The $100 million restoration of Park Avenue’s famous Lever House tower by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the iconic building’s original architects, has been completed. The project revitalized the tower for the 21st century while preserving the distinct architectural aesthetic the building has expressed since it was first completed in 1952. Lever House features a reimagined lobby, ground-level public plaza, modernized building systems, and a new indoor and outdoor hospitality suite called the Lever Club.

“This renovation brings Lever House into the 21st century,” Chris Cooper, a design partner at SOM, said. “With completely updated plaza and outdoor spaces, a fully restored lobby, and brand new mechanical systems throughout the building that improve its energy efficiency, we’ve modernized this midcentury icon to its original splendor, to make it, once again, Park Avenue’s premier boutique office building.”

SOM thoughtfully restored the building’s public and private spaces and installed key infrastructure upgrades, including a new energy-efficient dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) to improve Lever House’s energy performance. The architects worked closely with Integrated Conservation Resources to create a space that rejuvenates the landmarked building’s original appearance from 1952.

The lobby’s original terrazzo flooring has been restored, and a glass mosaic tile wall located in the elevator vestibule has been cleaned and repaired. The vestibule also features a new diffused lighting system that improves brightness while also being more energy-efficient.

SOM even located the original stone quarry for the building, using the stone to extend the original finishes past the lobby to the interiors of the elevator cabs and the new tenant’s cellar entrance. Marmol Radziner has furnished the lobby and tapped Ellsworth Kelly who has provided sculptures that are located throughout the entry space and into the ground floor plaza.

The property’s plaza has been replaced with durable cast-in-place concrete that matches the design of Lever House’s original exterior paving. One of the ceilings that experienced water damage has been replaced with a new, high-quality plaster, and the original stainless steel-clad columns that line the site have been refinished.

In addition, SOM collaborated with TM Light to replace the original lighting and illuminate the space with energy-efficient, long-lasting LED lights.

Landscape architecture firm Reed Hildebrand designed a new landscape program across the property, spanning from the plaza’s lobby-level planters to the third-floor terrace. Lever House’s landscaping has changed frequently over the decades and is now more unified under a birch tree canopy and a lush distribution of native plantings throughout.

The new hospitality suite, the Lever Club, takes up the entire third floor and has 15,000 square feet of outdoor terrace space. The club will feature a central bar area with lounge and cafe seating surrounding it, as well as a dining room and conference rooms for private events. Tenants will be able to enjoy meals and snacks on the go during workday hours.

Seen as a pioneering feat of architecture upon its completion in 1952, Lever House was one of the first buildings in the United States to feature a glass curtain wall facade. Its design served as a benchmark for modern skyscraper construction in the decades that followed.

The structure’s facade and slim tower allow for sunlight to reach all of its floors, and its podium sits atop stainless steel columns, allowing for expansive public space on ground level. Lever House is one of only 50 buildings in the world to receive a Twenty-five Year Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Lever House was one of the first, and most recent, modern buildings to be designated a New York City Landmark in 1982. The city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) decided to add the building to its register due to concerns that it could potentially be replaced with a larger skyscraper, according to The Architect’s Newspaper. The LPC approved the most recent renovation project in July 2021.

The building underwent its first major renovation in 2001 when its glass facade was restored.

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The impressive amenities at Dumbo’s latest luxury tower are now complete and new photos provide a first look at the stunning spaces. Olympia Dumbo, the neighborhood’s tallest and most expensive residential building, offers 38,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities spread across three floors, including New York City’s highest private outdoor tennis court, indoor and outdoor pools, and a playroom, shipwreck-themed playground, and waterpark for kids.

Developed by Fortis Property Group and designed by Hill West Architects, Olympia Dumbo contains a total of 76 one- to five-bedroom residences and penthouses designed by Workstead. While the building’s unique sail-shaped and its meticulously designed residences are a sight to behold, Olympia’s amenities suite is on another level.

