In these days of multi-use properties, the Sendero Verde project seeks to bring innovation to an idea that’s been beautifying multiple regions of the metropolitan area for quite some time now. Located on the block of East 111th to 112th Streets between Madison and Park Avenue, the development, once completed, will be the biggest passive property in the country, containing fully affordable housing, commercial opportunity, and community resources for all who come together there, and it aims to do this without sacrificing design or quality. With plans to break ground imminently, the first phase is set to be completed in 2022, and that will be just the beginning. 

The Features of the Sendero Verde Project: A Look Into the Future

Sendero Verde will be going beyond a mere mixture of residential and commercial space contained within a single building. Its completed edifice will be a small community contained within itself, including: 

• Affordable residential spaces and (in future phases) residences for multiple income levels. 360 affordable housing units will come in phase one, with an additional 350 to follow in phase two. 
• School space and room for a gymnasium, keeping educational opportunities within steps of its new residents. Sources reported earlier in the year that the school would be the Harlem RBI/Dream Charter school.
• Space for the local chapter of the Union Settlement Association.
• Community common area to include seating, a stage for outdoor events, childrens’ play areas, and adult exercise equipment. 
• Mount Sinai East Harlem Community Health Center for local healthcare.
• Urban Market as a local grocer.
• Two Boots Pizza, the third in the NYC area. 

The Shape the Development Takes

Sendero Verde is not a single building, however. What the project heads hope to bring out goes beyond the brick and mortar, important though this can be. In two ways people are already seeing where it will shine: for the people and the environment as a whole. 

Something Sendero Verde will also hope to be is energy efficiency and environmental friendliness. With public gardens and building standards to increase insulation and air circulation, developers on the project propose that this will reduce local energy consumption by 70% compared to the city average. 

Sendero Verde will also open first to low-income residents. Thirty percent of its initial units will be reserved for these people, 10 percent specifically for the formerly homeless, and some will pay nothing to start as the community grows around and with them. The rest of the phase one units will be given by lottery, with local Harlem residents receiving preference, to households earning 60, 80, and 90 percent of the average income for the area.

What Remains to be Completed?

Phase one is expected to wrap up in 2022, which leaves two and a half years from groundbreaking to complete. In that time, the initial 300+ units, businesses, and community areas will need to take shape. Developers suggest that the commitment to energy efficiency will increase construction costs 5 to 10 percent, but the savings in utility will more than pay for it. For a thriving community of residents, educators, business owners, union members, and their families, virtually every trade needs to be involved for a project of this size, with work stretching into the foreseeable future.

Recently declared a historical landmark, the Empire State Dairy complex that has stood since the early 1900’s is looking forward to a little touch-up as well as an expansion. When the city settled on rezoning East New York, historians sought landmark status for the former dairy processing complex in order to protect the structure from demolition. Its most notable feature are Swiss pastoral scenes pictured on the front facade in ceramic tile. It is the largest remaining decorative display by the American Encaustic Tile Company. Some gentle restorations of the structures as well as new construction are now in its near future. 

The Most Recent Changes to the Development Plans

Already in the complex’s new plans, a few adjustments have been made to address concerns that had been raised. The initial proposal involved: 

• Restoring the facade to its former glory;
• Taking down some of the connected buildings; and 
• Constructing a new 14-story residential structure that would cantilever over the landmark. 

Heeding commentary on the first approved plans for the new development, a few small changes have been made to perfect the project moving forward. These include: 

• An altered facade that excludes the cantilever, which critics felt didn’t respect the original landmark, as it would call for demolishing the original chimney;
• New positioning for the rooftop mechanicals;
• New windows at the front that more closely resemble those on the original structure; and 
• Darker brickwork.

