Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) is experiencing quite the turnover at 1865 Broadway. Their 1965 12-story American Bible Society building is being demolished to make way for a ground-up 33-story mixed-use residential tower being designed the legendary architecture firm. AvalonBay Communities purchased the property for $300 million in February of 2015, and plans to redevelop the site with 160 rental and condominium units. Renderings promise a straitlaced glass and masonry exterior that will complement its Lincoln Square neighborhood.
Upon completion in 2019, the first two stories of the tower's 6-story base will host retail space. The 31 floors above will host the residences, ranging from studios to 4-bedroom units. A setback after the sixth floor will allow for a shared roof deck on the seventh floor. 1865 Broadway will top out at 416 feet in the air, an impressive height in most cities, but not quite tall enough to eclipse 15 Central Park West and Trump International to secure coveted Central Park views.
SOM tapped Windtech Consultants to conduct wind testing for their future building. According to their website, the engineering laboratory studied the building's design to identify structural effects from wind currents. They also determined the pedestrian wind environment, pollution dispersion for air quality, and the potential for a thermal stack effect.
The property is situated on West 61st Street between Broadway and Columbus Avenue, a convenient location close to Central Park, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Shops at Time Warner Center and the convergence of numerous subway lines. And not to worry about the fate of the American Bible Society - though the non-profit is saying goodbye to their long-time home-city of New York, the biblical distributors are relocating to Philadelphia.
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