[Islander]

Who knows ? Maybe someday we'll even see a rendering.

That honor will probably be reserved for our great grandkids.

[StatenIslander237]

That honor will probably be reserved for our great grandkids.

Oh damn. Is that how long we have to wait for this tower to rise?!

;)

[NYguy]

http://downtownexpress.com/de_253/undercover.html

Ratner snubs Silver


Developer Bruce Ratner is snubbing Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

Silver wrote a letter to Ratner expressing concern about the lack of progress on construction of the Beekman Tower building, which will house a new K-8 school. The site has showed no sign of movement since late last fall, but the school is somehow supposed to open in September 2009.

Silver sent the letter Feb. 25 but still has not received a written response from Ratner.

The speaker brokered the deal for the school with Ratner and Mayor Mike Bloomberg three years ago, back when the threesome were pal-ling around. But now that Ratner is apparently having trouble coming up with the dough to build Frank Gehry’s design, it seems he’s not keen on speaking to the speaker.

Ratner’s speaker, P.R. exec Loren Riegelhaupt, emailed UnderCover and said: “We have received the speaker’s letter and understand his and the community’s concerns relating to the opening of the school. We …appreciate all of his efforts in helping to move the project forward as quickly as possible.”

The speaker may also appreciate a direct response.

[Antares41]

The thing is the longer it takes to get this bldg. rising the more expensive it gets. Steel, copper, aluminum, and many other materials are at all time high in terms of cost. Some materials rising more than 20% since the beginning of the year. It not just the credit crunch problem. Gehry orginal design call for using titanium sheet!!! Sorry, at ~$20/lb I don't think so! They have to re-engineer this whole bldg with cheaper material that still meet fit, form and function of a much simplier design. No way they meet the 2009 deadline.

[CoolCzech]

"But now that Ratner is apparently having trouble coming up with the dough to build Frank Gehry’s design..."


I believe this is what in ages past was known as... "The Writing on the Wall."

[NYguy]

I believe this is what in ages past was known as... "The Writing on the Wall."

I don't think so, but we'll see soon. This issue of the school is a real one.

[CoolCzech]

downtownexpress.com

Delay? Count the ways

If Forest City Ratner and the School Construction Authority want to convince Community Board 1 that the Beekman St. School will open on time in 2009, they should at least get their stories straight.

When Noah Pfefferblit, C.B. 1’s district manager, asked Ratner and the S.C.A. why no work has happened on the project in six months, he got two different answers.

The School Construction Authority said there was a delay in delivering a shipment of steel, but that the steel would arrive soon. After that, work will begin on an expedited schedule to get the school open by fall 2009, the authority said.

Ratner gave an entirely different explanation, after canceling an appearance at the community board to discuss the project. “They said they’re having issues with their financing,” Pfefferblit told the Youth and Education Committee Tuesday. Frank Gehry, known for complicated and whimsical buildings, designed the tower that will house the school.

Paul Hovitz, a committee member, provided further evidence of funding troubles, which have been rumored for months. He was recently discussing the project with another board member in public, when a man overheard him. Ratner is having problems financing the project, said the man, who added that he worked for a company doing the financing, Hovitz said.

Hovitz is concerned that if construction really does kick into high gear, it will disturb residents’ quality of life. On the flip side, if the construction doesn’t get going soon, Hovitz is worried the school won’t open on time.
***************

Screw the school! When is the damned tower going to rise?

[Dale]

I wonder if Ratner has any money.

[Scruffy]

at this point it is impossible to open that school by fall.

[vaporvr6]

been hearing lots of bad news about Ratner these days. Perhaps he bit off more than he could chew with all these big projects.

[Dac150]

I can easily see that this'll get the ax, and the only thing that they'll build is the school.

[Antares41]

Perhaps the tower will show-up when the credit market improves but for now I would have to agree. Looks like the only thing that will get built here is a school. One can't ignore what has happened at Atlantic Yard project.

[NYguy]

Looks like the only thing that will get built here is a school. One can't ignore what has happened at Atlantic Yard project.

There are development rights tied up into this, so I doubt we would get just the school.

[NYguy]

Hovitz is concerned that if construction really does kick into high gear, it will disturb residents’ quality of life. On the flip side, if the construction doesn’t get going soon, Hovitz is worried the school won’t open on time.

Hovitz needs to decide now which of the two he wants to bitch about, but apparently he's already decided he'll be bitching either way.

[NYguy]

Quote from the NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/arts/design/23ouro.html?scp=1&sq=ouroussoff&st=nyt

Nice Tower! Who’s Your Architect?

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/03/23/arts/23ouro600.1.jpg


By NICOLAI OUROUSSOFF
March 23, 2008

Rather than disappear behind the shielding bulwark of Park Avenue apartment houses or into anonymous loft buildings as previous generations of wealthy New Yorkers did, these residents want to live in structures that telegraph their wealth and uniqueness.

Not everyone is happy with this state of affairs. Traditionalists, still stung by the rise of Modernism, see the current crop of signature buildings as a break with the historical street front. Mostly, they criticize these works on aesthetic grounds: as flashy expressions of architectural vanity.

