The Helena - 601 West 57th Street - Rental - by FX Fowle

[ASchwarz]

This from the Times. *The entire block is owned by the Dursts and is zoned to allow a second large tower. *Though the article doesn't mention it, I would guess we will soon have two new skyscrapers on the block.


580 Rentals at 57th and 11th

Two prominent New York City real estate families, the Dursts and the Roses, have joined to develop a 37-story apartment building on the northwest corner of 57th Street and 11th Avenue — a block owned by a less well-known real estate family since the 1860's, when it was a Hudson River inlet.

The Durst Organization, with Douglas and Jody Durst as co-presidents, is primarily a commercial development firm with an office-building portfolio of 7.5 million square feet.

Rose Associates, headed by Adam R. Rose, is primarily a residential development and management company.

The rental building, to be called the Helena (after one of Douglas Durst's daughters), "is the Dursts', 100 percent," insisted Mr. Rose. "And I'm very proud they selected us to develop it — the official title is owner's representative — manage construction, set the rents and ultimately manage the property."

The glass and metal building, designed by the Fox & Fowle architectural firm, will have 580 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, with balconies in those units facing the Hudson.

It will also have a health club, swimming pool, residents' lounge and children's playroom. Site preparation for the $160 million building is complete, and occupancy is expected in the fall of 2004. Rents have not yet been set.

In 1998, the Durst Organization signed a 99-year lease with the Four Plus Corporation, owners of the entire block, allowing it to demolish several one- and two-story commercial buildings. Among the relocated businesses were a recent incarnation of the Copacabana night club and the Artkraft Strauss Company, the signage designers.

The Dursts planned to build a data processing center, NYCyberCenter, with its own power generating plant, in the middle of the block. "Unfortunately, since 9/11, it's on hold," Douglas Durst said.

The president of the Four Plus Corporation, Jonathan Lang, said his company was founded in 1935 by John Hutchins, a descendant of "a very aggressive 19th-century real estate guy," Charles Appleby.

In the 1860's, Mr. Lang said, the 160,000-square-foot strip that now constitutes the block where the Helena will be built was one of two "coves of the Hudson" mapped by the city for its street grid.

"About 1868," he said, "Appleby made a deal with the city that if he filled in the cove where the convention center now is, and this one at 57th Street, they would give him the land for free" DENNIS HEVESI

[Rich Battista]

wow, this is somewhat good news, does anyone know what the buildings will look like yet

[Fabb]

The glass and metal building, designed by the Fox & Fowle architectural firm, will have 580 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, with balconies in those units facing the Hudson.


Good. I usually like their work.

[NoyokA]

I think Marshall has a height for this one. Over 500 feet.

[Derek2k3]

Are you getting this building confused with 235 West 51st also by Fox & Fowle and is suppose to be 585ft.? This building might have been a 500 footer if they didnt change it to a residential but it's not going to be now.


The Helena is on the right, the 6 story NYCyberCenter in the middle, and the last tower is on the left.

(Edited by Derek2k3 at 10:00 am on Nov. 16, 2002)

[NoyokA]

yes I did. The Helena isnt bad looking for a residential building, just nothing special.

[Rich Battista]

if it will be a total residential building, for that height i would have to say around 450 to 500 feet tall.

[Edward]

The Helena
57th Street and Eleventh Avenue
37 stories
580 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments
Fox & Fowle Architects
Under Construction from 2002 to Fall of 2004


The 37-story Helena under construction. 26 May 2003.

[Derek2k3]

From Fox & Fowle's website
\http://foxfowle.com/foxfowle.htm

The Helena Apartment Building

The Helena, a 37-story residential building with 580 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, is the first phase of Fox & Fowle's mixed-use master plan for the riverfront block at the western end of West 57th Street. The tower's form is enriched through a composition of interlocking elements—building mass, fenestration, balconies—resulting in interesting and varied views of the building. The design represents a reinvention of the conventional New York City residential building typology; floor to ceiling glass, wrap-around windows and sleek metal panels. High performance technologies such as gray water, central heating and cooling systems and green roofing are integrated.


Though slightly bland, it will be the best looking residential building West of Eighth Avenue in recent years IMO.





(Edited by Derek2k3 at 10:36 pm on June 12, 2003)

[Ptarmigan]

Looks like a cool building to me. That will make the skyline certainly interesting.

[Agglomeration]

One question I must ask- Where are the low-rise fanatical NIMBY's? :biggrin:

[DominicanoNYC]

THis isn't to far from my school. I should go down over there and see the site to check for any more renderings. Well if there are any billboards.

(Edited by DominicanoNYC at 10:44 pm on June 12, 2003)

[JACKinNYC]

That's not really a NIMBY neighborhood. It's pretty industrial, so the locals will welcome it as something that's better than what's currently there. They won't jump for joy, but they'll probably want to live in it.

[JerzDevl2000]

Besides the skyline-altering element, I don't think it's anything special. Isn't John Jay College near this site?

[DominicanoNYC]

Yeah. I think that it's a block from the site. Then again I'm not sure.