ELEVATOR WORLD New York Newsletter

Volume 31 | December 2020

ELEVATOR WORLD New York is EW's free monthly newsletter focusing on vertical-transportation news in the Greater New York Region. Contact the EW Editorial Department to submit news or the EW Advertising Department to advertise and reach more than 2,700 subscribers in the New York area.

December 2020

PLANS FOR NYC’S TALLEST TOWER BY ROOF HEIGHT REVEALED

An environmental assessment statement revealed details of the mixed-use Project Commodore, which would be the tallest building in NYC by roof height at 1,646 ft and 89 stories, New York YIMBY reported on November 21. Planned at 109 East 42^nd Street in the heart of the Midtown East rezoning area, the Skidmore, Ownings and Merrill (SOM)-designed skyscraper is being developed by Commodore Owner LLC, which consists of RXR Realty and TF Cornerstone. To take shape on the site of the Grand Hyatt New York directly east of Grand Central Terminal, the property would contain 2.1 million ft² of office space on floors seven-63, a 500-room Grand Hyatt hotel on floors 65-83, 43,370 ft² of retail — some controlled by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority — and 10,000 ft² of open-air, publicly accessible space. The next step is a public scoping meeting planned on December 21. The project aims for a 2023 completion. The image (© SOM) shows Project Commodore in blue.

NEW RENDERINGS SHOW DETAILS OF PROPOSED TOWER FIFTH

Renderings have been released showing new, greater detail of Tower Fifth, a proposed office tower that, at 1,556 ft, would be among NYC's tallest buildings, New York YIMBY reported in November. The tower would go up on East 51st Street between Madison and Fifth avenues, a site that places it directly north of St. Patrick's Cathedral. The new renderings of the project, which is being developed by Macklowe Properties, show a tower sitting atop a narrow pedestal that rises nearly 400 ft, with the main tower featuring a regular grid of windows. A podium would house entrances to the elevator cores, a retail and food market, an atrium with expansive seating areas and a three-story auditorium. The eighth floor would house a wellness center with an indoor swimming pool and track, and the 40th floor would have a sky lobby. The most prominent feature is the building's "Sky of The Americas" observation deck placed 1,451 ft above street level, making it the highest deck in the U.S. and second-highest in North America, after CN Tower in Toronto; rendering by Gensler.

TEAMSTERS CHAPTER CHAIR: ACCESS TO EDUCATION AN ISSUE

In a December 6 letter to Daily News, Guy Thomas, chair of Teamsters Local 237, took issue with Daily News’ article about unskilled elevator workers creating potential hazards for residents of NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) properties. Thomas contends shortcomings regarding NYCHA elevators are “not a worker issue, but an education and a training issue.” He describes the 400-plus union elevator workers as “small fish in the [35,000-plus-strong] Teamsters realm” who do not have access to the apprenticeship programs available to thousands of other elevator workers in the region. Thomas says he hopes the fact that more than 90% of Local 237 members voted in November to join the International Union of Elevator Constructors will enhance educational opportunities for NYC municipal elevator workers.

KOONTZ TO LEAD SALES AND MARKETING AT TEI GROUP

J. Andrew "Andy" Koontz, Sr., has been named executive vice president (EVP) of Sales and Marketing at TEI Group, the company announced on November 30. Most recently, Koontz was Related Cos.' vice president of vertical transportation at Hudson Yards, where he oversaw elevator and escalator installation. His main focus was 50 Hudson Yards, notable for having the first installation of thyssenkrupp Elevator's TWIN system in NYC and the second in the U.S. Koontz has worked for a variety of elevator companies, including Otis, Millar, City Elevator (later acquired by KONE) and thyssenkrupp Elevator. TEI President Mark Gregorio and EVP of Operations Michael J. Staub first met Koontz in the early 1990s at Millar when they were mechanics. Koontz's career achievements include, at Otis, vertical-transportation (VT) modernizations at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, Rockefeller Center and 1251 Avenue of the Americas; at thyssenkrupp, playing a role in the company being awarded the VT contract for One World Trade Center (1 WTC), overseeing the installation of 71 elevators and 11 escalators at 1 WTC, and seven elevators and five escalators at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. TEI observes the budget for those two projects was more than US$100 million.

