January 30, 2008
Silverstein Adds Another Lower Manhattan Skyscraper
What Lower Manhattan will look like after Silverstein's buildings are completed; the Woolworth Building with its ornate green roof is on the left, 99 Church is the tall building to it right (and to the left of what is an illuminated Church street); to the right is the WTC site, with Freedom Tower and the other three towers; image from dbox/Silverstein Properties
Developer Larry Silverstein announced yesterday that he will build an 80-story building at 99 Church Street, in place of the former Moody's headquarters, just a block away from the World Trade Center site. Twenty-two floors will be for a Four Seasons hotel; the other floors will include 143 condominiums, making it the "tallest residential structure" in the city.
It will be so tall that it will tower over one of the city's first skyscrapers, the Woolworth Building. Architect Robert A.M. Stern, who is designing the building, said that although creating such a tall structure next to the Woolworth "made me very nervous," 99 Church would be "very respectful."
The current view looking south at Lower Manhattan; image from dbox/Silverstein Properties
Curbed notes that Stern really loves limestone (Stern also designed 15 Central Park West) and that the building is LEED-certified. The hotel's entrance will be on Barclay, the condo entrance will be on Park Place. The Ritz-Carlton in Battery Park will still have a few years as the only luxury hotel in the neighborhood - 99 Church is expected to be completed in 2011.
Alliance of Downtown New York president Elizabeth Berger said, “Larry Silverstein helped jump-start lower Manhattan by rebuilding 7 World Trade Center. Larry’s ongoing development of the World Trade Center site and his new project at 99 Church St. are reasons why Lower Manhattan is a global model for urban centers of the 21st century."
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I'm tempted to knee-jerk hate anything Silverstein is involved in, but I think I like the 99 Church St. design. Granted, I don't like how it hovers over the Woolworth Bldg., but people probably complained about the WWB when it was the tallest in the world with a blazing beacon at its top. At least Stern had the courtesy of covering the Church St. building in limestone instead of jamming yet another glass tower across the street from the WTC, which will be full of them. It makes the graduation of the skyline a little more gentle in my opinion. Nothing's ever going to be perfect, but if Silverstein and Stern can manage to get it built, thumbs up I say.
With Silverstein involved we van be sure it isn't going to be respectful in any way shape or form.
Wait, I should say something nice. At least it isn't being bullshitted by Ephraim Owen Goldberg, I mean designed by Frank Gehry.
This will be a great tower. Downtown is really looking up.
Oh good. What this city really needs is more luxury condos.
I think it's looking good. Much better than the original plans.
Why don't they just knock down the woolworth building, I mean its old and out dates. Put a luxury condo their instead or maybe even another hotel.. (sarcasm).
This coming tower unfortunately [from the fuzzy pic available] looks too much like a taller, fancier version of Stern's [not that he was sole architect] condo tower on 5th Av-38 st near Lord&Taylor. Biggest flaw is the massing/ proportion. NO upgrade in materials or details to 99 Church over what was done on 5Av could make it worthy, IMHO!
Note views from Four Seasons rooms will NOT be worthy of the room rate because they are announced to be on the low [to 20 -something] floors!