[hunser]

Pretty soon supertalls will be popping up all over the city...

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/bloo...sEnabled=false

Bloomberg is fast-tracking a plan to knock down obsolete buildings near Grand Central
Idea is to raze smaller structures to make way for modern office towers

RACING TO put his stamp on midtown before his third term expires, Mayor Bloomberg’s administration is fast-tracking a plan to transform the zoning near Grand Central Terminal. The objective is to allow for developers to knock down aging, too-small-for-the-big-time buildings and construct ultramodern towers — the bigger, the better.

“This is something that Bloomberg would like to finish before leaving office,” said a leading business official who was told about the plan but asked not to be identified because its specifics have yet to be formally proposed. “This would be a linchpin of his legacy.”

The existing rezoning, enacted in 1961, does not set a height maximum for buildings, but they generally top out anywhere from 20 to 50 stories, with a few exceptions, including the Chrysler Building, which has 77 floors. Under the proposal, developers would likely have the ability to go as high as the Chrysler Building if they have the real estate for a large base. “That would increase the average building size by 20% to 30%,” one city zoning expert said, also requesting anonymity.

City officials and real estate insiders say the area — known in planning circles as the “Midtown core” — sorely needs updating. The average age of each office building is 68 years, multiple developers who have been briefed by the city said. Buildings in London’s downtown are slightly younger, having been built about 60 years ago, they said, but there is no comparison with Hong Kong, 20 years; and Shanghai, 10 years.

“In order for the city to be competitive globally, we need a lot more new construction,” said Robert Knakal, chairman of Massey Knakal Realty Services. “If you look at the skyline of New York compared to some other cities, you see we are not what we once were.”

... and to quote a fellow forumer:

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

I mean NYC will have gone from a 500' plateau to a 700' Plateau and now a 1000' plateau of buildings over about 100 years...