NEW YORK | 53W53 (Tower Verre) | 1,050 FT / 320 M | 73 FLOORS

[Zapatan]

I don't understand why they can't just get Birdhead to go back on the decision and regain the 200 lost feet, with all these new developments happening.

[RobertWalpole]

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article...TATE/120529994



Stirrings of life on $126M site next to MoMA
Developer Hines taps Corcoran Sunshine to market and sell units in its long-stalled 1,050-foot tower next to the museum on West 53rd Street.

By Amanda Fung @amandafung
May 21, 2012 1:19

Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group has been tapped for a residentail spire next to the Museum of Modern Art.

The developer of the planned Jean Nouvel-designed, residential spire next to The Museum of Modern Art in midtown has retained Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group as its exclusive sales and marketing agent, a sign that the stalled project is again moving forward.

The tower, to rise at West 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, was first announced in 2007 but was put on hold like other major new projects across the city due to the recession. Last year, however, the project's developer Hines filed updated plans for the 1,050-foot tower and those plans were approved by the City Planning Commission. Details of the plans could not be obtained immediately.

"Corcoran Sunshine has always had a great relationship with Hines, a longtime client of the firm, and for the past several years we've been working on the planning and design of this landmark property," said Kelly Kennedy Mack, president of Corcoran Sunshine, in a statement, declining to elaborate on the project. "It will be the ultimate destination for the world's most elite buyers."

Hines declined to comment.

Originally the developer wanted to build a 1,250-foot tower but that plan was rejected by the City Planning Commission. The revised plan did not need to go through the public city review process again because it fell within the building guidelines that were established and approved in 2009.

It is unclear what Hines' current plans for the tower are and what the building will look like. According to published reports, the updated plans for the tower call for a 78-story building with 480,000 square feet of apartments atop a 92,000-square-foot hotel. It will also include space for MoMa as well as a restaurant space. Hines closed on the purchase of the 53 W. 53rd St. site from MoMa for roughly $125.5 million five years ago, according to public records.

Separately, in another coup for Corcoran Sunshine, it was announced Monday that the firm will work on a new major condo development out in the Hamptons. Cape Advisors Inc. the developer behind the residential conversion project of the historic Bulova Watchcase Factory in Sag Harbor tapped Corcoran Sunshine as the project's exclusive sales and marketing agent. The former factory, built in 1881, has been vacant since 1979 and Cape Advisors has been restoring the building into a 64-unit condo building with studios to four bedrooms, penthouses and townhouses. Sales will start early next year.

Read more: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article...#ixzz1vXOhhhg3

[uaarkson]

Originally Posted by Zapatan

I don't understand why they can't just get Birdhead to go back on the decision and regain the 200 lost feet, with all these new developments happening.

Dude, what? Could you possibly be more out of touch with reality?

[NYguy]

Last year, however, the project's developer Hines filed updated plans for the 1,050-foot tower and those plans were approved by the City Planning Commission. Details of the plans could not be obtained immediately.

"Corcoran Sunshine has always had a great relationship with Hines, a longtime client of the firm, and for the past several years we've been working on the planning and design of this landmark property," said Kelly Kennedy Mack, president of Corcoran Sunshine, in a statement, declining to elaborate on the project. "It will be the ultimate destination for the world's most elite buyers."

With everything that's going on, why shouldn't this one join the party?


http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2012/0...oma_canyon.php
Nouvel Rejoins Starchitect Showdown at MoMA Canyon



Monday, May 21, 2012, by Dave Hogarty

Things appear to be getting crowded on West 53rd Street around MoMA; maybe too crowded. Developer Hines is resurrecting its plans for a Jean Nouvel-designed residential spire next to the museum on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, according to Crain's. The original plans for a 1,250 feet tower was rejected by the City Planning Commission and then the economy cooled by the time a smaller plan was approved. The latest scoop on the plans for a MoMA neighbor describe a 78-story building with 480,000 square feet of apartments above a 92,000-square-foot hotel. It will also include space for MoMa as well as a restaurant space.

