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

[Peteynyc1]

What is up with this building? Seems like no work is being done on it any more. Where are the workers accessing the building?? I never see anyone entering on 8th Ave and the cross street entrance looks more or less closed up as well. The lobby has sat in an unfinished state for many months now. Did sales even happen? At one point we were seeing a block of apartments for 60+M. Anyone know the scoop?

[bill schintler]

What is up with this building? Seems like no work is being done on it any more. Where are the workers accessing the building?? I never see anyone entering on 8th Ave and the cross street entrance looks more or less closed up as well. The lobby has sat in an unfinished state for many months now. Did sales even happen? At one point we were seeing a block of apartments for 60+M. Anyone know the scoop?

I was wondering the same thing. I was in it last time I visited the city last August.
http://wirednewyork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9353&p=295116#post295116

At that time, a small crew was working on interior areas, but it didn't look like much was happening very fast. A sales office existed on the 8th floor. At that time, I was told the building would open in a “few weeks”. It’s been 8 months since then. A few months back, someone posted a photo showing several broken windows on this thread; I don't think that was accidental.

- Bill

[lofter1]

BridgeStreet Worldwide has updated the 785 webpage.

Previously it said "***Opening Fall of 2009***" but now says:

***Opening Fall of 2010***

[LeCom]

NY really sucked back then.

When I was in grammar school, I remember coming to Times Square once or twice a year in the mid-80s to see a play and thinking that it was like a war zone in a third world country. I remember one year, we were getting off the school bus from Westchester, and a crazed looking manic smashed a glass bottle of booze, looked at us and screamed: "F...KING HONKEYS!" We all crapped our pants, and I remember it to this day.

PS: Is the word "honkey" no longer used? I think it died with George Jefferson and has been replaced with "cracker."

Last year I got a stone thrown at me and called a "white cracker" in Philly (a hilariously redundant phrase) so I guess so...

[BillSchintler]

I went in there last year about this time:
http://wirednewyork.com/forum/showth...561#post295561

Construction of the lobby and upper floor interiors was nearly complete at that time, save for some protective paper on fixtures and the floor, and a layer of construction dust, stuff like that. It appeared as though a week of concentrated effort was all that was necessary to open the place. There was a marketing office with some activity on the eighth floor. I walked by the lobby today for the first time since then, and I can say that absolutely nothing has been done over the last 12 months!

[stache]

.

[BrooklynLove]

Back in 2003, some guy who thought I cut him on line at a food spot in the GCT concessions level, called me a cracker (I'm white). I almost fell over laughing. It was one of those moments when you think someone just crawled out of a time capsule.

[londonlawyer]

Last year I got a stone thrown at me and called a "white cracker" in Philly (a hilariously redundant phrase) so I guess so...

Cracker is quite funny, as is honkey!

[londonlawyer]

I'm still pissed that this broken down POS to the north of this tower is still standing.



Hopefully, there are enough air rights to build something on the sites with the Duane Reade and with the orange and yellow POS.

[Derek2k3]

hell's kitchen by hrlqn

Must see large:
http://bighugelabs.com/onblack.php?i...133&size=large

[londonlawyer]

Great photo.

[Tectonic]

Is hells kitchen heavily protected by zoning?

[lofter1]

Yes, from about 150' west of Eighth Avenue over to Tenth Avenue is zoned for low height. Just west of Tenth it changes altogether.

[BStyles]

Must be because of the bedrock levels.

[lofter1]

It was a somewhat recent rezoning, enacted to maintain the existing character of the residential area in Hell's Kitchen / Clinton.

NYC Department of City Planning

July 26, 2004

CITY PLANNING ANNOUNCES BEGINNING OF PUBLIC REVIEW FOR PROPOSED
CLINTON HEIGHT CONTROLS TO PROTECT CHARACTER OF THE WEST SIDE COMMUNITY

July 26, 2004 – The Department of City Planning (DCP) has officially launched the public review of its proposal to limit building heights along Ninth and Tenth Avenues in the Clinton section of Manhattan’s west side, DCP Director Amanda M. Burden announced today. The proposal responds to community concerns that existing zoning controls permit development along Ninth and Tenth Avenues to be considerably taller than many existing buildings along the avenues, and could result in "sore thumb" buildings that are out of character with their neighbors. The proposed text amendment would establish new height controls to ensure that new development is consistent with the scale and character of the surrounding neighborhood. The Preservation Area of the Special Clinton District area is bounded by on the north by 56th Street and 43rd Street to the south, roughly between Eighth and Tenth Avenues.

"As important as it is to promote growth for the future of the city, we must also recognize the need to preserve the lower-scaled quality that makes a neighborhood like Clinton in Manhattan so special," said Ms. Burden, noting that the proposed text amendment responds to the community's concerns about inappropriate development.

To maintain Clinton’s special character, the Department is proposing that the overall height of new development and enlargements along the avenues be limited to 85 feet (approx 8 stories) with a streetwall between 5 or 6 stories. The proposed bulk controls would continue to accommodate allowable floor area as well as the higher floor-to-ceiling height for ground floor retail uses, but would ensure that new development is compatible with the existing character of Clinton. Current zoning has required a height limit for new development on the side streets in the Preservation Area of the Clinton District, but zoning controls along the avenues have been much more flexible, permitting buildings on large lots that are considerably taller than surrounding buildings.

The preservation of the character of Ninth Avenue to the South of 43rd Street is an integral part of the proposed 360-acre Hudson Yards comprehensive plan. The proposal, which is intended to promote commercial and residential growth, nonetheless retains the existing zoning along Ninth Avenue within the Hudson Yards.