A Chinese company has sent a dramatic signal about the evolution of New York, moving forward with a plan to convert most of the rooms in the famous Waldorf Astoria into condominiums.
"New York’s landmark Waldorf Astoria hotel is scheduled to close in spring 2017 so owner Anbang Insurance Group Co. can begin converting most of the more than 1,400 rooms to luxury condominiums," reports Hui-Yong Yu.
The luxury hotel, operated by Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc., will still have 300-500 hotel rooms open after the renovation. "Anbang bought the Waldorf Astoria, an Art Deco icon on Park Avenue, in February 2015 for $1.95 billion, a record price for a U.S. hotel," adds Yu.
The Wall Street Journal broke the news of the renovation in an article that might be behind a paywall for some readers.
FULL STORY: NYC’s Waldorf Astoria Said to Close in ’17 for Condo Rebuild
Will New York’s Strict Short-Term Rental Rules Work?
Some owners are reluctant to put short-term rental units back on the long-term rental market, but the number of permitted units has dropped dramatically.
First Hotel Conversion to Begin in New York
A pandemic-era program designed to streamline the conversion of hotels into housing stalled, with the first project just now making its way through the pipeline.
NYC Mayoral Candidate Proposes Ambitious Housing Plan to Convert Dormant Hotels
Eric Adams, Democratic candidate for New York City mayor, announced a proposal to convert existing hotel rooms to supportive and affordable housing. The plan faces obstacles in statewide building codes and local zoning regulations.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA
The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
A Case for Universal Rental Assistance
A pair of researchers argues that expanding rental assistance programs for low-income households is the most effective way to alleviate the housing crisis.
Office Conversions Have Increased Every Year This Decade
Since the pandemic, office vacancy rates remain high, leading many cities to adjust zoning codes to accommodate adaptive reuse.
Index Measures Impact of Heat on Pedestrian Activity
When heat and humidity are high, people are more likely to opt for cars when possible.
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.
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
Sarasota County Government
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)