Our admiration for the swimming hole that developer Related Companies had been nice enough to construct for the residents of Hell's Kitchen (on 42nd Street between Tenth and Dyer Aves.) is not echoed, oddly, by neighborhood residents. Yesterday, Theater Row developer Fred Papert sued Related, claiming the hole has become a genuine hazard for the neighborhood. In its defense, Related says it has started picking up after itself, and besides, they've got plans that might even exceed the original Cirque Du Solei scheme for the site. Per the NYT:
According to a real estate executive who has been briefed on the developer’s plans, Related wants to form a joint venture with an unnamed hotel operator to build a 60-story, one-million-square-foot tower. The tower, with a hotel and luxury apartments at the top, would sit above shops, an Equinox gym and a couple of small theaters.· Neighbors Recoil at Void in Hell's Kitchen [NYTimes]
· Hell's Kitchen's New Swimming Hole [Curbed]
· New Development Amenity Update: Cirque du Solei [Curbed]