The High Line is turning into the new Park Avenue. On the northern end are luxe apartment buildings, some of the finest in the city, and to the south, cutting edge office towers. While it is not quite Seagrams or Lever House, 837 Washington and the High Line Building are nothing to sneeze at. Now the Albanese Organization is constructing yet another such project, according to the Times, though it will be a little farther north, on 22nd Street.
Even long before Google purchased 111 Eighth Avenue, this was a popular place for hip companies to set up shop, and since some corners of the area were not rezoned residential, it can be cheaper to build boutique offices than boutique condos. That seems to be the thinking this time out.
Brokers and landlords in the area are keeping a close eye on the development. “The office market down here is relatively small when it comes to number of buildings,” said Charles R. Bendit, a co-chief executive at Taconic Investment Partners, which owns several buildings in the neighborhood. “I’m not sure what the demand is for 100,000-square-feet signature properties like this, but I would say there are a lot of cool companies that want to plant their flag down here. It will be very interesting to see how they do.”
The project is being designed by Cook + Fox Architects, and the hope is to create a LEED Platinum building, just like the firm’s work for the Durst Organization at One Bryant Park.
Wasn’t there enough green on the High Line already?
You can take a tour of all the district’s new offices in the slideshow above, including its latest.
I would like to know how much it would cost to cool and heat this glass building when the price of oil reaches $7+/gallon. Why are we building such energy inefficent building?
Actually, these facades have gotten surprisingly efficient. You make an interesting and valid point, but I’m not positive brick would be that much better. For example, you would need to spend more on lighting, since day lighting is a big part of these projects.