The Current Plan, As It Stands

The zoning plan for this property is going to allow for 270,000 square feet of retail and residential space. Visual renderings released to the public show a number of characteristics: 

• The structure shows a U-shaped design that hugs the preserved landmark.
• The completed project should offer around 330 affordable new apartment spaces, as designed by Dattner Architects. 
• Apartments would include 70 studios, 160 single-bedrooms, 88 two-beds, and 17 three-bedroom apartments, allowing for families of every shape and size. 

On the original dairy facade, changes such as a replica clock, restored signage, and stone casting to match the original architecture will also be major focuses. 

What Will It Take To Complete the Current Plan? 

The project will likely come in several phases, focusing on small-scale demolition where needed, wholly new construction, and updates to the facade. It will pull in tradespeople from demo experts to stone workers, electricians, and more. 

• Restoration will call for stone and glassworkers to restore the facade and install a working clock. 
• If developers wish to clean, update, or otherwise improve the ceramic tile displays, there may be a call for more specialized contractors. 
• The new building and all 14 stories of it will call for quality living spaces of multiple sizes and layouts, as well as community (5,000 square feet) and potential retail areas (another 29,000 square feet). 

The ending structure aims to meld historic style with modern amenities, much like many mixed-use structures taking shape in older areas of the city. Dattner Architects, as a company, seems to be no stranger to these kinds of projects, as you can see more of their work at the Atlantic Chestnut project in another part of East New York, bringing another 1,000+ units of affordable housing in the near future. 

The Engel Burman Group very recently entered into negotiations with iStar Financial to buy the 6-acres of oceanfront land dubbed the Superblock, a property that has been in a state of arrested development for over forty years. This comes after the Nassau County Zoning Board revoked iStar’s building permits in late 2018 due to its failure to break ground after four years of variances and extensions. iStar originally obtained them in 2014 to construct two 15-story residential structures, plus retail space, along the beach and boardwalk. Engel Burman has not fully disclosed all its plans for the property once they take ownership, but CISLeads reports their intention to build over 400 residences, answering a long-standing cry for more housing options in the Long Island area. 

Why Has the Superblock Been Such a Contentious Piece of Property?

The Superblock’s troubles have long been documented. Originally the home to apartment buildings and a bowling alley in the 1960s, the properties became derelict and were razed to make room for new developments. The city reclaimed the property in the 1980s due to unpaid taxes and sold it to the Haberman family’s developers, who planned to build high-rise apartments. The 90s saw plans to build hotels, a convention center, and more, but nothing came of it. 

When iStar Financial stepped in, their plans were well-timed for what has been in high demand for the area: shopping and residential spaces on the waterfront and boardwalk. They applied a one-year variance in 2014 that would allow them to build beyond the zoning board’s regulations for the location and then never moved forward. A Nassau County State Supreme Court judge upheld a decision to revoke their permits when no progress had been made, and all paperwork failed to be completed and submitted. iStar has filed a $100 million dollar suit against the city; officials have filed to dismiss the lawsuit, and a judgment is pending. 

What Is In Store for the New Long Beach Project? 

Four hundred  residences in the form of apartments and condos (with possible retail space) can spell a number of possibilities for this site. At this point, however, the sale must be completed, and all surrounding litigation needs to be settled. What is known right now is at least encouraging:

• Engel Burman owns and manages many properties around Long Island and Nassau County, including multiple assisted-living facilities, as well as other commercial and residential properties. 
• The sale of the property calls for a viable building plan for the property, which hopefully promises a projected date for groundbreaking and completion. 
• The plan Engel Burman is developing is to include construction that will require no variances, which should help to reduce the time it takes to get the ball rolling. 
• Engel Burman is also making plans to meet with the community to ascertain what locals and developers want for the area. 

In spite of a negative vote by the Newark planning commission, the University of Delaware is moving forward with its redevelopment plans for the West Campus, which has been primarily closed to students since 2015. The current view of the commission, recommending against the proposed plan in a 4-2 vote. This comes as a surprise to many, especially given that the project does not have any need for variances or rezoning. However, approval for the redevelopment sits in the hands of the Newark City Council, which will have the final word. 

