Workers yesterday started erecting the sidewalk bridge around the northeast corner of Third Avenue and St. Mark's Place, marking the next phase of demolition. (H/T Steven, Nick Solares and @unitof!)
Until yesterday, the prep work was going on inside the vacant assemblage of buildings — 3 St. Mark’s Place, 23 and 25-27 Third Avenue. This has been a long time coming: Permits were filed in March 2018 to tear down the existing structures to make way for an office building with ground-floor retail.
[Photo yesterday afternoon by Steven]
The size of this new building has yet to be determined. As previously reported, Real Estate Equities Corporation (REEC) wants to transfer the air rights from the landmarked Hamilton-Holly House at 4 St. Mark's Place to add more floors and square footage to their office building.
REEC has already filed permits (last October) for an as-of-right five-story, 29,030-square-foot building on the corner. If the air rights deal is ultimately OK'd, then the Morris Adjimi-designed building at 3 St. Mark's Place would rise to 10 stories.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission heard the application to transfer the air rights back on April 9. In the end, they asked REEC and Adjimi to return with some modifications.
REEC picked up the 99-year leasehold for the properties — housing McDonald's, the Continental, Korilla BBQ and Papaya King, among others — for nearly $150 million in November 2017. The corner assemblage is owned by the Gabay family.
Meanwhile, the once-completed sidewalk bridge should make for a popular hangout this coming summer.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Demolition permits filed for northeast corner of 3rd Avenue and St. Mark's Place
End is nearing for the businesses on the northeast corner of 3rd Avenue and St. Mark's Place
New building plans revealed for 3rd Avenue and St. Mark's Place
Concern over potential air-rights transfer for new office building on St. Mark's Place and 3rd Avenue
Developers of 3 St. Mark's Place are looking to increase the size of their proposed office building at 3rd Avenue to 10 floors with air-rights deal
The lobbyists behind the air-rights transfer and zoning variance for 3 St. Mark's Place
We need bigger and more anonymous architecture that degrades the landscape - Cooper Union has done a great job so far...
ReplyDeleteAnother bait-and-switch on the part of developers to more fully turn our once-vibrant neighborhood into an even bigger pot of gold for themselves, and I have no doubt the LPC will rubber-stamp their approval of the larger building.
ReplyDeleteThe Tom Mayne Cooper Union Classroom building is terrific. It's out of context but looks great especially from across the street. The Death Star is a mistake. It's best view is from the 4th Ave side at 5:00 in the winter. 8:00 in summer. The Adjami building is midtown trash. Stumpy wedding cakes are best left to catering halls. Actually the shorter version is better looking and more contextual. It's sad that there is no elected leadership standing up for the community. Bit I bet that ReZone Rivera is too busy puckering up to Mayor Bill to be bothered. ONE PARTY RULE. ONE PARTY RULE
ReplyDeleteIt's less horrible than the adjacent NYU $$$$$$ dorms, but still.
ReplyDeleteDisgusting to lose a building like that. I wish it was more like Paris where they respect the city.
ReplyDeleteThis particular intersection is uniquely situated in that it functions visually and physically as the gateway to our one-of-a-kind historic neighborhood. I can't even believe this is what the developers and architects came up with. No awareness whatsoever of the significance and personality of St. Mark's and the surrounding neighborhood. So incredibly sad and nearsighted.
ReplyDelete@cmarrtyy, "... It's out of context", yes and that one statement is the problem with all these new buildings! Really sucks that the right people don't give a shit.
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