The muscular forms of Mr. Gehry’s 74-story Beekman Street Tower, being built near City Hall, are like the chiseled setbacks and crisp vertical lines of Rockefeller Center’s RCA tower and the neo-Classicism of Stalin-era Moscow. Yet its crinkled stainless steel is a wonder; as light flickers across the facade, it will seem to dissolve into rivulets of water.

Similarly the slim, tapered form of Mr. Nouvel’s 75-story condominium and hotel tower, planned for a site alongside the Museum of Modern Art on West 53rd Street, is a play on traditional New York skyscrapers like the Chrysler Building. The design of its taut glass skin suggests shards of glass falling from the sky. A weblike pattern of beams crisscross the exterior, as if the building were bracing itself against psychological and economic forces pressing in from all sides.

* * *

Some architects were able to work around conventional real estate wisdom by forging exteriors that would impose a specific experience on the interior spaces. By the time the consultants at Forest City Ratner, the developer behind Mr. Gehry’s Beekman building, realized that the wrinkled walls of the architect’s tower would be mirrored inside the apartments, for example, it was too late to change without a costly reworking of the design.

Similarly, the canted walls and steel cross bracing of Mr. Denari’s HL23 building will have a powerful effect on the interior. But from the point of view of a real-estate consultant, this will only make it harder to hang curtains.

Yet neither Mr. Gehry nor Mr. Denari was allowed to tinker with the actual layout of the apartments, which will be the same loftlike interiors that have become as much of an urban cliché as the gated Mediterranean community has in suburbia.

[scalziand]

Does anyone find it odd that the article calls the building a tower of "crinkled stainless steel" as opposed to the titanium facade that was rumored? Or just a mistake on the reporter's part (nevermind that the completion of this tower is now in doubt).

[Antares41]

Does anyone find it odd that the article calls the building a tower of "crinkled stainless steel" as opposed to the titanium facade that was rumored? Or just a mistake on the reporter's part (nevermind that the completion of this tower is now in doubt).


Stainless steel is cheaper than titanium, but it is still expensive due to the high price of nickel( ~ $13/lb). Going from the original titanium to stainless steel was probably one of the necessary moves to make the construction cost and length of time for construction more reasonable.

[Antares41]

In retrospect I think aluminum would have been a better choice. It lighter, easily formed, less expensive and readily available. The one drawback could be corrosion resistance especially in an urban environment atmosphere is polluted as NYC.

[CoolCzech]

Quote from the NY Times


By NICOLAI OUROUSSOFF
March 23, 2008


The muscular forms of Mr. Gehry’s 74-story Beekman Street Tower, being built near City Hall, are like the chiseled setbacks and crisp vertical lines of Rockefeller Center’s RCA tower and the neo-Classicism of Stalin-era Moscow. Yet its crinkled stainless steel is a wonder; as light flickers across the facade, it will seem to dissolve into rivulets of water.




How the hell does Nicolai know? He acts like he's seen the rendering...

[NYguy]

How the hell does Nicolai know? He acts like he's seen the rendering...

Ghery said he wouldn't release any renderings as long as building construction remains in doubt. Maybbe Nicolai is one of the blessed few souls that has seen one. Maybe we'll never see it.

[antinimby]

Ourousoff is referring to the old renderings that we've seen already. Look at the graphic that came with the article.

Anyway, here's some great news. Ratner finally secured financing for this project.

Ratner gets $680 million in financing for Beekman Tower


By David Jones
Updated On 03/28/08 (http://ny.therealdeal.com/articles/ratner-gets-680-million-in-financing-for-beekman-tower) at 02:16PM

Forest City Ratner said it has closed on $680 million in construction financing from a consortium of banks led by Eurohypo AG for its Beekman Tower development in Lower Manhattan, which had been stalled for several months.

Forest City said that construction on the 8 Spruce Street tower, which includes 904 market-rate apartments, will resume next week, and leasing is scheduled for 2010.

The deal comes just a week after Forest City Ratner said its massive Atlantic Yards project would be stalled for several years due to the weakened economy and the inability to find a commercial anchor tenant.

Forest City had been under pressure to get the Beekman project restarted, because the tower includes a 630 student K-8 school that was scheduled to open in the fall of 2009.

"It's especially gratifying in this economic climate to have leading financial institutions show this kind of confidence in our Beekman project," said Bruce Ratner, Forest City Ratner's chairman, in a statement.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who represents the district, wrote a letter to Forest City in February demanding to know when the project would get moving.

The tower will also include a 21,000-square-foot ambulatory center for New York Downtown Hospital; 1,300 square feet of ground-floor retail space and underground parking for 175 vehicles.

The consortium includes Nord/LM, ING Real Estate Finance, Fifth Third Bank of Cincinnati and RBS Citizens NA, along with National Electric Benefit Fund, which will provide mezzanine financing.

The New York City Housing Development Corp. is issuing the bond financing. However, Forest City said that $204 million of the $680 million in financing comes from the New York Liberty Bond Program.

© 2008 The Real Deal

[Dac150]

There we go. Finally some good news after a week of bad news in the Manhattan real estate World. This is great, because this basically suggests that the tower will rise. A TWT size building in Downtown, looking foward to see it.

[Antares41]

Hooray!!!! now wake me when the steel arrives. Not to be too cynical, but there has been to many false starts on this bldg to let a little ray of good new
remove my skepticism completely.

