Proposed: Shangri-La Hotel, New York - 610 Lexington Ave - by Norman Foster

**Alonzo-ny** · January 17th, 2005, 08:48 AM

The report says at least 50 floors suggesting maybe more and they wouldnt buy all those air rights if they werent going to use them. Also if it looks anything like those renderings it would be a good addition to the skyline. Why so negative?

**kliq6** · January 17th, 2005, 12:02 PM

If they built a mixed-use hotel/residential/office kinda like 731 Lex up the block they would go alot higher, maybe this is what they may do

**Derek2k3** · May 22nd, 2005, 10:44 PM

With the YWCA out this summer demolition could probably commence this year.

http://www.globest.com/news/286_286/.../134312-1.html

Globe St.
YWCA Moves HQ Downtown
By Barbara Jarvie
Last updated: May 17, 2005 02:08pm

**kliq6** · May 23rd, 2005, 05:02 PM

this site should not be wasted as justcondo's it should be like 731 Lexington

**Gulcrapek** · May 23rd, 2005, 05:07 PM

I doubt it will be (wasted). And the developers hold some real trophy properties.

**kliq6** · May 24th, 2005, 03:22 PM

i went in term of use, thi slocation warents a number of good ideas, not just a plain office or condo tower, but a good mixed-use building

**NYguy** · October 11th, 2005, 08:08 AM

NY POST

E. SIDE HOTEL IS IN WORKS

By STEVE CUOZZO

October 11, 2005 -- SIR Norman Foster, designer of Hearst Corp.'s striking new tower at Eighth Avenue and 57th Street, has landed his next big Manhattan commission: the residential/hotel project that Aby Rosen's RFR Holding LLC plans on the site of the former YWCA at 610 Lexington Ave. at 53rd Street.

My colleague Lois Weiss first reported RFR's $31.5 million purchase of the site last winter.

Now, Rosen's spokesperson confirms the hiring of Foster, one of the world's greatest architects whose green glass Hearst tower rises like a jack-in-the-box atop the original masonry base.

RFR also owns the landmarked, Mies van der Rohe-designed Seagram Building at 375 Park Ave. on the same block as the Y site.

RFR plans to transfer air rights from Seagram to the new project, which will likely be 50 stories or more.

**Alonzo-ny** · October 11th, 2005, 08:55 AM

Sounds promising. GREEN glass, what?

**Gulcrapek** · October 11th, 2005, 09:04 AM

Nice. However, hotels generally have low floor to floor heights. Meh.

**Alonzo-ny** · October 11th, 2005, 11:39 AM

At least we'll get a awesome design from foster

**krulltime** · October 11th, 2005, 05:37 PM

Oh this sounds promising... Hope they stick with a similar desing of the Hearst Corp tower!

**krulltime** · October 11th, 2005, 06:23 PM

You know I was thinking, now that there seems to be a drop on condo sales, the next construction boom will be Hotels (Like this one, and I also heard Shangri-La hotels is looking in manhattan), Offices (Midtown available office space is in decline) and rental towers (there is need for more).

So maybe we will still have alot to talk about after there is a decline in the condo towers construction.

**londonlawyer** · October 12th, 2005, 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by krulltime

You know I was thinking, now that there seems to be a drop on condo sales, the next construction boom will be Hotels (Like this one, and I also heard Shangri-La hotels is looking in manhattan)...

Where did you hear about Shangri-La? That's great news! I have been predicting that Shangri-La and the Taj Mahal Group of India would enter the NY market. Shangri-La has recently started developing outside of Asia (e.g., they have new hotels planned for London and Vancouver), and it was inevitable that they'd enter the NY market -- particularly since there's a room shortage.

There are a few sites on 5th in the 40's and Madison in the 50's that have small dilapidated buildings which should be redeveloped into trophy properties with a mix of hotels, condos and high-end office space for hedge funds, etc.

**krulltime** · October 14th, 2005, 11:42 AM

^ I don't want to post offtopic stuff here... so check your PM.

**TonyO** · November 11th, 2005, 02:03 PM

NY Observer

Seagram Switch

Last night, Community Board 5 narrowly passed a resolution supporting the transfer of air rights from the iconic Seagram Building, at 375 Park Avenue, to a new development at 610 Lexington Avenue (the transparent building in the photo of the developer's model).

RFR Realty LLC is the owner of both the Seagram Building and the property to be developed, currently home to to a YWCA that will be demolished to make way for the new 257,000-square-foot, 62-story building, which will be 709 feet high.

The board's resolution was the first of several steps that RFR Realty must go through before construction of the new building begins. RFR is utilizing section 74-79 of the city's zoning resolution, a provision that sets forth rules for transferring air rights from a landmarked building to another property. In return for selling the air rights, the owner of the landmarked building must agree to maintain it for perpetuity (and if the building changes hands, that provision is written into the deed transfer).

Since RFR owns both properties, representatives readily agreed.

The new building will feature commercial retail space, 14 stories of hotel space and 44 stories of residential condominiums. A representative of architectural firm Foster and Partners, which is designing the building, told the community board that the building was designed to fit in seamlessly with the surrounding buildings with its bold mullions and toned-down spandrels to emphasize its vertical sweep.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission must still rule on the application; after that, its next stop will be the community board's land-use committee. It will then go before the Department of City Planning.

-Matthew Grace