The Department of Buildings issued a permit September 29, 2009 for the 59-story, mixed-use project being developed by The Related Companies at 440 West 42nd Street.
The documents submitted by Ismael Leyva, who is an architect on the project along with Arquitectonica, indicated that the project will include parking, four theaters, a hotel and apartments.
It will contain 188 parking spaces and a basketball court in its subcellar, 158 parking spaces in its cellar, one 299-seat theater, three 199-seat theaters and a 50-person rehearsal studio on its second floor, hotel offices, fitness room, pool, lounge, screening room, terraces and dog play room and party rooms on the third floor, six apartments and more party rooms, exercise and meeting rooms and club room and outdoor dining terrace on the fourth floor, eight apartments and 17 hotel rooms on the fifth floor, 17 apartments and 37 hotel rooms each on floors six through 19, 16 apartments and 37 hotel rooms on the 20th floor, 16 apartments and 35 hotel rooms on the 21st floor, 16 apartments and 31 hotels rooms on the 22nd and 23rd floors, 16 apartments on the 25th floor, 14 apartments on the 25th floor, 15 apartments on the 26th floor, 16 apartments on the 27th through the 34th floors, 15 apartments on the 35th through the 43rd flloors, 14 apartmnets on the 44th floor, 12 apartments on the 45th floor, 13 apartments on the 46th floor, 12 apartments on the 47th and 48th floors, 11 apartments on the 49th floor, 12 apartments on the 50th through the 55th floors, and 11 apartments on the 56th through the 59th floors. The 59th floor will also have a party room and an outdoor terrace.
Previous reports have indicated that the 1.2-million-square-foot project is expected to contain 163 units of "affordable housing," and market-rate rental and condo units, a hotel, retail and non-profit theaters.
At one point, the project was to have been designed by Arquitectonica, the Miami-based architectural firm that designed the Westin Hotel on the northeast corner of 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue, with a theater designed by Frank O. Gehry, the architect of the IAC Center on West Street and 19th Street. An announcement in September, however, gave no indication of who the architects for the project are and an article at crainsnewyork.com by Amanda Fung said that Related "worked with construction unions, contractors, trades, architects and engineers to reduce costs so it can move forward," adding that "The project cost is more than $800 million, according to Related."
In 2005, Related demolished the Houseman Theater and Fairbank Theater and several other buildings on the Hells Kitchen site to make way for this project and initially it planned to create a facility on the site for Cirque du Soleil but the city did not approved needed zoning changes.
"Last year," the Crain's article continued, "Goldman Sachs and MSD Capital became equity investors in the project, while Related's original partners, Twining Properties and Macfarlane Partners, pulled out. Under the revised plan, the project will include several theaters for non-profit groups. The small theaters will still be designed by Frank Gehry, according to Related. Late last year, Signature Theater Company said it plans to move to the proposed Related tower. Signature's new theater space will reportedly cost $60 million. Related is responsible for the core and shell of the theatre."
The building is expected to contain 623 rental apartments beneath 151 condominium apartments and about 163 of the rental apartments will be "below market rate." It will also have a total of 669 hotel rooms.
The documents submitted by Ismael Leyva, who is an architect on the project along with Arquitectonica, indicated that the project will include parking, four theaters, a hotel and apartments.
It will contain 188 parking spaces and a basketball court in its subcellar, 158 parking spaces in its cellar, one 299-seat theater, three 199-seat theaters and a 50-person rehearsal studio on its second floor, hotel offices, fitness room, pool, lounge, screening room, terraces and dog play room and party rooms on the third floor, six apartments and more party rooms, exercise and meeting rooms and club room and outdoor dining terrace on the fourth floor, eight apartments and 17 hotel rooms on the fifth floor, 17 apartments and 37 hotel rooms each on floors six through 19, 16 apartments and 37 hotel rooms on the 20th floor, 16 apartments and 35 hotel rooms on the 21st floor, 16 apartments and 31 hotels rooms on the 22nd and 23rd floors, 16 apartments on the 25th floor, 14 apartments on the 25th floor, 15 apartments on the 26th floor, 16 apartments on the 27th through the 34th floors, 15 apartments on the 35th through the 43rd flloors, 14 apartmnets on the 44th floor, 12 apartments on the 45th floor, 13 apartments on the 46th floor, 12 apartments on the 47th and 48th floors, 11 apartments on the 49th floor, 12 apartments on the 50th through the 55th floors, and 11 apartments on the 56th through the 59th floors. The 59th floor will also have a party room and an outdoor terrace.
Previous reports have indicated that the 1.2-million-square-foot project is expected to contain 163 units of "affordable housing," and market-rate rental and condo units, a hotel, retail and non-profit theaters.
At one point, the project was to have been designed by Arquitectonica, the Miami-based architectural firm that designed the Westin Hotel on the northeast corner of 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue, with a theater designed by Frank O. Gehry, the architect of the IAC Center on West Street and 19th Street. An announcement in September, however, gave no indication of who the architects for the project are and an article at crainsnewyork.com by Amanda Fung said that Related "worked with construction unions, contractors, trades, architects and engineers to reduce costs so it can move forward," adding that "The project cost is more than $800 million, according to Related."
In 2005, Related demolished the Houseman Theater and Fairbank Theater and several other buildings on the Hells Kitchen site to make way for this project and initially it planned to create a facility on the site for Cirque du Soleil but the city did not approved needed zoning changes.
"Last year," the Crain's article continued, "Goldman Sachs and MSD Capital became equity investors in the project, while Related's original partners, Twining Properties and Macfarlane Partners, pulled out. Under the revised plan, the project will include several theaters for non-profit groups. The small theaters will still be designed by Frank Gehry, according to Related. Late last year, Signature Theater Company said it plans to move to the proposed Related tower. Signature's new theater space will reportedly cost $60 million. Related is responsible for the core and shell of the theatre."
The building is expected to contain 623 rental apartments beneath 151 condominium apartments and about 163 of the rental apartments will be "below market rate." It will also have a total of 669 hotel rooms.
Architecture Critic
Carter Horsley
Since 1997, Carter B. Horsley has been the editorial director of CityRealty. He began his journalistic career at The New York Times in 1961 where he spent 26 years as a reporter specializing in real estate & architectural news. In 1987, he became the architecture critic and real estate editor of The New York Post.
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