The 'High Line East vibes' of 799 Broadway

Workers have removed the sidewalk bridge and remaining scaffolding from outside the all-new 799 Broadway, the 12-story zig-zagging office complex on the SW corner at 11th Street.

EVG reader Doug, who shared these photos, noted the building's "High Line East vibes" ...

According to published reports this past fall, the building with floor-to-ceiling glass and private terraces has its first two tenants: Newrez, a mortgage lending and service firm, and Bain Capital Ventures. 

No. 799 was the former home of the historic St. Denis building (not landmarked, unfortunately), 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 down.

Our post on No. 799 from January 2020 has a little more background about the project and the concerns over this out-of-scale construction along this corridor.

Construction watch: 799 Broadway

Been meaning to post an update on 799 Broadway... where, at the southwest corner at 11th Street, this 12-story zig-zagging office complex has its glassy façade in place ... (these photos are from a few weeks ago, but it essentially looks the same...)

According to a news release about the address: "799 Broadway will feature floor-to-ceiling glass, private terraces, and 15 foot high ceilings. This combination of highly desirable location and state-of-the-art design will appeal to New York’s most progressive and creative companies."

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.

Construction watch: 799 Broadway

Here's the latest look at the southwest corner of Broadway and 11th Street where the 12-story zig-zagging office complex is getting its glassy façade...

According to a news release about the address: "799 Broadway will feature floor-to-ceiling glass, private terraces, and 15 foot high ceilings. This combination of highly desirable location and state-of-the-art design will appeal to New York’s most progressive and creative companies."

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.

James Nazz shared this time-lapse video showing the demolition of the building...

Previously on EV Grieve:
• Report: Former St. Denis Hotel selling for $100 million

Construction watch: 799 Broadway

In case you haven't been over by the southwest corner of Broadway and 11th Street of late... it appears that workers have nearly reached the top of this 12-story zig-zagging office complex (this development made the cut for essential construction during the COVID-19 PAUSE)...



According to a news release about the address: "799 Broadway will feature floor-to-ceiling glass, private terraces, and 15 foot high ceilings. This combination of highly desirable location and state-of-the-art design will appeal to New York’s most progressive and creative companies."

And (previously revealed) renderings of the new building via architects Perkins and Will ...





The official site for 799 Broadway is at this link.

EVG reader Gojira shared these views of the new building from 11th Street and Fourth Avenue from over the weekend...





Per Gojira: "Saw this monstrosity looming over the Grace Church Rectory, and competing with that beautiful spire for air space. What a fucking travesty."

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.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• Report: Former St. Denis Hotel selling for $100 million


[Image via Wikipedia Commons]

Construction watch: 799 Broadway

[Photo from Saturday]

Workers are starting on the fourth floor of the incoming 12-story zig-zagging office complex on the southwest corner of Broadway at 11th Street.

The address was the former home of the recently demolished St. Denis building. Normandy Real Estate Partners bought the property for somewhere in the $100 million ballpark back in 2016.

According to a news release about the address: "799 Broadway will feature floor-to-ceiling glass, private terraces, and 15 foot high ceilings. This combination of highly desirable location and state-of-the-art design will appeal to New York’s most progressive and creative companies."

And (previously revealed) renderings of the new building via architects Perkins and Will ...





The official site for 799 Broadway is at this link.

This is the type of new development of concern to preservationists, who say this out-of-scale construction is a threat to the area south of Union Square, where other new development includes 809 Broadway.

This morning, the City Planning Commission holds a public hearing on the proposed hotel special permit requirement for Greenwich Village and the East Village south of Union Square.

Per the Village Preservation:

The Mayor’s campaign donors and supporters are real beneficiaries are of this plan, which does nothing to fulfill promises to protect these neighborhoods in the wake of increased development pressure from the City Council’s approval of the upzoning for the Mayor’s 14th Street Tech Hub [in August 2018].

As for the southwest corner of Broadway and 11th Street: The former St. Denis building, which was 165 years old, was noteworthy for many reasons. It opened in 1853 as the St. Denis Hotel, which is where Ulysses S. Grant wrote his post-Civil War memoirs and Alexander Graham Bell provided the first demonstration of the telephone to New Yorkers. (For more history, Jeremiah Moss, who once had an office in the St. Denis, wrote this feature titled "The Death and Life of a Great American Building" for The New York Review of Books in March 2018.)

However, the building was not landmarked... and it is not in a Historic District.


[Image via Wikipedia Commons]

Previously on EV Grieve:
• Report: Former St. Denis Hotel selling for $100 million

There's not much left of the former St. Denis Hotel on Broadway

[Photo by Dave on 7th]

Workers have been slowing bringing down the historic St. Denis building, 799 Broadway at 11th Street.

The above photo via Dave on 7th shows what's left. Workers started the demo prep work back in September.

Normandy Real Estate Partners bought the property for somewhere in the $100 million ballpark back in 2016.

On March 14, the city OK'd permits for the 12-story, "loft-style building" taking the place of the St. Denis. According to a news release about the address: "799 Broadway will feature floor-to-ceiling glass, private terraces, and 15 foot high ceilings. This combination of highly desirable location and state-of-the-art design will appeal to New York’s most progressive and creative companies."

And a rendering of the new building...


[Binyan Studios]

The nearly demolished structure, which was 165 years old, was noteworthy for many reasons. It opened in 1853 as the St. Denis Hotel, which is where Ulysses S. Grant wrote his post-Civil War memoirs and Alexander Graham Bell provided the first demonstration of the telephone to New Yorkers.



However, the building was not landmarked... and it was not in a Historic District.

For more history, Jeremiah Moss, who once worked in the St. Denis, wrote this feature titled "The Death and Life of a Great American Building" for The New York Review of Books in March 2018.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Maps show that Midtown South does NOT include the East Village/Astor Place

Report: Former St. Denis Hotel selling for $100 million


[Image via Wikipedia Commons]

Report: New building permits filed for former St. Denis Hotel property

[Image via Wikipedia Commons]

Plans are moving forward for a new office development at 799 Broadway at 11th Street — the former St. Denis Hotel.

The Real Deal reported that Normandy Real Estate Partners filed permit applications for a new 12-story building.

Here's more from New York Yimby:

Original reports said the development of 799 Broadway was limited to a gut renovation of the interior structure and a vertical expansion of the historic corner property. Permits filed ... however, reveal the construction of a new, 12-story, 182-foot-tall building containing 182,626 square feet of Class-A office space. An additional 10,032 square feet will be dedicated to an unspecified community facility.

TRD also had an updated rendering of the building via design firm Perkins + Will...



Demolition permits haven't been filed just yet for 799 Broadway. As previously noted, the 165-year-old building is noteworthy for many reasons. It opened in 1853 as the St. Denis Hotel, which is where Ulysses S. Grant wrote his post-Civil War memoirs and Alexander Graham Bell provided the first demonstration of the telephone to New Yorkers.

However, the building is not landmarked... and it is not in a Historic District.

Vanishing New York's Jeremiah Moss, a former tenant at the address, wrote a feature titled "The Death and Life of a Great American Building" for The New York Review of Books back in March.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Former St. Denis Hotel selling for $100 million

End of days at the St. Denis