The amenity package takes up three floors: The Garden, The Bridge, and The Club. The club, located on the building’s lower level, is centered on fun and fitness. Here you’ll find a game lounge, bar, bowling alley, fitness center, spin studio, boxing gym, and a maritime-themed children’s playroom.

Masterfully crafted by Workstead, the garden is located on the ground floor and is where the “heights of Olympia come down to Earth,” according to the building’s website.

Featuring Workstead’s signature use of sculptural details etched into stone and wood, the entrance includes the building’s triple-height lobby and an elevated garden lounge that overlooks a private garden.

The bridge is located on the 10th floor and offers indoor and outdoor amenities centered around recreation and relaxation. Features include both an indoor and outdoor pool, a treatment room, a dry sauna, a steam room, a juice bar, a landscaped park, cabanas, barbecue areas, a shipwreck-themed children’s playground, and the city’s highest private tennis court that overlooks the Brooklyn Bridge.

Olympia Dumbo is shaped like a sail, with the building’s mass receding as it rises. This allows for no more than six units per floor and a pair of full-floor penthouses at the top of the building. Many of the residences feature ceiling heights as tall as 18 feet, wide plank flooring, private terraces, and outdoor spaces.

The building has broken several real estate records for the highly sought-after Brooklyn neighborhood, appearing as the top condo contract in the weekly Brooklyn luxury reports 27 times since 2022, including six times at the number one spot. Olympia has appeared in the list of the top 20 sponsor sales more than any other building in the borough’s history, according to the building’s public relations team.

Sales launched at the tower in October 2021. More than half of the building’s residences have already been sold, recently welcoming high-profile residents including Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons.

In January, a penthouse in the Olympia sold for $17,500,000 making it the neighborhood’s priciest sale on record. The four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom penthouse on the 33rd floor boasts a nearly 500-square-foot terrace facing the East River.

Current availabilities at Olympia Dumbo start at $1,995,000, according to CityRealty.

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New images and details for a high-rise condominium on the Upper East Side were released last week. Developed by Elad Group, the 32-story building at 201 East 74th Street, going by The 74, will be home to 42 two- to five-bedroom apartments. Not only making a statement in the neighborhood for its height, the tower also stands out for its design, which includes squeezing in next to, and cantilevering over, a 110-year-old walk-up apartment building.

Designed by Pelli Clarke & Partners, The 74 includes a six-story podium on Third Avenue with the the tower rising 31 stories above it, cantilevering to the north and south. The design is a nod to the city’s Art Deco gems like the Chrysler Building and Rockefeller Center, with a modern twist evident in its slender frame and terracotta facade.

The facade’s terracotta is brighter than the deeper shades seen in those NYC landmarks. The “pleated design” changes with natural light throughout the day and the seasons while also acting as a rain screen that reduces heating and cooling needs, making the building more sustainable.

The development features 42 residences, ranging from half floor two- and three-bedrooms to full floor four- and five-bedrooms, including a free-standing townhouse and a duplex penthouse.

The penthouse set backs create a zig-zag shape that play beautifully with the natural light and allows for views that are truly unique to the area. Residences and amenity spaces were conceived by AD100 designer Rafael de Cárdenas.

Amenities include an entertainment suite with a catering kitchen and video-conferencing room, a rooftop terrace, a fitness center, a children’s playroom with a Pilates studio, and a lobby lounge overlooking a private garden, according to Yimby.

“We are thrilled to unveil The 74, a boutique building that marks a new era of luxury living in Manhattan’s Upper East Side,” Orly Daniell, President of Elad Group, said. “With its prime location, exquisite design, and an array of curated amenities, The 74 presents a unique opportunity for discerning buyers seeking not just a residence, but a lifestyle that reflects the best of Upper East Side living.”

The development site was originally owned by Premier Equities, which revealed plans to build a high-rise condo tower with Thor Equities in January 2017 after purchasing the final piece of land for the building for $26 million, according to The Real Deal.

After the plans failed to move forward, the property was sold to Elad Group in April 2022 for $61 million, according to Yimby.

Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group is managing sales and marketing for The 74. Available apartments will start at $2.975 for two bedrooms, $4.8 million for three bedrooms, and $12.5 million for full-floor residences.

The 74 is slated for completion in the summer of 2025.

The building’s height is unusually tall for the neighborhood and has been controversial for UES locals. In particular, urban planner George Janes told Patch last year that the project was “illegal,” for violating a zoning code. The development’s base on East 74th Street will be 14-feet tall, instead of 60 feet, as is required.

The one-story entrance is being constructed within the rear yards of five-story tenements that lie on the block’s southern corner which currently houses restaurants JG Melon and Mezzaluna. The DOB ultimately rejected Janes’ challenge, stating that the 14-foot entrance was legal because the tenements are filed as separate projects.

The 74 is not the only new development on this block. On the other side of the 20th-century four-story apartment building at 1295 Third Avenue, which has remained due to zoning rules and rent stabilization protections, a new 18-story building at 200 East 75th Street is being constructed. Designed by Beyer Blinder Belle and developed by ESJ Development, the 214-foot structure will include 36 luxury apartments.

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Construction has begun on an all-electric residential building in Downtown Brooklyn that includes 324 apartments and academic space for Long Island University. RXR on Monday broke ground on the 30-story tower at 89 Dekalb Avenue, which is set to be one of the developer’s most sustainable projects as the building is fully electric, features a smart glass facade system, and has electric vehicle charging stations.

“Residential projects such as 89 Dekalb are desperately needed — not only to meet the housing needs of our community but to also set a new standard that positions our borough and city at the forefront of sustainable development,” Regina Myer, president of Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, said.

“With housing that will be affordable to middle-income families and dedicated space for Long Island University, all located in a fully electric tower, 89 Dekalb will help support the households and workforce that enable our neighborhood to thrive. We are excited to welcome this innovative project to the neighborhood.”

Designed by Perkins Eastman, 89 Dekalb includes 55,000 square feet of academic and office space for use by LIU, with an additional three levels with separate entrances for the university to expand further. The residential component consists of 324 apartments, 98 of which will be affordable for middle-income households.

Residents will have access to nearly 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities, including co-working areas, an indoor and outdoor covered fitness center, and outdoor terrace space.

The project marks the second time RXR has helped LIU expand its campus. In 2020, RXR provided a new athletic field and around 18,000 square feet of flex space for the college at the Willoughby, just around the corner from 89 Dekalb Avenue.

“We are thrilled to break ground today on our fourth residential building in the Brooklyn market and celebrate a strong long-standing partnership with Long Island University, demonstrating how such a partnership can unlock long-term value for educational institutions and deliver high-quality development for stakeholder communities,” Rebecca D’Eloia, Executive Vice President, Project Executive for Development at RXR, said.

“In the months ahead, we will develop a building that will be both a world-class, fully amenitized residence for Brooklyn’s growing community and a critical expansion for LIU. As a fully electric mixed-use building, 89 Dekalb will be prepared to meet the needs of residents, and the surrounding neighborhood, today.”

89 Dekalb Avenue marks RXR’s fourth building in Brooklyn and one of the first to be fully electric-powered. When it is completed, it will bring the total number of new housing units created by RXR in Brooklyn to roughly 1,500.

The project is expected to be completed by 2025.

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A sprawling light installation coming to the site of a proposed casino in Midtown East is opening next month. Designed by Bruce Munro, Field of Light at Freedom Plaza includes 17,000 low-light, fiber-optic stemmed spheres that change hues and create a dreamlike landscape across six acres near the United Nations headquarters. Free tickets are now available to book to visit the installation, which officially debuts December 15. The display is financed by the Soloviev Group, which owns the vacant land and is looking to build a mixed-use development called Freedom Plaza, anchored by a casino.

“Field of Light at Freedom Plaza stands for boundless imagination and the freedom to dream. It is my hope that it warms hearts and inspires both young and old to take from it and create something of their own to pass on to others,” Munro said.

