785 Eighth Avenue - 40-story Condo - Theater District - by Ismael Leyva Architects

**NoyokA** · October 9th, 2006, 04:11 PM

Isn't there a NYC law outlawing "sliver" buildings after the multitude that was built up untill the 1980's...

**NoyokA** · October 9th, 2006, 04:17 PM

Did a little digging... The law as I understand it doesn't effect this site...

NYTIMES:

March 4, 1983
BAN ON 'SILVER' BUILDINGS IS APPROVED BY THE CITY
By MAURICE CARROLL

''Sliver'' buildings - tall, narrow residences that tower above their neighbors - were banned yesterday by the Board of Estimate. The board voted unanimously to change the zoning code after 24 witnesses stepped to the microphones in City Hall to criticize the slivers. Some said that bulldozers had been digging furiously to avoid the ban, which takes effect immediately. Work can be continued only on those with foundations in place.

The altered law says buildings in residential areas on lots up to 45 feet wide can be no taller than the width of the street they face or the lowest building next door, whichever is larger. The restrictions apply in designated areas, including the blocks between Park and Lexington Avenues in the 60's through the 90's. A Recent Development

When current laws were written, testified George Lewis of the American Institute of Architects, ''no one imagined'' slivers would be built. But, as real-estate market prices rose and standards declined, some owners decided to ''squeeze every last possible dollar out of real estate,'' he said.

Applause broke out as representatives of the board members - the three citywide elected officials and five Borough Presidents - voted. Only Vicki Streitfeld, who sits in for Andrew J. Stein, the Manhattan Borough President, spoke, calling the slivers ''offensive''.

Before the vote, William H. Whyte, author of ''The Exploding Metropolis,'' testified that ''the barn door is still wide open.'' His East 94th Street neighborhood, he said, had been threatened with construction of a building 18 feet wide and ''32 ridiculous stories'' high.

At 126 East 85th Street, said Jane Miller, who lives nearby, ''there was such a rush to get the foundations in that yesterday they brought in bulldozers.''

Peter Jones, another neighbor of the 85th Street site, where a 19-story structure would rise on a 40-foot lot, said the builders' ''haste has become desperation.''

''As we speak,'' he said, ''they are back at work.'' The next-door neighbor, Marcelle Greenfield, said: ''There were two bulldozers there yesterday. My building shook. Please act quickly.''

Councilman Robert J. Dryfoos, a Democrat who represents the Upper East Side, where slivers have proliferated in the last few years, said that without the zoning changes there were potential sites for 477 more.

In another action, the board delayed, to March 18, a vote on upholding landmark status for Lever House, the 31-year-old glass office tower on Park Avenue at 53d Street. Such status, recommended by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, would block plans by owners of the land to replace the structure with a bigger skyscraper.

**kliq6** · October 13th, 2006, 10:40 AM

The plans for this one from what i heard are not finalized

**lofter1** · November 17th, 2006, 06:41 PM

They're still digging out the mud here (see below) ...

Meanwhile it seems that some POS will never go away ...

Originally Posted by Peteynyc1

Can someone please do something with that Bennigans already. It's hurtin!

Your prayers are answered!

(although maybe not in the way you'd like)

771 8th Avenue has gotten a Building Permit to "extend the 2nd Floor" and they are building up the 1-story part of the building that sits to the west on 47th.

Cinder blocks are rising!

I poked my head in the door and asked a worker what was going in there ...

Hold on to your seats (drum roll, please) ................................

\/

\/

\/

\/

It's going to be another ...

\/

\/

\/

\/

duane reade

***

**lesterp4** · November 17th, 2006, 06:49 PM

How many F!!!!!! duane reades do we need on 8th ave. I think there are at least 5 between 42nd and 59th. This is ridiculous!

**antinimby** · November 17th, 2006, 08:02 PM

Hey, you know what they say, "the more, the merrier."

Or does that not apply to Duane Reades?

**lofter1** · January 10th, 2007, 05:33 PM

The foundation for the section fronting on 8th Avenue was being poured yesterday ...

**lofter1** · January 10th, 2007, 05:48 PM

DOB still shows that the Application for a "New Building" on this site have NOT been Approved (the Permit for Foundation work was Approved under a separate Application).

The latest Approved PERMIT (Issued 12.13.06) is for "INSTALLATION OF A HEAVY DUTY SHED 222' during nb construction" and continues to state ...

42 Stories
566'

**londonlawyer** · January 10th, 2007, 05:54 PM

I am highly disturbed by this project. I hoped that someone would develop the entire block. However, this project ensures that the dump just north of this, which has boarded up windows on the top floors (see photo below), will not be razed.

I genuinely hope that air rights were not purchased from the horrific orange and red thing that houses NY Tour Lines. If so, that dump will never be redeveloped. Even if its air rights were not purchased, it is unlikley that it will be redeveloped. Who would build a condo or rental with no northern view?

