No. 799 was the former home of the historic St. Denis building, which opened as a hotel in 1853. Normandy Real Estate Partners bought the property for somewhere in the $100 million ballpark back in 2016... and tore it all down.
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Construction watch: 799 Broadway
10 comments:
Your remarks and lively debates are welcome, whether supportive or critical of the views herein. Your articulate, well-informed remarks that are relevant to an article are welcome.
However, commentary that is intended to "flame" or attack, that contains violence, racist comments and potential libel will not be published. Facts are helpful.
If you'd like to make personal attacks and libelous claims against people and businesses, then you may do so on your own social media accounts. Also, comments predicting when a new business will close ("I give it six weeks") will not be approved.
That building could NOT be more ugly nor out-of-context if it tried. First off, it looks like the designer (or whoever is responsible for this mess) was drunk when the drawings were done. As an actual "building" it looks like a bunch of shipping containers got randomly stacked, like a bad game of jenga.
ReplyDeleteJust. Fucking. Hideous.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't that look just great next to Grace Church.
ReplyDeleteI like this. It reminds me of the modern juxtaposition against the older building structures in London. Why are there so many naysayers who won't or can't embrace change?
ReplyDelete@12:59pm: May someone build something you find ugly right next to something you cherish. Then maybe you'll get a clue.
ReplyDeleteJamming in ugly commercial buildings in an attempt to remake Union Square into a high-end high-traffic office district, a thing for which there appears to be little or no demand, is not good change. If it were affordable housing, even if it were ugly, at least it would be adding to the community. It's like those hideous condo buildings in Two Bridges--they struggled mightily to sell the first one, yet insist on continuing to add the other two despite all evidence that the market isn't there for it.
ReplyDeleteLooks worse than the renderings but better than it did early. Overall i like it - it's at least interesting and contemporary architecture - so much better that other recent builds around there (thinking the Death Star or the Hyatt on 13th or the Moxy hotel on 11th... all pretty terrible.)
ReplyDeleteWhat's with the vitriol on this comment thread? It seems when someone else presents a different point of view, they are chastised. Not a very grown up approach.
ReplyDeletemy office was at the St Denis for 15 years. I really miss that place. This building may remain empty for a long time given the rents they are asking and the economy/pandemic situation. Such a waste.
ReplyDeleteI love historic buildings and also the specific architectural style that defines the East Village. I also admire these new modern creative looking buildings, am architectural style 'o the times. However there's a place for them, and that's not in a narrow commercial corridor passing through an otherwise historic neighborhood.
ReplyDelete