The Soloviev Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Sololiev Group, is spending roughly $1.5 million to finance the light installation and maintain it, according to the New York Times. Michael Hershman, CEO of the Soloviev Group, told the Times that the installation is a “gift to New York.”

“New York City has always been and continues to be a global epicenter of freedom and the creative spirit,” Hershman said. “We are thrilled to share this transformative experience with our community and the world.”

The Soloviev Group is one of many developers contending for three casino licenses up for grabs in the New York City area, as 6sqft previously reported. Earlier this year, the developer unveiled its proposal to build Freedom Plaza, a 1,200-room hotel, two residential towers with condo and rental units, more than four acres of public green space, and a human rights museum that will display slabs from the Berlin Wall.

Freedom Plaza would be anchored by a partially subterranean casino operated by Mohegan. The initial proposal also included plans to construct a giant Ferris wheel on the site, but that idea has been abandoned.

To make its proposal even more appealing, Soloviev Group last month announced the project would be designed by renowned architects at Bjarke Ingels Group and include more than 500 permanently affordable apartments. As 6sqft reported, the two high-rise apartment towers would share a podium and include 1,325 total homes, including 513 studio to three-bedroom apartments priced below the market rate.

Field of Light will be on view for 12 months and will be open from Thursdays through Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The installation’s December dates are already sold out, so reserve tickets for January here while you still can.

Editor’s Note 11/2/23: The original version of this article was published on September 21, 2023, and has since been updated with information on the installation’s opening.

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The Whitney Museum of American Art and Village Preservation on Thursday unveiled a historic plaque at the Greenwich Village home and studio of the renowned artist Roy Lichtenstein. Lichtenstein lived and worked at the 11,000-square-foot building at 741-745 Washington Street from 1988 until his passing in 1997. The building, constructed in 1912 as a metalworking shop, has officially reopened after receiving a full renovation by Los Angeles-based architects Johnston Marklee. The building now serves as the first permanent home for the museum’s Independent Study Program (ISP), which supports future artists and scholars.

In the years since Lichtenstein’s passing, the property has been used by the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation for a variety of purposes, including the preparation of archives and the creation of the artist’s catalogue raisonné. In 2022, the Foundation donated the building to the Whitney Museum of Art, which had a close relationship with the artist since the museum first presented his work in 1965.

For 55 years, the ISP has supported the growth of artists, critics, and scholars and provided them with space, instruction, and support to fully devote themselves to their craft. The Washington Street property will be the program’s first permanent home. The space will go on to train the next generation of world-class artists.

“This project is so important to me and to the Whitney, as it truly sits at the heart of our mission to support American art and artists in innovative ways,” Adam D. Weinberg, the Alice Pratt Brown Director of the Whitney Museum, said. 

“The original Whitney was the studio of our founder Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, where she held salons and conversations and gatherings of artists. The ISP is a continuation of Gertrude’s tradition, and to have its first permanent home be in the same space where an iconic American artist questioned hierarchies and worked to evaluate, understand, and critique pop culture, is just perfect.”

The renovation project was approved by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2022 and retained many of its historical elements, including a chandelier in the central stairway, ornamental metal designs, and Lichtenstein’s distinct rail system that he used to hang his oversized paintings to dry.

What was Lichtenstein’s former office will serve as the seminar room for the ISP, while his former living quarters on the second floor have been turned into space for meetings and research, according to the New York Times. Extra space has been added on the third floor that will serve as living space for an artist-in-residence.

The ground floor studio has been divided into 15 individual studios; amenities such as lounges and dining areas have also been added.

The Greenwich Village building was Lichtenstein’s “dream studio,” Dorothy Lichtenstein told the Times. “It was the largest studio he ever had,” and was so big that he and Dorothy were once able to jog in it before it was subdivided into smaller sections.

“This is the most wonderful way to celebrate Roy’s legacy,” Dorothy Lichtenstein said. “The ISP is such an extraordinary organization, and I am so proud to support it in any way possible. I am so pleased with the sensitive way the architects designed this space, which is so important to me, and was so important to Roy. It was his favorite studio, and I know he would be very happy.”