[CoolCzech]

Well, the piles have been driven... here's hoping to see steel shoot up soon!

[NYguy]

Ratner finally secured financing for this project.

Good. Now maybe he can secure a rendering.

[ZZ-II]

fantastic news :)

[NYguy]

http://www.cityrealty.com/new_developments/

Gehry's mixed-use, 76-story tower near City Hall gets financing

28-MAR-08

Forest City Ratner Companies, a wholly owned subsidiary of Forest City Enterprises, Inc., announced today the closing of $680 million in construction financing for its "Beekman" mixed-use development at 8 Spruce Street near City Hall in Lower Manhattan.

"Beekman" will be a 76-story tower with approximately 1.1 million square feet, including 904 market-rate apartments, a pre-K through 8th grade public school for 630 students, a 21,000-square-foot ambulatory care center for New York Downtown Hospital, 1,300 square feet of ground-floor retail space, and below-grade parking for 175 cars.

The construction site is adjacent to New York Downtown Hospital on the block bounded by Beekman Street to the south, William Street to the east, and Spruce Street to the north.

In a press release, Bruce Ratner, the chairman and CEO of Forest City Ratner, said that "It is especially gratifying in this economic climate to have leading financial institutions show this kind of confidence in our Beekman project."

"Beekman, which combines a public school, an ambulatory care center for New York Downtown Hospital, landscaped public plazas, retail space, and Frank Gehry's first residential building in New York will be a superb addition to lower Manhattan," Mr. Ratner said.

The $680 million in bonds, of which approximately $204 million comes from the New York Liberty Bond Program, are being issued by the New York City Housing Development Corporation.

"Today's announcement is testimony to the strength and vitality of the Downtown development market," stated Lower Manhattan Development Corporation Chairman Avi Schick. "Lower Manhattan has become a 24/7 community and is now the place to live, work and play. This thriving neighborhood not only has world class office space, but also a rich and diverse housing stock, acres of open space, and premier cultural amenities."

The four lead banks participating in the financing, according to the press release, are Eurohypo AG, Europe's leading international real estate bank which is also acting as Administrative Agent; Nord/LB, an international real estate bank with branches in New York, London, Singapore and Shanghai; ING Real Estate Finance, a subsidiary of one of the world's largest financial institutions; and Fifth Third Bank, a leading financial institution headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.

"RBS Citizens, N.A. is providing the credit enhancement for the bond issue. The Mezzanine Loan provider for the project is the National Electrical Benefit Fund, which is also Forest City Ratner's equity partner in the Beekman project," the press release continued.

"While today's market has made financing large deals very difficult, it has by no means made it impossible and this project is a prime example," said Ben Marciano, Managing Director, Head of Real Estate Investment Banking - U.S. of Eurohypo AG in North America.

Major construction on the Beekman project is scheduled to commence next week. Frank Gehry's final architectural design will be unveiled soon and the building is expected to begin leasing in 2010.

Mr. Ratner, whose company recently indicated it does not expect to move forward with all the components of its huge Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn right away, said that the "Beekman" project "could not have happened without the support of" Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Mayor Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Leiber, Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Donovan, Housing and Development Commission President Jahr, Lower Manhattan Development Corporation President Emil and Chairman Schick "and all of the local community leaders."

[solaris]

Hello all, I've been reading these forums for a while now, and I feel it's about time I contribute my two cents. Seeing as how I go to school across the street, I'll be able to feed you information on the construction on a daily basis.

It finally looks like some work has started on the site again since the crews took a break for the last few months. The streets on the blocks around the site have been rerouted, and Beekman street has been torn up - it looks like they will be working on the sewers or the gas mains.

I'll be glad to see this tower built, although I'm disappointed that none of us can even see a rendering of it.

[colemonkee]

The good thing about this, aside from the fact that this tower will actually be built, is the statement it makes about financing in today's current credit markets. It debunks the perception that no big projects will be able to secure financing. Of course, much fewer actually will, but the right projects should still move forward.

Personally, I can't wait to see the final design. This will be Gehry's first real hi-rise, followed closely by The Grand in LA.

[Manahata]

Last updated: March 31, 2008 02:32pm
$680M Loan Closes for Downtown Tower Build
By Natalie Dolce
(The state of Downtown as a whole, will be spotlighted on May 13 at RealShare Downtown New York.)


Lieber
NEW YORK CITY-The New York City Housing Development Corp. closed a $680 million construction loan with an affiliate of Forest City Ratner. The project will use Liberty Bond and taxable bond proceeds for the new construction of a 904-unit apartment tower in Lower Manhattan located at 60 Beekman St.

The Liberty Bond issuance represents the last of HDC’s allocation. The New York State Housing Finance Agency also contributed $13.9 million from its Liberty Bond allocation to make this exciting development possible. "Beekman Tower is among HDC’s most notable financings to date” according to Marc Jahr, president of the HDC. "I’m confident that this striking Frank Gehry designed building will provide a powerful impetus to the continuing transformation of Lower Manhattan into a vibrant live-work neighborhood."


Downtown
The Liberty and taxable bond proceeds will be used by FC Beekman Associates, an affiliate of Forest City Ratner, to construct 904 residential units and approximately 1,500 sf of retail space. Beekman Tower will also include a separately financed ambulatory care center to be operated by the New York Downtown Hospital; a below grade 175-space parking garage; and a pre-K through 8th grade Public School to be owned and operated by the New York City Department of Education.

Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert C. Lieber, says in a prepared statement that "in addition to the new building itself providing housing, parking and a new school Downtown, the transaction will also provide much-needed funding for the creation of affordable housing, and I congratulate and thank HDC for helping to get it done."

According to a prepared release, the residential Liberty Bond program helped jump start the transformation of the financial district into a 24/7 community through projects like the Beekman Tower and has also generated significant funds for affordable housing development. The Beekman Tower Liberty Bond financing generated approximately $6 million in fees that HDC will devote to financing affordable housing. To date, HDC has constructed 467 affordable housing units using approximately $31.4 million in fees derived from previous Liberty Bond transactions.

Bruce Ratner, chairman and CEO of Forest City Ratner, says in a prepared statement that "this project could not have happened without the Support Speaker Silver, Mayor Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Deputy Mayor Leiber, HPD Commissioner Donovan, NYC HDC President Marc Jahr, LMDC President David Emil and Chairman Avi Schick and all of the local community leaders."

[Dac150]

Seems like this tower is golden to rise.

[chex]

very good news! this one is one of my favs...

[CoolCzech]

Well, it's "next week."

Anything happening at the site?

[StatenIslander237]

Well, it's "next week."

Anything happening at the site?

:haha: that's what I was just thinking.

[CoolCzech]

The sound of non-construction is deafening...

(I'll be happy if someone proves me wrong)

[solaris]

Well, it's "next week."

Anything happening at the site?

Work has officially resumed at the site as of this morning. Right now, they are unloading materials into the site using the crane. Fun Stuff.

If there is any interest, I can post photos of the 'construction' tomorrow.

[NYguy]

The sound of non-construction is deafening...


Since when does not having pics mean no construction? There are lots of developments around here that could use some updating, but that doesn't mean there's nothing going on. You New York forumers need to get busy...:whip:

[ZZ-II]

Work has officially resumed at the site as of this morning. Right now, they are unloading materials into the site using the crane. Fun Stuff.

If there is any interest, I can post photos of the 'construction' tomorrow.

fantastic :)

[NYguy]

http://downtownexpress.com/de_257/beekmanschool.html

Beekman school, Gehry’s tower pushed back a year

By Julie Shapiro
March 28 — APRIL 3 , 2008

It’s official: The new Beekman St. school will open in 2010, not 2009.

Developer Bruce Ratner confessed the delay in a letter to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver March 27.

“It’s no surprise,” said Paul Hovitz, of Community Board 1. “I’m no construction expert, but it really didn’t take a savvy person to know that they could not finish the project .”

Ratner’s letter came more than a month after Silver inquired about the lack of progress on the Beekman St. site, which has been at a standstill since last fall. The school will sit in the base of a 76-story mixed-use tower, designed by Frank Gehry. Downtown Express first reported last September that Forest City Ratner was having trouble financing Gehry’s complicated design.

“When we initially conceived this project in 2005, the financial markets and economic environment were exceptionally strong,” Ratner wrote to Silver. “Today, unfortunately, the markets have shifted and the availability of capital has tightened. This tightening caused us to delay construction of Beekman.”

Ratner called the delay on the school “terribly frustrating,” but added, “We believe it is better to delay the opening than to risk opening the school prematurely.”

The new pre-K to 8 school will have 630 seats, which are badly needed in the community. As recently as several weeks ago, Ratner representatives were assuring C.B. 1 that the school would open on time, but they have refused to attend a public meeting for months.

The day after Ratner sent his letter, Forest City closed on $680 million in construction financing for the project, allaying fears that the project would not go forward at all. Community members had been particularly worried after the New York Times reported two weeks ago that almost all of Ratner’s $4 billion Gehry-designed Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn could be delayed for years. Ratner also blamed the economic slowdown for that change of plans.

[b]The $680 million will cover the complete construction costs for the Beekman project, said Joyce Baumgarten, a Ratner spokesperson.

“They can stop worrying,” she said of the community. “It looks like the dates we have now are fixed…. Now it’s on schedule.”

Silver said Wednesday that he was disappointed to hear that the school is delayed, but he is happy that that the project is a priority for Ratner. Silver pointed out that the school was originally scheduled to open in fall 2008, but it got pushed to 2009 after Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein pulled the money for the school as part of their overall strategy to get Albany to allocate $6.5 billion in court-ordered education funds. The funding problem came to light in February 2006 and took two months to resolve.

Silver said that delay led to a chain reaction and by the time Ratner needed financing for the project, the tight credit market slowed things down further.

“[Bloomberg] was playing around with the school,” Silver said. “If that delay didn’t happen, [Ratner] would have been able to get private financing, and the school would have been open this September. Joel Klein chose to play games, and these are the consequences of it.”

The greatest impact of the Beekman delay will be on P.S. 234, Hovitz said. “[P.S.] 234 is busting at the seams,” he said. Though the Department of Education has not announced zoning for the new school, Hovitz and others expect that the school will admit East Side elementary children who now trek over to P.S. 234 in Tribeca.

At the beginning of this school year, P.S. 234 opened an annex with additional classrooms to combat overcrowding. The annex is already filled to capacity, and there is no space to create more classrooms, said Liat Silberman, P.T.A. president.

