Less than a week after 57th Street residents dealt with yet another crane problem at Extell's One57, the developer asked the community to please, oh pretty please, grant him a special permit for the new supertall tower he plans to build. The Community Board, reports the Observer, said no. "I don't think Extell has been a good neighbor," said one board member, summing up the room's general feeling. Extell is moving forward with plans for a 1,550-foot-tall tower at 217 West 57th Street, and the developer is seeking a special permit to allow the building to cantilever over the historic Students Art League next door. Evidently Nordstrom, which signed on as a tenant for the first five floors, "needs" this cantilevered bit to be able to create a column-free space.
The community board's rejection is just an advisory position, so it remains to be seen if the city awards the permit. Even if they don't, Extell is still going to build as-of-right, which, thanks to lots of purchased air rights, allows for the nosebleed height, not that anyone knows what that heigh will look like. So far, Extell has only released renderings showing the lower part of the tower. "This is 50 percent taller than One57, the building that's freaking us out with crane incidents" said one board member, "and we don't know anything about the sky, the traffic, the shadow, how it's going to effect everyone in Central Park."
· Community Board Rejects Extell's Plan to Cantilever Skyscraper Over Landmarked Art Students League [NYO]
· All 217 West 57th Street coverage [Curbed]
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