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New Yorkers can now access a waterfall in Prospect Park without having to hop a fence for the first time in decades. The Prospect Park Alliance on Thursday opened Fallkill Trail, a new woodland pathway leading to the scenic Fallkill Waterfall that has been behind fencing since 1995. The new trail was created by staff and volunteers from Prospect Park Alliance who worked to remove invasive plants, plant native species, haul logs, grade paths, and form the trail.

Fallkill Falls closed to the public in the mid-1990s as part of an initiative to restore Prospect Park’s woodlands which had experienced years of deterioration due to a lack of funding to the city’s Parks Department in the 1970s and 80s, according to the New York Times.

From the mid-1990s to 2004, an abundance of trees, shrubs, and plants were added to the area, and the space around the waterfall was fenced in to ensure that the new plantings had time to settle. The first iteration of the fence measured eight feet tall but was cut in half to allow visitors better views of the falls.

For years, park visitors have frequented the Fallkill area by jumping over fencing that surrounded the area. These actions have resulted in trampled woodlands, graffiti, and litter. The Alliance hopes that by officially opening the area to the public, the trail can be more accessible and encourage visitors to carry out their litter instead of leaving it.

“We have monitored how people are engaging with the park and we adapt our uses to meet them where they are. This new trail will invite visitors to explore a previously fenced area of the park and enjoy the beautifully restored landscape,” Morgan Monaco, President of Prospect Park Alliance, said.

“The park’s natural areas are a true respite for New Yorkers and the long-term health of our natural areas requires us to be champions and strong stewards of the park and I urge all who come to experience the park’s woodlands to stay on the designated trails, carry out all trash that you bring in, and always keep dogs on-leash to protect these delicate habitats.”

Last November, workers began cutting fallen trees, removing invasive species, and figuring out which plants would be best introduced to the area. They then planted native woodland herbaceous seeds and marked the path.

The logs that have been cut from the fallen trees will line the path, and once they begin to degrade, will further feed the ecosystem. Steps and swales have also been added along the path to help with erosion.

The Alliance plans to extend the path over a ridge and down to some nearby baseball fields over the next couple of years.

While the trail is now officially open, the waterfall won’t be able to be seen in the near future. The waterfall is man-made and has been turned off to prevent Prospect Park Lake from flooding, according to the New York Times. The lake’s water level is still high due to September’s heavy rain and it is unclear when it will be turned back on.

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It’s BIG’s biggest yet. Bjarke Ingels Group on Tuesday announced the completion of The Spiral, a 66-story office tower in Hudson Yards. The skyscraper at 66 Hudson Boulevard measures 2.8 million square feet and rises just over 1,031 feet tall, making it the architecture firm’s first completed supertall. In addition to its soaring height, The Spiral stands out for its series of cascading terraces that wrap around the building, “like a 1,000-foot-tall vine at the scale of the city’s skyline,” as the architect described.

Developed by Tishman Speyer and designed by BIG in collaboration with Adamson Associates, The Spiral takes up a full block on Hudson Boulevard between West 34th and West 35th Streets.

From street level, the tower’s glass facade provides passersby a glimpse of the building’s bright lobby, which features artwork by Dutch studio DRIFT and foliage. The lobby incorporates seven different metals as a nod to the neighborhood’s industrial heritage and includes floor panels designed to resemble the concrete planks of the adjacent High Line.

The design takes inspiration from the elevated park, extending the greenery of the public space to the skyline.

“The Spiral punctuates the northern end of the High Line, and the linear park appears to carry through into the tower, forming an ascending ribbon of lively green spaces, extending the High Line to the skyline,” Ingels, founder and creative director of BIG, said.

“The string of terraces wrapping around the building expands the daily life of the tenants to the outside air and light. As the trees and grasses, flowers and vines have taken root over the last two summers, The Spiral is slowly becoming an ascending ribbon of green wrapping around the entire silhouette of the tower – like a 1,000-foot-tall vine at the scale of the city’s skyline.”