Many P.S. 234 parents are concerned that class sizes will grow in the next several years and the P.T.A. created an overcrowding committee to examine options, Silberman said. Meanwhile, she sees a lesson to take from the Beekman delay.

“Schools should not be combined with private development unless [the developer] can secure financing and the deadlines are real,” Silberman said. “The private developer has his own agenda, and that’s totally suitable for him, but it’s not suitable for a school.”

Julie Menin, chairperson of C.B. 1, said the delayed opening was disappointing, especially given the crunch for school seats Downtown. Still, she is looking on the bright side: With the Site 2B elementary school in Battery Park City and now the Beekman St. school both slated to open in 2010, Lower Manhattan is lucky.

“They will completely change the educational landscape of the district,” Menin said of the two schools. “The big picture is really very good.”

Menin and other community board members are meeting with Forest City representatives next week to discuss the school. Rebecca Skinner, chairperson of the Youth and Education Committee, is hoping to find a way to open the school in 2009, as promised.

“I never take anything as final,” Skinner said. “The goal is to do fact-finding, to ensure we look at all our options.” Skinner is also gathering information about school populations, to determine the impact of the delayed opening.

Ratner’s 76-story mixed-use tower, bounded by Spruce, William and Beekman Sts., will house 904 market-rate apartments, a 21,000-square-foot ambulatory care center for New York Downtown Hospital, 1,300 square feet of ground-floor retail space and belowground parking for 175 cars. The school will sit in the bottom five floors of the building.

Nearly $204 million of Ratner’s new funding comes from the Liberty Bond Program, representing that program’s final allocation from the city Housing Development Corporation. Ratner will use the money for the apartments and retail space. The Beekman Liberty Bonds generated about $6 million in fees, money the H.D.C. will devote to affordable housing.

Two weeks ago, before the school’s new opening date was officially announced, the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center said Frank Gehry’s complicated design was behind the Beekman construction delays.

Usually, concrete buildings like the Beekman St. tower can rise one story every two to three days, said Josh Rosenbloom, director of city operations for the Construction Center. Construction workers build floor-plate molds once and then use them to pour concrete for each floor.

“But the way Gehry designed it, no two floor plates were the same,” Rosenbloom said at a Community Board 1 Quality of Life Committee meeting. That means that workers would have to build new molds for each floor, substantially drawing out the construction.

To cut the costs and lengthy schedule of this process, Ratner is simplifying the design, Rosenbloom said.

Asked if Ratner and Gehry have resolved the design debate, Rosenbloom replied that he did not know.

Baumgarten said Monday that the design would be unveiled in four to six weeks. She said the design is complete but she could not comment on it. Older versions show a wavy structure with an undulating facade.

As the site stands right now — and has stood for nearly six months — workers have poured the building’s foundation but need to complete the pile driving. The piles alone will take several months before any other work can proceed, Rosenbloom said.

Unlike the design for the rest of the tower, the design for the school is final, so “the beginning of the project is ready to go,” said Michael Belling, an L.M.C.C.C. consultant, two weeks ago at the same C.B. 1 meeting.

“[Ratner] will begin construction before they have an absolute final design,” Belling said, reassuring community members that at least the school portion of the project will move forward soon.

But, looking alarmed, several people then asked if children would be expected to go to school in the bottom of a tower still being built.

“The school wouldn’t open while [the building is] under construction,” Belling reassured them.

[antinimby]

To cut the costs and lengthy schedule of this process, Ratner is simplifying the design, Rosenbloom said.Oh no, that does not sound good.

[vaporvr6]

Oh no, that does not sound good.

seems to me like Ratner is a douche who bit off way more than he could chew. Now New Yorkers may be paying the price with sub par development.

[CoolCzech]

Is ANY new construction of the actual tower going on? Or is this thing just devolving into a very expensive school project?

[Dale]

I must admit that I got a sinking feeling when I read the rather paltry (for Manhattan) $680 million bucks.

[c1tyguy]

Yuck. Does anyone else share a disdain for Frank Gehry?

[Dale]

Yuck. Does anyone else share a disdain for Frank Gehry?

Well, your ship may have just come in, if 'simplify design' implies a toning down of the architecture, a de-Gehryfication, if you will.

[NYguy]

I must admit that I got a sinking feeling when I read the rather paltry (for Manhattan) $680 million bucks.

The building itself was converted to a rental a while back, so that was probably the beginning of the "simplification".

[JACKinBeantown]

Yuck. Does anyone else share a disdain for Frank Gehry?

Not in this case. I love this design. Too bad if it's going to be turned into a box. :(

[Scruffy]

i share the disdain. i don't know if ratner getting involved in simplifying the tower is better or worse news. I respect others feelings towards the man, but i still think that gehry is over-rated. but at this point i'll be satisfied with anything growing out of that hole.

[CoolCzech]

Not in this case. I love this design. Too bad if it's going to be turned into a box. :(

Love WHAT design?

There's something like 6 or 7 different versions out there.

[solaris]

Thought I'd post some photos I took today to liven up this page a bit.

BTW, Anyone know if they are just building the school or the tower itself?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3003/2415296632_02605e15fd_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2258/2414474001_3a10d3cc8c_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2126/2414515191_d41837bcef_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2366/2414430639_dc5ec5d479.jpg?v=0

[antinimby]

Thanks for taking those photos. To answer your question...they are building everything now.