WORK ON BROOKLYN POINT EXTERIOR CLOSE TO WRAPPING

Exterior work on Brooklyn Point, a 68-story residential tower in Downtown Brooklyn, is close to completion, New York YIMBY reported in November. The 720-ft-tall skyscraper, the tallest building in Brooklyn, is the third and final structure in the City Point complex, which is being developed by Extell. The tower, which is also known as 1 City Point and 138 Willoughby Street, was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, with SLCE Architects as the architect of record. It will have 458 units ranging from studios to three-bedroom homes, with prices starting at US$850,000 and climbing to nearly US$4 million. As of mid-November, most of the curtain wall panels were in place, though the lowermost floors were awaiting their cladding of floor-to-ceiling glass with dark, rectangular frames. Fitness and recreational facilities include a 27-ft-long, heated saltwater infinity pool on the roof deck. The pool sits 680 ft above ground level, making it the highest infinity pool in the Western Hemisphere. The source said the exterior work appears on track for full completion by year's end; photo by Michael Young for New York YIMBY.

AEG TAPS ARGYROPOULOS AS CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER

Paul Argyropoulos has been appointed chief people officer at American Elevator Group (AEG), AEG President C. Mark Boelhouwer announced in November 2020. Based in the NYC area, Argyropoulos is responsible for implementing and overseeing AEG's human resources (HR) policies and procedures across its growing portfolio of business units. Argyropoulos brings HR experience in the technology and healthcare sectors, most recently with a behavioral service provider for children and adults with autism. "Argyropoulos will be tasked with developing a strategic roadmap designed to improve AEG's overall employee experience," the company stated.

WORK STALLS ON TWO-TOWER RESIDENTIAL PROJECT

Façade installation appears to have stalled on The XI, a two-tower residential project at 76 11th Avenue in NYC's Chelsea neighborhood (most recently in ELENET 825), New York YIMBY reported on November 26. The XI, comprising twisting 26- and 36-story towers designed by Bjarke Ingels of Danish architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group, is set to bring 236 condominiums and a 137-room Six Senses Hotel Resort Spa within 908,250 ft². The site is on the Hudson River and adjacent to the High Line and not far from the Hudson Yards development. Façade work on the taller tower has progressed the most, with the sides facing the river and Lower Manhattan complete. The XI is being developed by HFZ Capital Group. No mention was given of a revised completion date.

ADA-COMPLIANT ELEVATORS OPEN AT BROOKLYN SUBWAY STATION

The Brooklyn Reporter says a trio of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant elevators has opened at the 59^th Street subway station in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, following the NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) fast-tracking the project over the summer. U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez described the work as “a major step forward for our city’s transit network.” In addition to the elevators, the station now has an expanded mezzanine, and new stairs and public-address and fire-alarm systems. Additional work, scheduled for completion by January 2021, includes new ADA-compliant bathrooms. After years of construction, the work comes amid MTA projecting a US$16-billion budget shortfall through 2024, for which the authority plans to ask the U.S. Congress for US$12 billion in COVID-19 relief funds; photo courtesy of MTA.

UNITED CABS NAMES VICE PRESIDENT, LAUNCHES PODCAST

United Cabs, Inc., based in Jamaica, Queens, has named Danny Girgis vice president of operations, the company announced in November. Girgis has more than 10 years' experience with companies including Schindler, BOCA Group and Liberty Elevator Corp. He holds a master's degree in Technology in Project Management from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, and a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark.

United Cabs also recently began “The Going Up Podcast,” a webcast series on its YouTube channel. With plans to discuss “all things related to the elevator industry” and serve as “a thought-collective of key suppliers, industry leaders and innovators — both large and small,” it has so far seen Victor Rosario, president of United Cabs, interview Tim Frank, president of Banker Wire, and Omar Pineda, general manager of HS Stone Gallery.

RENDERINGS SHOW DESIGN OF BROOKLYN MIXED-USE TOWER

New York YIMBY reported in November that new renderings show the design of 69 Adams Street, a 26-story, 280-ft-tall mixed-use tower in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn. The 308,145-ft² project, designed by Fischer + Makooi Architects and developed by The Rabsky Group, will hold 225 residential units ranging from studios to two-bedroom layouts, plus ground-floor retail and 90 parking spaces. Renderings depict a tight grid of compact bay windows spread over the majority of the faҫade, topped by a tiered glass crown. The project will be notable for greenery, including hanging plants around the midpoint of the superstructure. Below this, the curtain wall will feature larger floor-to-ceiling glass panels. At street level, a renovated and landscaped public plaza with tree-lined sidewalks will extend toward the east and under the stone-clad supports of the Manhattan Bridge roadway. While a four-story building at the site has been demolished, further site work is needed before construction commences; image by Fischer + Makooi Architects.

