Several years back, NYPost scion Lachlan Murdoch dropped $5.25 million for Nolita's most famous address, 11 Spring Street. The building, quasi-unoccupied for years save for eerie candles and curtains in the window, was set to be converted to a residence for Murdoch's young family. Construction cranes arrived last fall for a brief spell (above), but then?silence. Then, walking past 11 Spring last week, we noted new construction activity: orange cones, construction signs, and men carting debris out of the first floor. Nearby, neighborhood gallerist and blogger Jen Bekman caught it too:
Major, unprecendented activity at 11 Spring St. It started a few weeks back when I walked by and they were power-cleaning the floors, exuding an aroma even more distasteful than Summer in the city streets. Then there were some rather feeble "No Trespassing" signs posted up, which is amusing considering that the building is regularly and quite famously trespassed upon by street artists. Today I walked by and the doors are thrown open and ConEd is digging a big hole in the street just outside the Elizabeth St entrance. I thought to myself: Lachlan is finally ready to be my neighbor!Then came Friday's surprise word of Lachlan's resignation from the Post and impending move back to Australia. Queries Bekman, "So, now the question is: what of 11 Spring, which was meant to be his future residence?... Since he purchased it though, our humble little strip of Spring St. has become considerably more trafficked, which makes me think that the building will be much more desirable to commerical developers. I leave it to the intrepid crew at Curbed to gather some intell for me. Do it fast guys, I'm anxious!" We're on it, people. DEVELOPING...
· We'll Always Have Spring Street [Personism]
· 11 Spring Street: Lachlan Calls in the Cranes [Curbed]
· Lachlan Murdoch Leaves News Corp., World Stops Turning [Gawker]