Union Square tech hub rebrands as Zero Irving, with new renderings

Three months ago, construction began for a new 21-story tech hub in Union Square, which resulted from a contested upzoning on 14th street. Now, developers have unveiled renderings for the project, which they have named Zero Irving, and billed as being located in “Midtown South.”

The 240,000-square-foot building—developed by RAL Development Services—will have 176,000 square feet of office space, co-working areas, a technology training center and incubator, event space, and a food hall. The market-rate office spaces will span across the tower’s top 14 floors; while the training center will span three floors and will have programming from FEDCAP, CUNY, Per Scholas, and Mouse.

Additionally, it will have several amenities including a sky lounge, a roof deck, terraces, and a gym. Developers expect to complete it in late 2020.

Neighborhood preservationists long opposed the upzoning that allowed the tower to move forward, fearing additional commercial development south of 14th street. Earlier this month, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) resurrected their call to create a new historic district and protect 193 buildings in the area.

The group has also called on city lawmakers to implement a “protective zoning measure” to regulate development in the area south of 14th street. Those protections were promised at the time of the tech hub rezoning over a year ago.

Though City Council member Carlina Rivera did negotiate those commitments from the de Blasio administration, preservationists recently said that they hadn’t materialized. A spokesperson for Rivera told Curbed earlier this month that the councilmember has been meeting with the Landmarks Preservation Commission to discuss future protections in the area.

“This is exactly what we said about this plan, and what we feared—it’s intended to transform our neighborhoods into Midtown South,” Andrew Berman, executive director of GVSHP, told Curbed in a statement. “The zero in “ZERO IRVING” represents what neighbors and the public got out of this deal, while those who donated generously to the Mayor reap 100 percent of the benefits.”