There was a proposal to redevelop the DGA. Fortunately, it was not built, because something spectacular eventually will rise here. That obvious point was raised in the final sentences in the following article in the July 20, 2014 NYT. I never realized that this hideous building is actually a beautiful, old structure whose facade was stripped.
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Where Fancy Took Flight
Rusty Traces of Sumptuous Architecture on West 57th Street
By CHRISTOPHER GRAY
JULY 17, 2014
CHESTER HIGGINS JR. / THE NEW YORK TIMES
Developers are active up and down the blocks of West 57th Street, and there is no reason to believe this structure has escaped their notice. Sahar Moridani, a guild spokeswoman, said the organization had no comment as to whether it had received offers, past or present.
What Could Have Been: The DGA Tower, 110 West 57th Street
BY: NIKOLAI FEDAK ON JULY 21ST 2014 AT 6:00 AM
The DGA Building, image from Google Maps
The New York Times recently reported on the history of the DGA Building at 110 West 57th Street, as well as the potential for redevelopment. Roughly one decade ago, there was actually a proposal for such a project, though it never came to fruition.
110 West 57th Street’s relative value has increased dramatically since the old proposal, as the thoroughfare has transformed into “Billionaire’s Row,” with development stretching to heights New York City has never seen before. While the street will soon have some of the tallest towers on Earth, the DGA site should be relatively short; a new mixed-use building would total approximately 100,000 square feet, given available air rights.
Old plan for 110 West 57th Street, image by Costas Kondylis
Old plans are a departure from what will eventually rise, given the scope of the original vision, which would have measured 260,000 square feet. The future 111 West 57th Street will partially block the DGA development’s Central Park views, and in a neighborhood where 1,000′ towers are now normal, 110 West 57th Street lacks the necessary air rights to join the supertall pack.
Despite the DGA’s relatively limited potential, even mid-rises in the neighborhood are generally quite attractive, with hotels like the recently-opened Viceroy and the soon-to-be Firmdale 18 West 56th Street coming to surrounding blocks. The demolition of the old 110 West 57th Street will also benefit the street, as the existing structure became an eyesore after it was renovated in the 1950s.
Old plan for 110 West 57th Street, image by Costas Kondylis
Ultimate plans for the site remain unknown, but given trends along 57th Street, the DGA site has sizable potential, and the days of the existing building would appear to be numbered.
I’ve always said that the heinous Director’s Guild and the equally grotesque Parker Meridian should be redeveloped. Maybe it will be. I highly doubt that Witkoff seeks to run a hotel.
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