CONSTRUCTION PERMITS FILED FOR MIDTOWN HOTEL TOWER

Developer Extell has filed construction permits for a 31-story hotel on a vacant lot at 32 West 48th Street in Midtown NYC's Diamond District, New York YIMBY reported in November. Located between Rockefeller Plaza and Sixth Avenue, the site is a half-block east of the 47-50 Streets-Rockefeller Center subway station, serviced by the B, D, F and M trains. The proposed tower would be 456 ft tall and hold 213,158 ft², with 168,897 ft² designated as commercial space. Plans call for 534 guest rooms within the concrete structure, which will also have a cellar and subcellar. SLCE Architects is listed as the architect of record. A completion date for the tower was not announced.

CONSTRUCTION LAUNCHES ON ONE MADISON AVENUE

Construction has begun on One Madison Avenue, a 1.4-million-ft² office building planned in the Flatiron District, New York YIMBY reported in November. The project, located at Madison Avenue and East 23rd Street, will involve redeveloping an existing 13-story building into a 27-story, Class-A office tower. Being developed by SL Green and designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, One Madison Avenue will place the vertical addition, holding 530,000 ft² of space, atop a nine-story podium. Amenities will include large outdoor terraces on the 10th and 11th floors, a 15,000-ft² artisanal food market, a 9,000-ft² tenant lounge, a three-level fitness center and bicycle storage. The building is targeting WELL certification and a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold rating. A construction timeline was not reported.; image via New York YIMBY.

IAEC FORUM 2021 NYC SET FOR APRIL

The International Association of Elevator Consultants (IAEC) has announced IAEC Forum 2021 NYC, to be held at Crowne Plaza Times Square on April 19-23. Organizers said that, in the interest of safety, they are adhering to all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and doubling last year's total meeting space to provide extensive room for social distancing during seminars, dining/reception, and the vendor show. Registration information will be announced later.

DISTINCTIVE CURVED TOWER RISING IN DUMBO

A distinctive, curved tower designed by Hill West Architects and developed by Fortis Property Group, is two floors above street level at 30-40 Front Street in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York YIMBY reported in November. The 26-story mixed-use building is set to contain 74 apartments of various sizes within 177,900 ft², 72,500 ft² of community facilities and a parking facility for more than 400 vehicles. Planned amenities include a residential lounge, a sauna, a spa, a yoga room and a swimming pool next to recreational space on the sixth floor. The last timeline spotted by the source provided a completion date of December 2021; rendering by Hill West Architects.

UPDATE ON UPPER EAST SIDE SUBWAY STATION ELEVATOR

A representative of the NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) gave a community board an update on a long-delayed plan to build a wheelchair-accessible elevator at an Upper East Side subway station, Patch reported on December 3. Presenter Rich Wetherbee told the neighborhood board's transportation committee that a plan to place the elevator at the southeast corner of 68th Street and Lexington Avenue was abandoned because of structural problems. MTA now plans to place the elevator on the northeast corner of the intersection. The 68th Street-Hunter College subway station project was first included on MTA's 2010-2014 capital budget but has seen repeated delays, even as other stations received new elevators. MTA is hoping to receive approval for the new plan in time to begin construction in October 2021 and have the project completed in July 2023.

HODUM TO LEAD SCHINDLER'S U.S. DIVERSITY EFFORTS

Schindler Elevator Corp., the North American operation of Schindler Group, has named Julia Hodum as director for inclusion and diversity, the company announced on December 2. In this newly created position, Hodum will be responsible for directing inclusion and diversity initiatives across Schindler's U.S. operation. She will also be called upon to provide input and guidance to leaders to further incorporate diversity efforts into Schindler's teams and operations. Hodum comes to Schindler from InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), where she led regional strategies for diversity and inclusion, as well as talent, for North and South America, the Philippines and China. Before this, she founded and led IHG Employee Resource Groups, and for five years prior, served as manager, global digital product and strategy for IHG. She started her career with Accenture Federal Services. She previously interned at The White House in Washington, D.C., and spent a year interning in Economic Development at the World Hope Center in Nairobi, Kenya. She holds an MBA from The Georgia Institute of Technology and a BA in International Studies from The American University. She is the recipient of the 2017 Young Leader in Diversity Award, given by the National Diversity Council.

UPCOMING EVENTS

2021

NAEC Spring Educational Conference

Tucson, AZ

April 18-21

For more information, visit website.

IAEC Forum 2021 NYC

Crowne Plaza Times Square, NYC

April 19-23

For more information, visit website.

Pop/Joe 46th Annual Memorial Invitational Golf Outing

Port Washington, New York

June 14

For more information, visit website.

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