Forty-Story Glass Tower to Replace Beaux-Arts Structure That Developer Confirms He Has ‘Nothing But Respect For’
The Legacy-Honoring Demolition: A New York Real Estate Tradition
Midtown Manhattan developer Pinnacle Meridian Group unveiled plans Tuesday for a forty-two-story mixed-use tower on West 48th Street that will replace the Claybourne Building, a 1924 Beaux-Arts commercial structure of architectural significance that the Landmarks Preservation Commission declined to designate in 2019 following testimony from the building’s owners that designation would be ‘economically harmful’ to their plan to demolish it. Pinnacle Meridian CEO Garrett Worthington described the project as ‘a tribute to everything the Claybourne represents and a bold vision for what this block can become.’
‘We have enormous respect for the Claybourne,’ said Mr. Worthington, standing in front of a rendering that showed the Claybourne replaced entirely by a glass tower. ‘Its history is our history. Its story is New York’s story. That is why we felt it was essential to honor that legacy by building something that captures the energy of the Claybourne in a contemporary form with modern amenities, a rooftop amenity deck, and forty-seven luxury residences starting at two point eight million.’ A reporter asked what specific elements of the Claybourne would be preserved in the new tower. Mr. Worthington said the address would be the same.
The Preservation Community Responds
The Historic Districts Council, which had advocated for Claybourne designation, called the development ‘another preventable loss in a city that has been preventing preventable losses since the demolition of Penn Station in 1963 created sufficient public outrage to pass a landmarks preservation law that has preserved many buildings while also demonstrating that developers and the term ‘economically harmful’ have a productive long-term relationship.’ The Council’s executive director noted that the Claybourne’s terra cotta facade, its carved limestone entrance, and its original brass elevator indicators will not be incorporated into the new structure but that Pinnacle Meridian has committed to naming the lobby amenity space ‘The Claybourne Room.’
NYC landmarks information at NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. Comedy: NewsThump.
SOURCE: http://prat.UK