What we learned today about 51 Astor Place

The New York Times has an article today titled "A Sleek Office Building Rises Over Gritty Astor Place."

Here are a few soundbites and factoids about 51 Astor Place from the article:

• "Three storefronts will wrap around the ground floor, one of which will house a bank ... A school will occupy a second-floor space."

• "Ultimately, 51 Astor might have to settle for $80 a foot, said Greg Kraut, an Avison Young principal who is not involved with the project, in order to compete with its chief rival in the area, 770 Broadway, which has large floor plans like 51 Astor and where rents are around $75 a foot."

• “You’ve got life down here, so it’s safe at night when 25-year-olds leave work,” said [51 Astor Place developer] Edward Minskoff.

And how might 51 Astor Place and its 13 stories of office workers and students impact the shops-bars-restaurants on St. Marks Place between Third and Second Avenues?

Despite periodic attempts to change the mix of retail, the block seems proudly resistant to change, even while the rest of the East Village has become more upscale, says William Kelley, executive director of the Village Alliance, the business improvement district responsible for keeping the area clean. “I think the office workers will bring a new audience,” Mr. Kelley said. “But I don’t foresee any sweeping changes here for the next 100 years.”

Previously on EV Grieve:
51 Astor Place demolition begins July 1; 17 months to build new black-glass tower

East Village — the new Midtown?