3rd? The McSams?

....those don't count.

[scumonkey]

Went by the site today...
pic of 37 st entrance
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/DSCN00091.jpg

And then looked across 10th!
Believe me...it's WAY bigger looking in person-pics pale
in comparison.

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/DSCN00051.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/DSCN00041.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/DSCN00021.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/DSCN00011.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/scumonkey/DSCN00071.jpg

[antinimby]

I wonder why they still haven't gotten around to putting up a fixed-in-place crane.

[scumonkey]

Will not have to deal with those pesky inspectors this way +
They might not have to....
That mobile crane is the biggest one of it's kind I've ever seen.

[GreenwichBoy]

the same crane was used at 85 West Broadway, Soho Mews and 450 Washington St.

[Derek2k3]

but one of these towers is 44 stories. They used a jumping crane at 455, so I'd be surprised if they don't use one here.

[ejeep]

Just ran across this forum and so glad I did. As you can see from pic (if I have attached it correctly) I have a commanding view of this project. Unfortunately imfy not imby. But I dont mind I more enjoy watching it all happen and I promise more photos. I do have some great ones of the smaller complete 24 story building as well.

Note in the upper right hand corner, the site for the 100ft. deep pit where they will load in the 7 train tunneling rig late winter.

[antinimby]

^ Taken from the Victory (http://wirednewyork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3403). We look forward to your periodic updates from that angle high above.

By the way, here's a NY Times photo from early 2007 of the site where 453 currently stands.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/02/04/nyregion/04west.xlarge1.jpg

[londonlawyer]

^ Taken from the Victory (http://wirednewyork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3403). We look forward to your periodic updates from that angle high above.

By the way, here's a NY Times photo from early 2007 of the site where 453 currently stands.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/02/04/nyregion/04west.xlarge1.jpg

What an improvement!

[antinimby]

453 from Ninth...

http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/3147/img0175tu9.jpg



The shared base of the 505 towers...

http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/2759/img0176hx8.jpg



The balconies on the north side of the 43-story tower is starting to make an appearance...

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/2369/img0179gt1.jpg



Unfortunately, there'll be a large gap between this and the Poon-designed Best Western, leaving the ugly hotel still visible.

http://img387.imageshack.us/img387/6501/img0177ub3.jpg



The south side and the base of the 34-story tower...

http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/2133/img0181wm8.jpg

[scumonkey]

Unfortunately, there'll be a large gap between this and the Poon-designed Best Western, leaving the ugly hotel still visible.Maybe there will be a construction accident and that Poon thang will be damaged beyond repair :p