PROJECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Plaxall Realty proposes
rezoning to bring 5,000
new homes to Long Island
waterfront An illustration of the new raised plaza on
40th (New York Public Library,
http://nypl.org) als and details were released show-
ing a reconfiguration to increase
the building’s publicly accessible
space by 20 percent. Presently, only
one third is open for public use.

To achieve the goal, the design
firm will repurpose underused
spaces like the existing staff and
storage areas into new functional
areas for research, exhibitions and
educational programs.

“We developed a masterplan
that inherently adheres to the logic
of a beaux-arts building,” said
Francine Houben, founding partner
and creative director of Mecanoo.

“Our changes are both subtle and
clever to direct the flow for differ-
ent user groups, for example, or to
improve the quality and function of
currently underused spaces.”
The library has released the visu-
als reflecting the master plan to at-
tract investors for the renovation,
which will involve two construction
phases between 2018 and 2020.

A new entrance will be built on
40th St. leading to a raised public
plaza and an educational area for
university students and school chil-
dren, the Center for Research and
Learning. Meanwhile, inside the li-
brary, the Lenox and Astor Room
will be constructed to host a dis-
play of books and artworks. Other
new additions include a cafe with
an extended shop and a permanent
exhibition space in the Gottesman
Hall. 16 – WINTER 2018 — New York Construction Report
A rendering of the completed Anable Basin
development (WXY+architecture+design,
http://wxystudio.com) Long Island City property owner
Plaxall Realty recently proposed re-
zoning an area adjacent to Anable
Basin to pave way for a 5.8 million
gross sq. ft. mixed-use complex,
designed by
WXY+architecture+design. In the proposal submitted to the
Department of City Planning, Plaxall
seeks to rezone 14.7 acres of land
for 5,000 condos and rentals,
335,000 sq ft. of creative produc-
tion and light manufacturing space,
3.1 acres of public waterfront es-
planade and up to 30,000 sq ft. of
community area. The project will
also include a new 700-student
public school outside the complex.

The New York Times, which was
first to report about the proposal,
revealed that Plaxall’s plans involve
a 70-story apartment tower stand-
ing nearly 700 ft. tall. Upon comple-
tion, it will become one of the
tallest buildings in the outer bor-
oughs and the second major devel-
opment to be proposed for the area
surrounding Anable Basin in 2017.

In July, New York City developer TF
Cornerstone also unveiled its plans
for a development that will include
1,000 mixed-used spaces.

According to Paula Kirby, manag-
ing director at Plaxall, the tower and
other upcoming buildings would be
a “unique opportunity to really
make a skyline for the Long Island
City.” If approved, development will be
done in phases starting in 2020 and
ending in 2034. Plaxall’s proposal is
still pending approval with a public
meeting on Dec.14 with the city to
discuss the rezoning’s potential en-
vironmental effects.

StuyTown to triple
Manhattan’s solar power
capacity after $10M
investment 9,671 panels will be installed on top of build-
ings in Stuyvesant Town, announced devel-
opers (StuyTown Property Services,
https://www.stuytown.com/) Global investment firms Black-
stone Group and Ivanhoe Cam-
bridge have announced plans to
install America’s largest private
multi-family residential rooftop solar
project worth $10 million across 22
acres of rooftops at Stuyvesant
Town and Peter Cooper Village.

The 3.8 Megawatt solar energy
system will be installed on 56 build-
ings in the complex. The installation
is expected to be completed in
2019, with NYC-based Onyx Re-
newable Partners as project devel-
oper. StuyTown Property Services
will oversee the entire project.

Once finished, StuyTown will in-
crease Manhattan’s capacity to
generate solar power by three
times and generate six percent of
the total energy consumed by Stuy-
Town. This is equivalent to remov-



PROJECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
ing 11, 972 cars from the road and
reducing 62,472 tons of carbon
dioxide emissions.

“When we acquired StuyTown in
late 2015, we made sure to solicit
feedback from the residents. We
quickly learned of the strong con-
nection with the community’s
green space and the residents’
commitment to the environment,”
said Rick Hayduk, CEO of StuyTown
Property Services.

