The pieces keep getting added to the Related Companies' 60-story mixed-use tower now under construction at 42nd Street and Tenth Avenue, even if the developer is still playing coy about the building's final look. Already the future home of the Signature Theatre Company and its Frank Gehry-designed spaces, the hotel/rental tower is now filling in the blanks on the hotel part. The building will house a 669-room Yotel, the first U.S. property from the company that operates pod hotels near several European airports. Rooms will be a snug 170 square feet and cost between $200-$250 per night. The Rockwell Group and London's Softroom will design the Yotel New York, and a 2011 opening is expected. HotelChatter is all in a tizzy over the planned restaurant, spa, lounge and the "largest outdoor terrace space for an NYC hotel," and they also scored a rendering that features a heck of a lot of detail on the nearby Zebra Building, but still doesn't show much of the tower itself. The other Yotels look pretty crazy, but will Hell's Kitchen's Yotel be more happening than its gaytel?
· Yotel To Open Legit, Full-Service Hotel in Times Square in 2011 [HotelChatter]
· 440 West 42nd Street coverage [Curbed]
MIDTOWN—West 34th Street is always in need of cosmetic upgrades, and commercial megalandlord SL Green just announced it finished one at 333 West 34th Street, an office building the company purchased in 2007. The landlord enlarged and renovated the lobby and created a new 21,000-square-foot retail space, all through "recapturing cafeteria and other underutilized space." There's now an 18-foot-high glass wall wrapping the front of the building, the perfect sheltered and safe hangout to meet the guy you found on Craigslist to buy your Rangers tickets. [CurbedWire Inbox]
HELL'S KITCHEN—More proof from a tipster that Related's massive tower rising at 440 West 42nd Street will look like those leaked renderings: "I spoke to one of the construction guys and he told me the building would have two heights; the west side of the block would be 25 stories and the east side would be a whopping 60 stories tall. Holy moly, that's as big as the Silver Towers." True, but this one's all laid back about getting stoned and stuff. Awww yeah. [CurbedWire Inbox]
HELL'S KITCHEN—Did we speak too soon when we said Related's massive condo/rental tower at 440 West 42nd Street might end up matching the disavowed renderings of the project. A tipster writes: "I keeping a close eye on your coverage since that building's going to block my kick ass view. Attached is an aerial view of the construction. You can see it's not quite matching up to Related's 'leaked' plans." Still looks like the early stuff to us, with that setback above the stone-covered base. Are we seeing things? [CurbedWire Inbox]
HARLEM—Thanks to a wave of new development Frederick Douglass Boulevard has been called Harlem's Gold Coast, and every Gold Coast needs some fabulous, er, groceries. Enter the Best Yet Market, which one very enthusiastic tipster fills us in on: "You may want to check out the new Best Yet Market that opened Thursday afternoon on Fredrick Douglass and 118. Its a great grocery store and will mean all the folks in the new condos on Fred Douglass have a place to shop. Its large with 3 levels. Mezz level has coffee and desert bar with comfortable chairs and couches. It was already busy and folks are talking about it."
"On a 10 point scale, if Le Bon Marche in Paris is an 11, Whole Food Columbus Circle an 8.5, then this is a solid 7. Better than any Gristedes, C-Town in the city. Its better than the narrow and crowed Fairways which has good stuff but the crowds are a pain. It has a much bigger selection than Trader Joes - but more expensive. Price is the only draw back -- things were less expensive than Whole Paycheck but more expensive than Fairway or Trader Joes." [CurbedWire Inbox]
The Related Companies told us that leaked renderings of its 59-story tower at 440 West 42nd Street in Hell's Kitchen weren't accurate, but we're starting to doubt those claims. Cladding is now going up on the Arquitectonica- and SLCE-designed full-block tower (which will have condos and rentals) that matches those renderings. Slabs of sandstoney panels have been attached to the base along 41st and 42nd Streets, echoing the buff-toned brick seen across the street at the infamous Zebra Tower. Above the four-story base, where Frank Gehry is designing spaces for the Signature Theater Company, another seven stories have gone up. There's no glass up yet, so whether the neighborhood will get another tin-can special or something more interesting remains to be seen.
· Thread: 440 West 42nd Street at 10th Avenue [Wired New York]
· 440 West 42nd Street coverage [Curbed]
Now that the city and Related are best of friends (if you forget about that Kingsbridge Armory business), The Real Deal passes along word that our fearless leaders are chipping in $25 million for Related's long-awaited 440 West 42nd Street project. The former Hell's Kitchen Swimming Hole, to refresh your memory, will be a 59-story complex of affordable and market-rate housing as well as a Frank Gehry-designed theater. The residential stuff is supposed to be done in 2011, and the theater in 2012. [Real Deal]
Now that the city and Related are