They've got the necessary financing and so now they are going forward with the whole plan: schools, rentals, condos and all.

[NYguy]

Thought I'd post some photos I took today to liven up this page a bit.

BTW, Anyone know if they are just building the school or the tower itself?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3003/2415296632_02605e15fd_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2258/2414474001_3a10d3cc8c_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2126/2414515191_d41837bcef_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2366/2414430639_dc5ec5d479.jpg?v=0


Great update. Yes, the school will be at the base of the tower.

[NYguy]

http://downtownexpress.com/de_259/undercover.html

Losing a year a week


At this rate, the new K-8 school on Beekman St. may never open.

A month ago, Forest City Ratner was saying the Beekman St. school would open in 2009. Two weeks ago, the developer pushed the opening to 2010. And now this week, it sounds like the school might not open until 2011.

At a private meeting in Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver’s office, Bruce Ratner reps said the school will definitely be ready in 2010, but it could be too unsafe to let kids inside or near the building until 2011.

That’s because Ratner is also building a Frank Gehry-designed 76-story apartment tower above the school, and they’ll likely still be working on it come September 2010. It doesn’t take a star pupil to figure out that school children and high-rise construction sites aren’t a good mix.

Hardhats, anyone?

[JACKinBeantown]

Love WHAT design?

There's something like 6 or 7 different versions out there.

The final one.

[solaris]

Some more updates. Tower finally broke street level earlier this week.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2219/2455895576_c24f864660_b.jpg
Currently pumping concrete using a massive truck
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2294/2455896536_a4443bb2dc_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2042/2455069521_3a07b69586_b.jpg
Construction is operating very efficiently, especially considering the small footprint and lack of free street space.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3278/2455897390_18f92d86c4_b.jpg
Concrete trucks lining up down the street.

Would be nice to see some renders, but perhaps Gehry thinks it will be more dramatic if we have to wait to see it for real.

[antinimby]

The renderings will be coming out within the next two weeks. A FCRC spokesperson in an article earlier said so.

[Zerton]

^ haven't they said that before?

[antinimby]

Nope.

That's because nothing about this project was finalized until a few weeks ago so they wouldn't haven't promised anything.

Now that everything is certain including the all important financing, they will release the renderings within the next two weeks.

I guarantee a rendering will be out on or before May 12.

[CGII]

Fantastic. I think it'll be more fun to watch this go up than anything else in NY.

[colemonkee]

At least we get to see one Gehry high rise built. The Grand in LA and the Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn keep getting pushed back further in time and closer to the "never built" category.

[NYguy]

^ haven't they said that before?

They've said that before, but the only thing that would stand in the way now is the forever tinkering Gehry. Now that the thing is rising, they'll need to release renderings if for no other reason than to market the building.

[NYguy]

curbed.com

http://curbed.com/uploads/2008_4_beekman.jpg

Beekman and Spruce Street will soon give way to Frank Gehry's huge pile of crinkled steel, but right now it looks like any other construction site. Writes a tipster: "Earlier today I was walking in FiDi on Beekman Street and noticed that construction had suddenly made a lot of progress on the Frank Gehry rental building (basements and ground floor).

[Gateway395]

Community Meetings


Community Board 1 - SPECIAL MEETING

Thursday, May 22
6PM

New York State Assembly Hearing Room - 250 Broadway, 19th Floor


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FOREST CITY RATNER’S BEEKMAN STREET PROJECT (INCLUDING NEW PUBLIC SCHOOL)

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver will make introductory remarks

Please Note: All interested community residents are urged to attend
Please bring photo ID to enter the building

No food or beverages are allowed into the facility

For more information contact CB1

[antinimby]

It's official.

Like it or not, this wrinkly thing is the FINAL version:

http://www.thecityreview.com/spruce8.gif

[Scruffy]

i cant really make out the wrinkles. Im more concerned with having an 800 footer of super shiny aluminum. Im thinking the LA disney hall but tall.

[Dac150]

This is such a laugh. Truly is. Not so much in regards to the design, but how he made it out to seem that he was coming up with this 'grand' design. All this anticipation and we're back to square one. Don't get me wrong, I think we dodged a bullet in getting this design. We all know the hideous works that Gehry produces, so all in all this isn't bad.

[Scruffy]

Don't get me wrong, I think we dodged a bullet in getting this design. We all know the hideous works that Gehry produces, so all in all this isn't bad.

Like Miss Brooklyn. The 60 story version of a 3rd world backyard shanty made hodgepodge of any debris lying around.

overrated hack

[Dale]

We're supposed to like it. It's avant-garde.

[CoolCzech]

It's official.

Like it or not, this wrinkly thing is the FINAL version:

http://www.thecityreview.com/spruce8.gif

For crying out loud... :whatthefuck:


What the hell was all the secrecy about? Gehry was afraid to be revealed as the utter hack he is? This thing looks like a ride in Disneyland.

http://themeparks.about.com/library/graphics/dcatzpre1.jpg
themeparks.about.com

[Dac150]

^^^:haha: Still though, by Gehry standards I think we dodged a bullet. Then again, the cladding doesn't sound too good.