Meanwhile, across the street from the museum...Directly across from MoMA, at 20 West 53rd Street, Starwood Capital is forging ahead with its plans to build a 45-story tower that will house a Baccarat-branded hotel and luxury residences. Enrique Norten and SOM have both been linked to the Baccarat project. Will two towers going up across the street from each other fuel a starchitect showdown on West 53rd. We certainly hope so!

[uaarkson]

In what world is 20 West 53rd St. even close to being in the same league as Torre Verre? It won't be a starchitect showdown. It'll be a starchitect slaughter.

[RobertWalpole]

Originally Posted by uaarkson

In what world is 20 West 53rd St. even close to being in the same league as Torre Verre? It won't be a starchitect showdown. It'll be a starchitect slaughter.

I had the same thought.

[NYguy]

When they say "starchitect" showdown, it's a reference to the architects, not the buildings.


http://observer.com/2012/05/22/you-c...t-condo-tower/
You Can Soon Buy a Piece of MoMA! Or At Least a Piece of Its 1,050-Foot Condo Tower


By Matt Chaban 5/22

Last year, The Observer discovered that Jean Nouvel’s soaring MoMA Tower—called “the most exhilarating addition to the skyline in a generation” by The Times‘ architecture critic—would not be a jagged victim of boom time hubris but in fact a real part of the skyline after all. Hines, the project’s developer, filed amended plans for the tower last July, showing that even at its Burden’d height of 1,050 feet, the Pritzker prize would still rise.

Now, more encouraging news that this project will actually become a reality: Hines has tapped Corcoran Sunshine to market the MoMA Tower, officially known as the Torre Verre, according to Crain’s, which means sales can’t be too far away.........Assuming the economy holds on and sales begin in the near future, the project would be well positioned to take advantage of the roaring recovery in the most exclusive corners of the New York City housing market. The past month has seen a record price for co-op ($50.2 million at 740 Park), a staggering Central Park duplex ($70 million at the Ritz-Carlton) and a jaw-dropping new record (somewhere north of $90 million for the penthouse at One57). Now, we learn that Harry Macklowe’s 432 Park Avenue is well-underway, with building permits recently filed that call for a 1,398-foot tower, as The Real Deal revealed on Friday.

Whether Torre Verre will be able to command the same prices of some of its rivals will be curious to see. On the one hand, it will not be the tallest, nor directly on the Park, but the cache of both its architect and the museum’s brand name might just help push it over the edge. Why the name was ever changed from MoMA Tower is a mystery to us. Perhaps the developers should pull a Frank Gehry and call it “New York, by MoMA.” Maybe residents could even borrow art to hang on their walls–for a small donation, of course.

[Zapatan]

So if it now has 78 floors instead of 72 I wonder if the design has changed a bit...?

Or maybe the media was just wrong.

[easy as pie]

it's truly astonishing how much hines has going on right now. wonder if ivanhoé cambridge will be funding this hines/nouvel collaboration as well. with any luck, we can get the trifecta of hines/nouvel on hines' entitled project out in sf here.

[mrnyc]

wait, so on the top ten feet of that render, is that an antenna or a spire?

[Dac150]

Very exciting to see this one re-emerging - hopefully that will sustain.

[hunser]

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article...TATE/120619964

Hines finds cash for Bryant Park tower

By Theresa Agovino @theresaagovino
June 13, 2012 5:59 a.m.

Hines has reached a deal with JPMorgan Chase & Co. to get financing for Hines' planned 470,000-square-foot office tower on Sixth Avenue, overlooking Bryant Park, sources familiar with the deal said. It was unclear how much JPMorgan had pledged to lend the developer and its partner, Pacolet Milliken Enterprises Inc., to build the 28-story tower that will be known as 7 Bryant Park. Pacolet, a private, family-run investment company has owned the land since 1954.

