A residential skyscraper proposed for Manhattan's Upper West Side included a mechanical void that predated new rules in the city prohibiting the height-enhancing building practice. A judge still rejected the project as planned.
"A Manhattan state Supreme Court judge has rescinded a city permit for a hotly contested plan to build a 775-feet-tall luxury condo tower on the Upper West Side, arguing it defied zoning rules and common logic," reports Elizabeth Kim of the fate of the proposed 50 West 66th Street.
Judge Arthur Engoron issued the ruling in a case brought by City Club of New York against developer Extell. The building was planned to become the tallest on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The ruling came down to the building's use of mechanical voids to raise the height of the building, which is an issue of no small amount of controversy in New York City.
"All together, the proposed mechanical void space in the Extell building was to have totaled 198 feet in height, almost half the length of a football field, thereby giving it mega-skyscraper status," writes Kim. Developers on Manhattan's Billionaire's Row use mechanical voids to achieve scenic views, and raise sale prices on units benefitting from the lift.
More details on the specific circumstances that contributed to this litigation, and the judge's ruling, are included in the source article.
FULL STORY: Judge Voids City Permit For Controversial Upper West Side Luxury Mega Tower
World's Tallest Residential Building Nears Completion in Manhattan
Central Park Tower, coming soon to New York City's "Billionaires' Row" was designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill architecture.
Court Will Decide Whether to Reduce NYC Skyscraper's Height
The new skyscraper being built at 200 Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan might be forced by an appeals court to remove 20 floors of the mostly complete building.
More Skyscrapers Coming Soon to New York City's Skyline
After a decade of skyward expansion, even more skyscrapers are on the horizon in Manhattan.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.
Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”
Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code
The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)