[lakegz]

how come it looks as if its 80+ stories tall? really, try to count em. final design?

[Antares41]

For crying out loud... :whatthefuck:


What the hell was all the secrecy about? Gehry was afraid to be revealed as the utter hack he is? This thing looks like a ride in Disneyland.

http://themeparks.about.com/library/graphics/dcatzpre1.jpg
themeparks.about.com

Actually the thing at Atlantic Yard looks like some type of Disneyland ride.
This one well......???? After all the hype and long wait just get the damn thing already.

[NYguy]

I don't have a problem with it. It needs some sort of crown though, to make it a classic New York skyscraper.

[Lecom]

I used to really dislike that design, but now I think it could work just fine. Instead of being some avant-garde extravaganza, it is a classic setbacked skyscraper tweaked ever so slightly to give it that disturbing, fluid Gehry vibe.

[NYguy]

I think it could work just fine. Instead of being some avant-garde extravaganza, it is a classic setbacked skyscraper tweaked ever so slightly to give it that disturbing, fluid Gehry vibe.

That's what I was thinking. It almost looks like it could have been built in the 30's.

http://www.thecityreview.com/spruce8.gif

[philvia]

waiting for higher res renders

[ZZ-II]

I don't have a problem with it. It needs some sort of crown though, to make it a classic New York skyscraper.

i really love it, and i'm sure in reality it will look much better than on the render. but i don't need a crown on it, fits good with flat roof to me :).

and the floors: very difficult to count anything in the render :D, but 70+ definitely

[CHAPINM1]

I walked by the site on May 2nd, didn't have my camera... Anyway, since then what's the construction progress?

[koops65]

I tried to do a quick count, and it looks to be about 94 floors, and thats not even including the podium. Regardless, I think it looks great, and will be even more impressive for real than the render. :tup:

[stewartrama]

on curbed.com there are a few images of the new design. Very Cool!

[UrbanImpact]

http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3220/2515504055_4f1bd0e93f_o.jpg

http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3220/2515504055_4f1bd0e93f_o.jpg

Awesome!! :tup:

[CGII]

Why all the hatred? This is a fine, refined Gehry design that'll really be spectacular in the skyline, and the aluminium is going to be flippin' sweet. This is my favourite project in NY right now, I'm really going to enjoy watching this one rise from Fort Greene Park:

from curbed:

Gehry's Beekman Tower Gets Presented, Goes Street

Friday, May 23, 2008, by Pete

The gang from developer Forest City Ratner met last night with folks living near their new Frank Gehry-designed luxury rental tower—the crinkled steel colossus at 8 Spruce Street also known as the Beekman Tower—and they brought along a nifty PowerPoint presentation to share more info about the underway project. Lower Manhattan's wavy wonder has already picked up a major endorsement, so it was nice to get the full scoop. But before getting into the nitty-gritty of the construction and the community benefits and the move-ins and all that fun stuff, can we take a moment to reflect on that Beekman/Gehry logo seen above? It was strange enough when Ian Schrager unveiled his high-brow interpretation of graffiti at the trés chic 40 Bond, but now Bruce Ratner and Frank Gehry want street cred? Guys, at least save it for Brooklyn!

NY State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver opened the meeting, and he spoke a few hopeful words regarding the new and much-needed school that is included in the project. Covering Pre-K through Eighth Grade, the school will have 5,000sqft of outdoor play space on the 4th Floor roof deck and is slated to open in September 2010. Following Silver, the Ratner reps showed some slides of the undulating tower, which looks pretty much like one of the many images we showed a year ago. Rising 76 stories to a height of 867 feet, the project will be all concrete construction (no structural steel here) and faced in rippling stainless steel.

The tower will contain 903 rental units, with nary a condo to be bought. A sign of the times in FiDi? The plan is for the first Beekmanites (or should that be Ratnerites?) to move in around late 2010. Besides the apartments and school, this one-million-square-foot development will also have medical facilities, including space for New York Downtown Hospital, and a wee bit of retail. Not to mention some cool outdoor spaces under the horticultural direction of Piet Oudolf, of the Battery Park Bosque and High Line fame. But the main topic of conversation at the get-together was not design, but construction: DOB procedures, noise, weekend variances and the general bother of life amidst a construction zone. The gang from Forest City promised to make nice and keep the neighbors informed. We're sure to hear from neighbors if they don't.

http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3220/2515504055_4f1bd0e93f_o.jpg
http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3210/2515504119_12fe1f871a_o.jpg
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http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/2117/2515504265_b2c4e9527a_o.jpg

[NYguy]

^ Yeah, it does have that classic look, I almost expect to see an Empire State or Chrysler-like crown at the top...

curbed.com

http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/2091/2515504077_a0c2024353_o.jpg

[Lecom]

Did hell freeze over, or else why do we get renders of this tower?

http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3210/2515504119_12fe1f871a_o.jpg
http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3210/2515504119_12fe1f871a_o.jpg

http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3024/2516329280_4646e2dce6_o.jpg
http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3024/2516329280_4646e2dce6_o.jpg

http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/2215/2516329084_8925140da8_o.jpg
http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/2215/2516329084_8925140da8_o.jpg

http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/2117/2515504265_b2c4e9527a_o.jpg
http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/2117/2515504265_b2c4e9527a_o.jpg

[Lecom]

Why all the hatred?
Because Gehry often designs random, flashy, attention-whoring crap. However, with a more restrained design that relates to the city's quintessential skyscrapr architecture, he came correct with this one. Can't wait for this bad boy to rise.