Any loan would be quite an accomplishment for Houston-based Hines, or any other developer, because lenders have been loathe to open the purse strings for speculative office towers. But while some of the developers, including Brookfield Office Properties, Silverstein Properties and The Related Cos., need tenants to commit to leasing around 500,000 square feet of space in their respectively huge planned projects to make the developments financially viable, Hines doesn't need a tenant anywhere near that big.

However, it will still face competition for tenants from other new buildings that are under construction, such Minskoff Development's property at Astor Place in the East Village and Boston Properties' project at 250 W. 55th St.

In a 2011 press release, Hines said that it had tapped architecture firm Pei Cobb Freed & Partners to design the steel and glass building. It noted that construction could start as early as 2012 and be ready for tenants as early as 2014.

Hines is still seeking financing for the luxury residential tower it plans to construct across the street from the Museum of Modern Art.

A Hines spokeswoman declined comment, while a JPMorgan Chase spokesman didn't return a call.

Read more: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article...#ixzz1xhM1I7en

It's just a matter of time until Hines secures financing for this tower.

[Duck From NY]

Originally Posted by nickguar

For what it's worth, I e-mailed Amanda Burden a few weeks ago regarding this building. I wanted to know the logic behind limiting it to 1,050 ft. when other planned buildings--Hudson Yards, Manhattan West, 432 Park, 15 Penn, etc.--will match or surpass the ESB. Surprisingly, a representative from her office, Cecilia Kushner, got back to me within the hour. She sent me a PDF file of the city's decision on Tower Verre, and while much of it was filled with legalese, zoning restrictions, and an alphabet-soup of regulations, at the end of the paper, it essentially came down to the fact that Ms. Burden didn't personally think Nouvel's building deserved to be the same height at the ESB.

That's all it really comes down to. Her personal preference. There's no "there" there. Does anyone know if anything further has ever be said about this decision? The building is beautiful at 1,050 as well, but it would be nice to have it at the full 1,250 ft.

This reminds me of how Prince Charles put in his two pence to try and keep London from building skyscrapers in what is, along with NYC, a co-capital of the world.

[NYguy]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/re...pagewanted=all

Back in Business

By C. J. HUGHES
July 12, 2012

TOWER VERRE

It was one of the most eagerly anticipated high-rises of the last decade, even though the Department of City Planning effectively lopped off its top. Part of that excitement stemmed from the fact that the now-78-story condo was being designed by Jean Nouvel, who also created 100 11th Avenue.

The wedge-shaped skyscraper, which is to be at 53 West 53rd Street, is back on track, according to a spokeswoman for Hines, the developer. When built, it should provide bird’s-eye views into the Baccarat across the street.

[uaarkson]

[Dac150]

It was only a mater of time - great news for an exciting project!

[NYguy]

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article...TATE/307229993

Developer for all seasons takes New York
Multitalented, deep-pocketed Hines builds success far from its Dallas home.




By Theresa Agovino
July 22, 2012

Mr. Craig is still seeking financing for what is commonly called the MoMA tower, which is slated to include floors for the museum, a hotel and luxury condo units. In a rare public black eye, the City Planning Commission refused to sign off on Hines' original plan. It said the design was incomplete and eliminated 200 feet that the developer had been given special permission to add, reducing the building to 1,050 feet. Mr. Craig declined to discuss the incident.

Whitehall Funds is already a partner in the deal, but Hines still needs to line up more financial backers for the $1 billion-plus project—a task Mr. Craig acknowledges is more challenging than securing funds for the relatively small Bryant Park tower.

Still, he believes it will flow, pointing to the success of other high-end residential developments like One 57, a tower rising on West 57th Street. Its developer, Gary Barnett, said that a penthouse there fetched more than $90 million.

"We are very confident in the strength of the high-end market," said Mr. Craig.

[eseninobrandon]

im crossing my fingers for this to get buit. its gonna be amazing.

[reencharles]

Yeah, me too. But it is a shame that this is taking too long to go. This building is amazing, should be have more buildings with this design (Something in this style) in the future...

[sbarn]

The sad state of the Torre Verre site. I hope Hines can get this one going...


(photo by me)