With multiple construction firms resuming and launching new projects in the New York City area according to new health guidelines, L+M Developments Partners and Lendlease‘s joint venture in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of New York City will at last break ground, with demolition wrapping up in early June 2020. 

The mixed-use development is on the site of the Union Theological Seminary, with news of plans breaking as far back as 2018. It will, like many structures in the Morningside Heights area, be part of Ivy League school Columbia University’s sprawling campus. As such, while mixed-use often implies residential and retail combined into one building, this one will focus on residential and academic facilities — a change from earlier reports in 2018 that specified the building would mix residential and “community” space. 

Recent News on the 100 Claremont Avenue Project

Reported back in June of 2020, L+M and Lendlease sought and obtained $250 million in financing through global investment management firm Barings. In early July, the firms went on to confirm that they were closing further construction financing and were eager to move on to the next phase of construction. 

What Will the Finished Morningside Heights Development Offer?

The finished structure will be part of the already-existing nondenominational seminary onsite, which has been serving the community since as early as 1928. Robert A.M. Stern Architects replaced SLCE Architects. The new building’s design will cover 354,000 square feet of new space, spanning upwards of 42 stories of residences and academic spaces. The academic portions of the mixed-use building will include:

• 54,000 square feet of academic space.
• New, modern classrooms and office spaces.  
• Faculty-only apartments.

On the residential side, the finished project will feature:

• 300,000 square feet of residential space.
• 165 condominiums, which will range from one to four-bedroom units. As yet, no data suggests these would be open to all or strictly for students. 
• Construction firms are pledging to meet the U.S. Green Building Council standards for LEED Gold Certification as well as V2 of the WELL Building Standard.

Construction is expected to wrap up in spring of 2023. This promises several years of ongoing work for any laborers that are attached to the project. The one risk, for those citing COVID-19 and second-wave concerns, would be a potential second shutdown of non-essential construction, unless residential construction across the board is waived as many in the metro area have been demanding, because none of the units in this project are designated for low-income housing.