I’m not certain that this would be a supertall. The footprint could be large and there would be opposition towards building so high right next to the Chrysler Building. Either way, it will have to be something better than what currently stands here.
I would like to see something tall that leans or sets back from 42nd Street so that the crown of the Chrysler Building is visible from the west. Something like the Cheese Grater in London, perhaps.
The project will also bring improvements to the train station itself, including new entrances and “enhanced connectivity and circulation” at the Grand Central subway stop.
While no designer for the project has been named, Jeremy Shell, a principal at TF Cornerstone, said in a statement that the firm “look[s] forward to the opportunity to bring a new icon to New York’s skyline.” The developers own much of the air rights at Grand Central, and would use those
[…]
the developers will need to transfer the lease for the property from Hyatt, which holds it until 2077. There will also be necessary approvals from the city and state, so a timeline for completion has yet to be announced.
When Moinian reclad 1775 Broadway (to me an infamously classless move) I pessimistically told a friend that other developers would likely follow suit. I remember mentioning the term “pull a Moinian”, but now I realize Trump beat Moinian to that punch by 25 years!
According to the MAS tool (Accidental Skyline : Air Rights – The Municipal Art Society of New York) the current building has an FAR of 17.95, above the 15 currently zoned for the plot. Hopefully the developers aren’t penalized for that as tearing this Frankenstein down serves a public good.
That was a short-term fix. I believe that Related is Moinian’s partner in that tower. It’s a very prime residential development, and I guarantee that in twenty-years a 1,000’+ condo will replace it.
I hope they have plans to connect the basement of the new building to Grand Central, like 270 Park. Grand Central Terminal ought to have an underground city like Tokyo Station.
It’s connected by the Lexington Passage, but I’m hoping for a completely public basement level for this new building with retail and restaurants, make a retail main concourse.
Here is an overview from Google Maps… the red boxes over the One Vanderbilt site and the Grand Hyatt site are the exact same size, and area in green is the extra lot area that the Grand Hyatt takes up relative to One Vanderbilt. Looks to be about 20% larger, perhaps