Lastly, a tall razor building which is proposed for this site will look retarded. Like many other projects, I hope that this fails miserably and bankrupts the developer.

**antinimby** · January 11th, 2007, 01:08 AM

Originally Posted by londonlawyer

I am highly disturbed by this project. I hoped that someone would develop the entire block. However, this project ensures that the dump just north of this, which has boarded up windows on the top floors (see photo below), will not be razed.
I genuinely hope that air rights were not purchased from the horrific orange and red thing that houses NY Tour Lines. If so, that dump will never be redeveloped. Even if its air rights were not purchased, it is unlikley that it will be redeveloped. Who would build a condo or rental with no northern view?
Lastly, a tall razor building which is proposed for this site will look retarded. Like many other projects, I hope that this fails miserably and bankrupts the developer.

Stop jumping to conclusions.

You don't know if they will or will not develop those other sites.

In the meantime, this building is what this city should do more often - tall towers that have a small footprint and retail at the groundfloor.

This is as smart of an urban design as it gets.

Meanwhile, razing an entire block to build a stupid tower with a retarded block-long or half block-long base is not.

It will kill the ambiance/vibrancy/scale/character of the block.

Witness 310 E. 53st, the Atelier, the NY Times parking garage-like rear base and even 1BP.

Trust me londonlawyer, this is a good development.

I know you mean well, but you've just got to be patient with the other eyesore sites on that block.

It doesn't all have to go right now and that's a good thing.

**lofter1** · January 11th, 2007, 09:35 AM

It is known that developers of 785 did NOT obtain air rights from the corner building to the north (the air rights were obtained from the site just to the south -- the Latitude building -- hence the windows shown on the renderings of the south facade). Chances are that the corner building will remain -- and hopefully the owner will give it some TLC and fix it up.

The downside is what the north face of 785 will look like -- are we going to end up with a blank expanse of brick there (due to the possibility of a new building to rise on the corner)? me fears so.

Also -- renovations are nearly complete on the former B. Smith's / Bennigan's site with a Duane Reade opening up there any day now. So that site isn't getting redeveloped any time too soon.

Which leaves the two mid-block parcels between DR & Latitude, which includes the horrendous orange stripey thing: we can only hope that someone will do something there before too long -- it is really an eyesore and has GOT TO GO.

**pianoman11686** · January 15th, 2007, 01:58 AM

Now that I finally get my pictures uploaded, I see that lofter's already covered this one. Oh well, I guess this one's interesting for those who want to do a before-and-after comparison of a construction site. The time difference is three days.

The site is almost laughably small:

**antinimby** · January 15th, 2007, 04:07 AM

Originally Posted by pianoman11686

Now that I finally get my pictures uploaded, I see that lofter's already covered this one. Oh well, I guess this one's interesting for those who want to do a before-and-after comparison of a construction site. The time difference is three days.

Hey, things move fast in this city and that includes this forum, too.

If you snooze, you lose.

**lofter1** · January 15th, 2007, 08:59 AM

Something is going on at this corner that I can't figure out ... If anyone knows anything about what might be going on with the corner building please chime in ...

As has been mentioned to some degree before: The real test for this new T-shaped building will be how they deal with the way it meets up with it's neighbor to the north -- the existing 5-story building on the SW corner of 48th / 8th (DOB shows it as 787 8th Avneue aka 300 - 304 W. 48th), which will abut this building on two sides at the northeast facades at the indent of the "T".

According to Property Shark for 787 8th Avenue:

FAR as Built: 5.07

FAR Allowed by Zoning: 10

However DOB also shows a recent application (Approved 10.25.06) for changing the C/O at 300 W. 48th, filed by a different architect (David Turner Architect P.C.) from the architect for 785 8th (Ismael Lavya Architects, P.C.) -- DOB also shows different owners for the two sites.

That Application for 787 8th shows:

No. Stories: 57

Height: 537

Does this mean that a building of that height ^^^ is planned for this corner?

Here is a pic of that corner showing 787 8th / 330 W. 48th while the 5th Floor addition was under contruction (1997):

photo by Glenn Modica, May 1997
http://hellskitchen.net/images/gm/gm04.html

**lofter1** · January 15th, 2007, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by antinimby

... razing an entire block to build a stupid tower with a retarded block-long or half block-long base is not.

It will kill the ambiance/vibrancy/scale/character of the block.

Witness ... the NY Times parking garage-like rear base ...

Why do you keep claiming such nonsense regarding the Times Tower?

Did you know that block along 41st / 40th before the Times Tower started going up?

I've worked in and around that area for almost half my life. What was there before: Parking lots / structures, a funky "barber shop", some porn shops, a "smoke" shop / deli, a hat store (since moved a few blocks south on 8th Avenue), a few wholesale fabric stores and a couple of other uses.

There will be new street level RETAIL along both blocks for almost the full stretch of the low-rise section of the Times tower.

How will that "KILL" anything about what was previously a fairly gnarly stretch of streetfront?