[CGII]

Oh no, I agree entirely Gehry harnesses the abililty to produce ridiculous cliches out of his curiously wavy butthole but this one's going to rock. The worst part of it is that cheesy faux-graffiti logo for the project...makes me want to tag the finished project just out of spite.

[CGII]

A [very] rough estimation of Beekman's future company, 99 Church and the WTC:

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/2817/roughlyqo8.jpg

[STERNyc]

Why all the hatred? This is a fine, refined Gehry design that'll really be spectacular in the skyline, and the aluminium is going to be flippin' sweet.

It'll actually be stainless steel. Which is even better. Here's my take of the fascade over at WNY:

At first I was very disappointed that there was no crown or decorative element at the top. I thought this was the same rendering we saw a year ago and I expected some creative progress and I had convinced myself that for Lower Manhattan a crown or a decorative top was not only fitting but the only way to go. And then I saw the mock-up and now I see just what Gehry was going for and am eagerly anticipating this project on a level equal to Jean Nouvel’s MOMA Spire. Although the building has setbacks and has great slender proportions, this really is essentially a study of the facade. Gehry hasn’t been a postmodernist for ages so it’s logical to assume that the focus would be on the curtain wall, and what a study this is, first its sheer size, it forces you take notice, and a crown doesn’t divert your focus. The stainless steel is flowing, rippling, and wavy, it’s abstract in a Van Gogh sort of way. One could follow the individual ripples all day, observe them as the sun bounces off them from different angles and in overcast skies as well and compare them to any number of things, sinuous curtains, a sail, a wedding dress, the list is endless. The angular windows on the other hand are abstract and cubist in a Picasso sort of way. The windows make this project dynamic and edgy; in tandem the facade is full of life and vibrant. What really sets this project apart is the choice of materials, stainless steel is excellent, it’s a warm metal, it’s not shiny, and it has a lot of character, I think a shiny metal would have been disastrous but stainless steel allows for a closer inspection of the contrasting details which this building is defined by. Also, Beekman Place won't be the first NY building to use stainless...

http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/84/94684-004.jpg

[Dale]

I've changed my mind. I'm enthralled by it. Especially having seen the closer-ups and the perspective from the base.

[NYguy]

A [very] rough estimation of Beekman's future company, 99 Church and the WTC:

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/2817/roughlyqo8.jpg

It's almost as if the Downtown skyline will double.

[STERNyc]

And Beekman Place which at 876 feet will be for a shortwhile the City's tallest residential building will be the shortest of these developments with 99 Church, 4 WTC, 3 WTC, 2 WTC, and the Freedom Tower all being taller.

[NYguy]

^ That's true. It will be only the 6th tallest under construction Downtown.

More images from curbed.com
http://curbed.com/archives/2008/05/23/watch_gehrys_big_beekman_tower_grow.php?o=0


http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/2201/2516211625_4fb6aa5baa_o.jpg


http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3242/2516211657_10d8899fc0_o.jpg


http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3257/2516211675_d0dc1b9479_o.jpg


http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/2373/2516211689_47ca4e7224_o.jpg


http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3121/2517033694_2010b647a7_o.jpg


http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/2090/2516211517_32e43e67cd_o.jpg

[ThreeHundred]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2155/2499250553_f9d9b7eab6_o.jpg

:hi:

Our Gehry is better than your Gehry.

But at least your's is under construction.

I like the detail of the facade. Needs some color though. But it'll surely be a architecture landmark in NYC. For those who love it and those who hate it.

[Scruffy]

im gonna reserve judgement for now then. This might be interesting. Though i still think that is far far too much stainless steel. The top of the chrysler looks great cause its just the spire. it highlights the spire. But if the entire tower was stainless steel, far less people would like it.

[antinimby]

The height will be 867 ft, not 876 ft. I know it's no big deal but still, we should get it right.

[CoolCzech]

It's almost as if the Downtown skyline will double.


That is true. I'm really let down by the design, but size has its own aesthetic: it will have the saving grace of sheer height. Despite the development slowdown, its still an exciting time for the City.

[CoolCzech]

I'm relieved to be able to say that these renderings of the design aren't nearly as awful as the first rendering we saw of it:


http://curbed.com/archives/2008/05/23/watch_gehrys_big_beekman_tower_grow.php?o=0


http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/2201/2516211625_4fb6aa5baa_o.jpg


http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3242/2516211657_10d8899fc0_o.jpg


http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3257/2516211675_d0dc1b9479_o.jpg


http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/2373/2516211689_47ca4e7224_o.jpg


http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3121/2517033694_2010b647a7_o.jpg


http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/2090/2516211517_32e43e67cd_o.jpg

[VA_Gentleman]

I can't imagine what the costs for the facade of unique stainless steel panels must be. It could be compared to Chicago's Aqua with its undulations.

[CoolCzech]

I have to admit that this view is cool:

http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3220/2515504055_4f1bd0e93f_o.jpg

[Scruffy]

I'll give it that its cool in that it looks like a tarp blowing in the wind