Why Is This Project Being Met With Resistance? 

The Newark planning commission cited several concerns in their vote to recommend against the project in its current form. These include: 

• Negative impact on traffic, which is already considered dense for the area. 
• A lack of recreational spaces; however, the current, variance-free proposal was chosen over others in order to preserve nearby properties like the Oaklands Swim Club, in itself a recreational space with open memberships.
• A shortage of paved areas. 

What Does the Current Construction Plan Entail, and Can UD Go Without New Housing? 

To answer the second question, probably not. On the heels of the sudden, ahead-of-schedule closure of the 17-story Christiana Towers residence hall back in November, the university saw itself suddenly needing to find space for hundreds of displaced students. They had originally intended to close the dormitory much later, but the site was outdated and in need of costly repairs and updates that proved too massive to maintain for the rest of the academic year. While space was immediately found for many residents, the institution remains in dire need of places to live while attending school, with many citing a preference for apartment living. 

Thankfully, the new Dickinson townhome and apartment complexes are hoping to fill this gap. Available details on the proposal suggest the following: 

• 46 three-bed townhouses.
• 45 apartments to include a mix of two, three, and four-bedroom offerings (320 beds in all).
• 240 total parking spaces.

At present, the developers acknowledge these new residences will only offer perhaps half what the original Dickinson dormitories did, but they are still much-needed. They also dismissed concerns to do with traffic, providing projections suggesting that the development should not affect its current state. 

What Will Completion Involve Once the Project is Approved?

Apartment and townhome living on a college campus calls for very similar trade, development, and construction as you might expect in a common residential area, with some variations that you don’t tend to get outside of the college experience. 

• Townhomes aim to have space for multiple student residents, with private, fully-functional kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms. 
• Apartments may feature communal spaces between individual spaces, with rooms enough for 2-4 residents per apartment as well as private kitchens and baths. 
• All residents, townhome, apartment or otherwise, will be expected to have modern, stylish features reflecting new-construction residences off-campus. 
• Residents will also expect access to facilities and offices belonging to residence hall staff for the purposes of maintenance requests and interpersonal issues with roommates. 
• In all locations, students will need sometimes private but often public, easily accessible laundry facilities.

More specifics should become available to the public once the City Council has voted and approved the current plans. 

Earlier this year, it was announced that JPMorgan & Chase would be taking on the single largest voluntary demolition in New York City’s history at its Park Avenue headquarters. At 52 stories and making up 1.5 million square feet, the lot on which the skyscraper’s remains stand will not stay empty for long. The plan, as proposed in recent months, is to build a new headquarters that stands even taller. Of course, there is still much to be done in dismantling a structure that owns its own piece of the sky. 

How Far Along is the Demolition? 

“Dismantle” is a key word in discussing this initial project. “Deconstruction” is another one, because while it’s easy to think of demolition in terms of explosives and other similar means—not tools that are easy to apply in what is the most crowded office district in the city. 

The project will take place in phases. By mid-summer demolition had reached the second stage, enclosure, and is steadily progressing. 

What Are the Plans for the New Headquarters?

JPMorgan & Chase’s new Park Avenue headquarters is still a distant vision that will not be realized until demolition is complete. As a result, details on the future structure are few, but they include that:

• The new building will come from designers Foster + Partners.
• It is projected to stretch from the previous 52 stories to 70, adding a whopping one million square feet to what existed on its original blueprint. 
• The expansive office spaces will also include a 10,000 square foot, privately-owned “public space” as well as improvements to local transit and pedestrian spaces. 
• The new building will house offices as well as upgrades to local transit terminals and the street around it.

This project is one of the first to take full advantage of local rezoning laws that came into place in 2017, which will allow the new headquarters to use higher square footage than was allowed previously. 

