The good news is that the $390 million renovation of the Javits Center on the west side of Manhattan is coming along well and on target to be completed in 2014. The bad news is it that it will likely be torn down shortly thereafter.
Robin Pogrebin reports on Governor Cuomo's recently announced plans to demolish the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and replace it with a larger center to be built at the Aqueduct racetrack in Jamaica, Queens, with $4 billion from Genting, a Malaysian gambling company. Pogrebin speaks with Bruce Fowle, architect of the on-going renovation to the original Javits, and others involved with the project.
"The waste of creative energy, money and material that would result in its being torn down is painful to think about," Mr. Fowle said during a walk through the center last week. "When you're worrying about every detail - trying to do the best you can to make something that represents the city - it's like having the rug pulled out from under you."
Some would not be as disappointed by Mr. Fowle by the unusual turn of events. "It's just such an awful building that the only reason to keep it would be as a monument to stupidity," said Mark Wigley, the dean of Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, about the original Javits.
FULL STORY: Let’s Raze Javits Center (but First Finish Renovations)
Massive, Expensive Redevelopment of Midtown Manhattan Proposed
New York Governor Cuomo's State of the State speeches last week included an ambitious proposal for a large-scale redevelopment project on Manhattan's west side, adjacent to Penn Station.
The Disconnect Between Virus Prevalence and Local Business Climate
Public health experts assert that to safely reopen the economy, the coronavirus needs to be contained. In Manhattan, where the virus is largely controlled, chain restaurants are closing while their sister stores in Florida are expanding.
Done Deal: Manhattan Congestion Pricing
Finally, congestion pricing, as applied to city cordons, not highways, will be coming to the U.S., thanks to a budget deal approved by the New York State Legislature early Sunday morning. Tolls below 60th Street should begin by Jan. 1, 2021.
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San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
San Diego Votes to Rein in “Towering” ADUs
City council voted to limit the number of units in accessory buildings to six — after confronting backyard developments of up to 100 units behind a single family home.
Texas Legislature’s Surprising Pro-Housing Swing
Smaller homes on smaller lots, office to apartment conversions, and 40% less say for NIMBYs, vote state lawmakers.
Even Edmonton Wants Single Staircase Buildings
Canada's second most affordable major city joins those angling to nix the requirement for two staircases in multi-family buildings.
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