StuyTown’s solar project is a re-
sponse of its residents to the
mayor’s Carbon Challenge which
aims for an 80 percent carbon
emission reduction in New York by
the year 2050. It follows other sus-
tainable initiatives that have kept
StuyTown’s onsite greenhouse gas
emissions down by 10 percent
since 2007.

To date, StuyTown remains the
largest rental apartment complex in
the country and holds the title of
being the first multi-family building
in New York to win an ENERGY
STAR certification for its energy
management technologies, which
included installation of LED lighting,
high-efficiency hot water heat ex-
changers, elevator shaft louvers
minimizing heat loss, domestic
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
NYBC recognizes four executives
with industry awards
The New York Building Congress
(NYBC) recognized four executives
with awards during the organization’s
2017 Industry Recognition Gala held
at the Grand Hyatt, Manhattan in mid-
November. Brookfield Property Partners exec-
utive vice-president of design and
construction Sabrina Kanner, Kasirer
founder and president Suri Kasirer,
and WSP USA chief executive officer
Gregory Kelly received Industry
Recognition Awards. The Port Author-
ity of NY & NJ executive director Rick
Cotton was also given the George A.

Fox Public Service Award.

water flow control valves and a cen-
tralized building management sys-
tem to control all sustainable
initiatives. Snøhetta unveils carved
skyscraper for Upper
West Side
Rendering of the unique terrace on the Upper
West Side building (Snøhetta)
Norwegian firm Snøhetta has un-
veiled its design for a new residen-
tial and synagogue tower set for
construction on the Upper West
Side of Manhattan.

Located at 50 West 66th St., the
development will feature a multi-
level amenity terrace carved on the
south facade. As it rises, the struc-
ture’s volumes will be carved away,
splitting the mass into two and cre-
ating a shared space on the 16th
floor. The amenity terrace intends to
be the “social heart” for the tower,
The Industry Recognition Awards
are presented each year to individuals
who have made a significant contri-
bution to the construction industry. “I
will be reminding everybody… every
day I can, of the importance of this in-
dustry, the importance of supporting
this industry, and the importance of
ensuring that the people in this room
continue to work,” said NYBC presi-
dent and CEO Carlo Scissura.

“The people of New York need
housing, infrastructure and improved
transportation and they need the de-
sign and construction industry to exe-
cute with strength. I know you’re all
with me when I say we will not let
them down,” Kanner said in her ac-
ceptance speech.

Meanwhile, the George A. Fox
with lush vegetation and views of
the city, Hudson River and Central
Park. “The design is achieved through
a series of sculptural excavations,
evocative of the chiseled stone of
Manhattan’s geologic legacy,”
Snøhetta told Arch Daily.

Above the terrace level, the
tower will be carved again to make
way for private balconies attached
to residential units.

“This zipper of loggias runs the
full length of the upper volume, vi-
sually connecting the body to its
lustrous sculpted crown,” said the
project designer. “Angled facets
evoke this chiseled vocabulary, re-
vealing the same gleaming bronze
found at the building’s base.”
At street level, the development
will be surrounded by storefronts
clad in limestone, glass and bronze.

The structure then narrows on the
second level, with tall windows set
into the stone facade.

Snøhetta’s skyscraper will rise to
a height of 775 ft. and deliver 127
units. The residential entrance will
be set on 66th St. while the syna-
gogue’s will be on 65th. Construc-
tion is scheduled to commence in
the spring of 2017.

Public Service Award is presented to
an individual who has rendered out-
standing public service beyond the
normal scope of their responsibilities.

It honors the legacy of the late engi-
neer, George A. Fox, who is known
for his commitment to New York City
and youth education.

“We will continue to work hard
with all of you to do these projects
faster, to innovate, to economize
where possible, to deliver on time
and on budget and to do it all in a
way that respects customers, the en-
vironment, and communities in which
we build,” said Cotton.

The Industry Recognition Gala,
now on its 75th year, was attended
by more than 1,000 industry profes-
sionals. New York Construction Report — WINTER 2018 – 17