Curently in the design-development stage, the Belhaven Hotel to sit on the boardwalk on Rehoboth Beach will rise into place on the same spot at the famous Belhaven hotel stood until a storm destroyed it in the 1960’s. 

The current landowners, the Papajohn family, hope for it to be a modernization of the original. This is the third hotel proposed in the last year that is looking for a home in the lucrative area that locals hope will mean more competitive prices and a bigger boom in summer tourism at the beach. Citing concerns about environmental and weather hazards, the developers are working with the Rehoboth Board of Adjustment to establish multiple variances to the structure. 

What Do We Know About the Structure So Far? 

The famous saying may be “out with the old and in with the new,” but the Papajohn family wants to be sure that the classic vestiges of the property keep their sparkle in the space, so the highlights to be expected are a mixed bag of local favorites and modern improvements:

• Previous retailers and food establishments. Businesses once housed in the space currently occupying the property are invited to return to the ground floor of the new Belhaven, which will include a bar, a shop and at least two restaurants. These establishments include the Spice and Tea Exchange and the Candy Kitchen. 
• Four Floors of Rooms. The finished structure will be a full four stories, doubling the original’s size. The original proposal included 120 guest rooms but was reduced to 100 in the final blueprint to allow for additional square footage.
• Underground Parking Structure. The parking garage will serve two potential purposes: leaving more walking space on the street and boardwalk free of cars and providing a more solid foundation for the hotel to sit upon in this beachy environment.

Concerns have been cited regarding the height of the building, the potential for flooding in the parking area, and other parts of the design that might be too sensitive to survive the weather in the local environment. The variances that the developers are seeking hope to rectify those problems, including extra measures for flood prevention, embellishment heights, and more. 

Are There Any Unique Construction Considerations to be Taken?

For contractors who are accustomed to coastal locations, there is likely not going to be a lot that’s new about building a structure like this on the boardwalk. It will need the proper supports and foundation, and some further issues cited in the variances may come in that help to make the hotel more sound. As mentioned before, it will not be the only hotel coming up in the area, so any new considerations may quickly become familiar to workers in the region. 

What Will It Take to Complete This Project?

For contractors and developers on the project, this will not be a short process, from the very beginning.

• The original structure must be demolished, and the ground underneath needs to be reworked in preparation for the parking garage, with the required supports.
• The parking structure, whether single or multi-level, may wind up consuming much of the time allotted for finishing the project on deadline (still to be determined). It is projected to hold space enough for 100 cars, one for each room above.
• The hotel itself, with eating and retail establishments on the ground floor and guest rooms above, will also have an outdoor pool accessible from the second floor. 

The finished product hopes to manifest the grandeur of the original historical structure alongside its modern amenities, all of this just steps from the bustling boardwalk that a portion of the hotel will front. 

Early August, the state of New York signed on the dotted line to approve the proposed Belmont Arena project, which could construct a stadium and more, to be the new home for the New York Islanders hockey team. The franchise, without a home for nearly a decade, should have a permanent residence when the $1.3 billion project finishes up in 2021, much to the delight of locals and fans.

What Is Still to Come Before Ground Is Broken?

With state approval out of the way, it’s not quite time to break out the shovels and bulldozers. This is just the first, very important step, so as yet there is no definite start date. Future steps include:

• An environmental impact survey will hopefully put local worries to rest about how the project will affect the surrounding area as it’s being built and once it’s completed.
• The project needs approval by the Franchise Oversight Board.
• Any further objections and potential lawsuits will need to be addressed.

All of these will need to come to pass before a groundbreaking ceremony.

How Is the Belmont Arena Likely to Change the Area?

This new development will unfold over the 43 acres of vacant, government-owned Belmont Park. Behind the project are several groups: team owners New York Arena Partners,Oak View Group, and Sterling Project Development. The finished product is to include:

• The Arena. With the capacity for 19,000 people, this will be the new home of the New York Islanders. Where once they shared games between Barclays Center and the Coliseum, they will have an established place with room enough for all their fans during home games, at true home games. 
• The Hotel Space. Alongside a bustling arena, there will also be a projected 250-room hotel to house teams and visitors to the area. 
• The Commercial Space. The finished project will include 350,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, and parking space, helping to transform the area into a full entertainment complex further.

