Thursday, January 28, 2010

Taking a look at the latest blight on the downtown skyline

I've been so distracted by Harrison Ford's gargantuan cranium of late that I haven't even noticed the 13-story Great Jones Hotel creeping up the downtown skyline...




Ah, here it is upclose at 25 Great Jones Street at Lafayette. One day it will be home to all sorts of fancy eateries and bars and stuff.



Born to Fit? Heh! Tell that to the understandably pe-od neighbors... (Curbed has a full report on the public meeting on Jan. 19.)



And last year around this time, I snapped photos at 25 Great Jones announcing the hotel would be completed in February 2010...




Meanwhile, next to the Hotel, plans were announced last December for that narrow lot that once housed the Jones Diner... it's a (surprise!) glassy, six-floor retail/residential building...If you've been following this story, then you know how the Hotel is essentially eliminating greatly reducing the natural light into Chuck Close's studio here on Bond Street...



(In fact, I saw Close and his assistant enter the building the other day... I was going to ask him about the latest developments, but decided against it...)



So you'd better enjoy the graffiti in this lot while you can...




3 comments:

Laura Goggin Photography said...

The way the snow was falling this morning, it looked like Harrison was blowing a storm of dandruff right on to Brendan's shoulder...

Maybe I've already asked this, but does anyone know anything about the part of a church that is left in the back of the parking lot at this intersection? There are two surviving arched windows that have been painted black.

EV Grieve said...

Good question, Goggla... I don't know the history of the church.

Laura Goggin Photography said...

Ah, Ken Mac commented on my blog that he thought the church may have had something to do with an orphanage...