May 18, 2020
Construction Still Moves Ahead in NoMad — Pointing to a Promising Future
After months of waiting at home and doing our part to flatten the curve, it is heartening to anticipate NoMad’s slow but steady reopening. Little could anyone have guessed how exciting it would be to see scaffolding appear, floors added, and curtain wall completed in the neighborhood — a clear symbol that life will restart in the coming weeks and months.
Not one, but several projects are in the works. Many have even called this time a construction boom for NoMad, with a host of commercial buildings and hotels springing up despite the odds.
The 23-story office building at 1245 Broadway being developed by GDSNY and Swedish firm Klovern is still underway and on track to be completed by the end of the year. Only a few feet away is the glass-bedecked 39-story Virgin Hotel — which was reaching its final stages in February — complete with outdoor terraces, conference rooms, a fitness center, and an outdoor pool and lounge area, as well as a number of upscale bars and restaurants on its lower level. As aptly described by manager Sir Richard Branson, the hotel will be a “beautiful and irresistible” place for visitors “to play, eat, work, mingle, and yes, even to sleep.”
Renovation work led by Flaneur Hospitality at the Fifth Avenue Hotel is also moving forward and will open later this year. Details of the plans have elicited excitement for the two rooftop bars, well-stocked new wine cellar, and 5,000-square-foot ballroom that will be housed in an adjoining century-old converted bank building.
Meanwhile, excavation is still in progress for another highly anticipated project: Bjarke Ingels Group’s Strata Tower. Located next to the Marble Collegiate Church on 29th Street, the office building is being developed by HFZ Capital Group and will be one of the tallest buildings in Midtown (aside from the Empire State Building) at nearly 551 feet.
Each new structure that joins the New York City skyline kindles the hope for a future that is as safe as possible, while still being rich with the vibrancy, creativity, and growth that NoMad is known for.