In all, the project is predicted to create around 3,500 jobs, according to developers, who also promise at least 30 percent of those will go to locals within a 4-mile radius.

There are few better ways to draw attention to your office than the knowledge that it’s above not just Macy’s but the Macy’s. The Herald Square location, while hardly the only Macy’s store in the New York metro area, is one of the largest department stores in the nation and also the flagship of the entire franchise, practically a landmark in its own right. Given its long history and the particular facade it cuts into the New York cityscape, people were surprised to hear CEO Jeff Gennette announce the intention to expand upward into a full skyscraper. It is another, familiar step in the multi-use direction that many a facet of the evolving metropolitan has begun to adopt. 

What is the Current Status of the Project?

At present, the project is still in its infancy, so the details on what’s to come are sparse but still encouraging to developers and commercial properties chomping at the bit for a prime headquarters location. A few of the highlights include:

• 1.2 million square feet of space that will become available for rent. 
• The current plan is to zone the floors of the skyscraper for commercial and office use. The potential for drawing revenue from the real estate aspect alone has been a key focus in recent discussions of the project. 
• The proposed office tower will bring in an estimated additional 6,000 people to the area, and some think it will be a hopeful boost to the Macy’s brand at a time when department stores are not doing so well financially. 
• The present hope is to have an outline thoroughly planned and approved by the end of 2019, and then bidding from designers and developers can begin. 

Can a Skyscraper Safely Be Built Atop the 118-Year-Old Department Store? 

There comes the question of whether or not it is safe or feasible to easily construct a skyscraper atop the historic Macy’s site, built in 1901. Will the scaffolding around the building be possible to construct? Will this force the store to close its doors during construction, and for how long? According to Jeffrey Roseman, vice chairman and co-founder of the commercial real estate firms Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, these are minimal worries, and he has nodded to similar undertakings with positive results. 

He particularly noted the One Vanderbilt project helmed by SL Green, which will soon complete a new, 1.7 million square-foot tower. It is being built in very close proximity to the midtown Grand Central Terminal, and is doing so very “uneventfully,” he says, with little or no issue in terms of construction and planning. It did, however, meet some backlash from the owners of the GST over development rights. 

People can see other places where projects around and atop historic landmarks are underway, and some have their own unique challenges to overcome. It was earlier reported that the historic Palace Theatre would be lifted 30 feet above its current, ground-level spot, as part of the Broadway TSX complex development. It is a wildly different endeavor than the one planned for Herald Square, but one cannot overlook the comparison, given the two buildings’ similar ages and historical significance. 

New Yorkers have yet to see what specific hurdles the Macy’s project will hold in its future for architects and tradespersons. Herald Square differs from the above two projects in at least two major aspects: The size of the Macy’s department store sits far above and beyond that of the Palace Theatre, and the skyscraper will not sit near Macy’s as One Vanderbilt does to Grand Central; it will be directly on top of Macy’s. Once ground breaks, it may be like nothing New York construction has seen.

It was announced earlier this year that Brookfield Developments would be helming a $400 million reworking of the Macy’s parking lot off of Northern Boulevard. The project, called Manhasset Square, will cover 16 acres of land and transform it into a multi-use property to feature housing, offices, and retail space. 

This project has generated some local concerns, as the North Hempstead area of Long Island has no apartments, dominated largely by single-family homes. Critics have asked how this would affect traffic and school routes. However, Brookfield Developments and the local government seem to be confident in the positive boosts the project hopes to bring to the area. 

How Would Housing at Manhasset Improve the Area? 

