May 20, 2016
NoMad Real Estate News: The Noma, HGU New York
We are back with the latest in NoMad real estate, announcing two big new projects in the neighborhood.
The Noma Condominium
A brand new 24-story, 55-unit condominium is under development at 50 West 30th Street, along the Avenue of the Americas. Referencing its home neighborhood, the building is being branded as “The Noma,” and is right in the middle of the Flower District and Tin Pan Alley area, both of which are rich in history and beauty.
The building will offer primarily one and two-bedroom units from 696 square feet and up, many of which have unobstructed views of the Empire State Building. The building was designed by architect Daniel Kaplan of FXFowle Architects and features some exciting elements that trade on NoMad’s history. For one, the design had to accommodate an unusual angle of the building lot which derived from the boundary of a farm from the early days of agricultural Manhattan. There are also nods to the Flower District by way of an expansive 5th floor terrace filled with flowers and trees, along with a grill, benches and dining table. Other amenities include a communal wood-floored library and fitness center.
Sales are already underway for The Noma, and the building is set to open in 2018.
HGU New York Hotel
New York real estate company Alfa Development will open HGU, a hotel that will manifest the the vibe of the NoMad District with its historic architecture, eclectic design and art programming.
Alfa has invested $18 million to renovate the Gilded Age HGU building at 34 East 32nd Street between Park and Madison Avenues. Originally named the St. Louis Hotel when it opened in 1905, it was later named the Hotel Grand Union, from which the present name derives.
Designed by the architect Frederick C. Browne, who also designed the incredible Croisick Building at 26th and Fifth, the building was designated a city landmark in 2013. The Beaux-Arts exterior of the building is almost entirely in tact, the lobby will preserve its original details, and the lounge, which features a fireplace from the original building construction, is set to host private and cultural events.
Of course, a certain challenge arises in marrying beautiful old structures with modern amenities and design, so Peter Guzy of Asfour Guzy Architects and DD Allen of Pierce Allen Design were brought in to take on the project. “While the renovation brings new life to this landmark hotel, we are preserving the historic elements to what we believe the hotel would have offered, providing guests with an experience grounded in a century-long New York point of view,” says Michael Namer, CEO of Alfa Development.
The hotel has partnered with the downtown art gallery Gallery 151 to curate selections of contemporary art by a small group of artists that Namer has been supporting for years, including Evan Desmond Yee, Fab 5 Freddy, Justin Jay, Issac Aden and Arthur Cohen. You can learn more about their work here.
HGU New York will have a total of 90 rooms and is slated to open in June of this year. We welcome this quintessentially NoMad addition to our neighborhood – historic, cutting edge and creative.