Supporters of the Manhasset Square project have seen and heard the concerns, but the positive, to them, far outweighs the potential drawbacks.

• Affordable, Manageable Housing. As the Island Now sees it, developments like Manhasset Square means rentals that local villagers can afford. Homeownership is a nearly impossible dream for many now, for a number of reasons, and there are many residents in the Long Island area who have no desire to leave the community they love but revile the expenses. Young people, the elderly, and empty-nesters may benefit from housing options that don’t include sizeable property taxes and more property than they would care to (or afford to) maintain. 
• Increased Area Revenue. With a hotel, dining, retail, and office spaces included in the mix and many bids already to fill them, this development promises an economic boost for the area in the form of new jobs and tax revenue, plus shopping opportunities within easy reach.

What Will It Take to Finish This Redevelopment?

As of May 2019, Brookfield Developments is still seeking the zoning rights for the property, which currently allows for retail, office, and hotel space, but not residential space. 

When this is secured and ground is broken, tradespeople can look forward to opportunities in building on:

• 355 luxury apartments. With predominantly studio and one-bedroom options, with some two and three-bedroom apartments as well, there are options for single and dual occupants as well as families. The specification of “luxury” implies not only the use of quality materials but also upgrades and amenities that will need to be accounted for in construction. 
• 200-unit boutique-style hotel. With no shortage of tourism opportunities in the New York metro area, there will always be a need for accommodations. “Boutique” here suggests high-end living with, again, amenities, and this could include unique selling points from spas to special classes for guests, all of which will need unique spaces.
• Office and Retail Spaces. With similar construction needs, these parts of Manhasset Square will afford people the opportunity to run all their errands within the area of Macy’s. There will be a similar demand for open floor space and storage, with some calling for unique architecture that conforms to a brand image. 
• Dining. Visitors can finish their shopping with a quick bite or an intimate meal, depending upon what goes in. Formal and casual restaurant spaces need places to put the customers but also kitchens unique to what will be found in residences. Specific franchises will likely opt in to many of the spaces, and each of them tends to have unique facilities to construct. 
• 2,271 parking spaces. New locations to visit means the roads to get there and the places to park. Presently, the intent is to construct parking both above and below ground, which in itself calls for special considerations a single-level parking structure would not need, including strong foundational support. 

With these, plus landscaping, wiring, plumbing, and other considerations across the board, there will be work to go around. For now, all there is left is to wait for all the signatures on the dotted line, and then Manhasset Square will be well on its way. 

In June of 2019, the Architecture Billings Index reported a negative in design deals as well as new project inquiries, the latter of which reached a decade low. This is concerning news following an earlier report in 2018 that stated a decline aside optimistic gains in job growth. The ABI, a reputable source in tracking economic growth for commercial and industrial developments, further reports that billings remain on the downturn in all regions save the south, which continues to see growth, up 1.9 points compared to the previous month’s growth. 

The news for firms in the New York metro area is far less positive, with the northeast region on a 3.9-point decrease from the previous month’s reporting. Sources report a generous backlog of projects, experts have expressed concern that a surplus may quickly whittle down to a deficit. While multiple causes may contribute to this disturbing trend, many are nodding to the pressures brought on by tariffs on China and other nations as only making the problem worse. 

What’s Going on with the Backlog?

In May, Associated Builders and Contractors Inc’s construction backlog indicator showed a near 9-month backlog of upcoming projects nationwide. That said, ABC’s Chief Economist Anirban Basu also indicated the following: 

• Rises in the cost of materials and labor were still present. 
• Declines in infrastructure-related jobs were reported as well, though he indicated this might be the result of a statistical anomaly. 
• Spending has continued and, he reports, should continue through several more quarters. 

The concern, however, is with the slow in new projects and proposals to add to the backlog, and how many of those new projects are coming to the state of New York. With multiple sources reporting declines since the turn of the year, what appears to be the trend in the national region holds true in the Big Apple and all the boroughs as well.