Shrinking in volume as it rises, The Spiral combines the classic setbacks of Manhattan skyscrapers with the efficient and sustainable materials of modern towers. Indoor-outdoor workspaces are made possible through atriums that are connected to terraces on every floor.

The landscaped terraces and hanging gardens wind around the tower in a spiraling motion to create a “continuous green ribbon” around the facade of the building. The building offers roughly 13,000 square feet of outdoor space planted with resilient greenery. Each side of the building has different plants, depending on sun orientation and endurance against high-velocity winds.

According to the architects, a landscape of this size has never been installed at or above 300 feet elevation in New York City.

“The Spiral pioneers a new landscape typology by bringing gardens to a high rise. Its continuous cascade of greenery from one level to another provides office spaces with a new vertical dimension of social and biophilic connectivity,” Giulia Frittoli, partner at BIG, said in a press release.

“Designed to strengthen collaboration and well-being, each terrace hosts plantings specific to the varying daylight, winds and temperatures at every floor of the tower. These gardens will welcome neighboring birds, bees and butterflies to expand New York’s biodiversity to the city skyline”

On the very top floor of the building is ZO Clubhouse, a gathering place with an open-air terrace, a private lounge, grab-and-go food and beverage options, and event space, all with sweeping city views.

As 6sqft reported earlier this year, The Spiral will also be home to two new dining concepts by Gabriel Kreuther, who will operate a full-service restaurant and an all-day cafe serving breakfast and lunch. A new Peruvian-Japanese restaurant from the owners of Llama San and Llama Inn will open on the tower’s 10th Avenue side.

The Spiral is up to 75 percent leased. Tenants include Pfizer, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, HSBC, Baker Tilly, AllianceBernstein, ProShares, Marshall Wace, Turner Construction, and Debevoise & Plimpton.

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Another residential development has opened in Mott Haven. RXR last week opened Maven, a new 27-story rental tower located on the South Bronx waterfront. Located at 2413 Third Avenue, the 145,643-square-foot building is the developer’s first project in the Bronx. Designed by CetraRuddy, the tower contains a total of 200 rental units, 60 of which are affordable for middle-income households.

Maven is the first development in the Bronx from RXR. The firm has developed rental projects across the city, including 475 Clermont in Clinton Hill, 555 Tenth Avenue in Midtown West, Magnolia Dumbo, and The Willoughby in Downtown Brooklyn.

“Several years ago, after a critical rezoning, RXR saw a major opportunity to bring high-quality amenitized housing to the Mott Haven neighborhood, which has seen tremendous investment recently,” Joseph Graziose, Jr., Executive Vice President of Development Services at RXR, said.

“In keeping up with our philosophy ‘doing good and doing well means doing better,’ we’ve forged key relationships with local community non-profits and are extremely proud to continue supporting the crucial initiatives these organizations are moving forward.”

Maven includes a gallery space on the ground floor, a fitness center, a flexible common area, and electric vehicle charging stations. Residents also have access to a lounge with a chef’s kitchen, banquet seating, a yoga room, a game room with a pool table and large television screens, a media screening room with seating and a projector, and a spacious landscaped roof deck with gas grills, dining areas, and a lounge. The property is also pet-friendly.

The building offers a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, all of which feature stainless steel appliances, white oak flooring, matte black iron fixtures, glass and tile shower enclosures, built-in closets, and subway tiling, according to a press release.

The development also features 81 enclosed parking spaces, 721 square feet of retail space for local businesses, and a lobby art gallery with work created by renowned local and internationally known artists.

The gallery currently features a large-scale, one-of-a-kind group piece created by local Bronx graffiti artists Cope 2 and CRASH, as well as world-famous contemporary urban artists Mr. Brainwash, WRDSMITH, Bollee Patino, Fat Cap Sprays, Plastic Jesus, PhoebeNewYork, and Jimmy Paintz.

Plans for Maven were filed in April 2020, according to the Real Deal. RXR purchased the property from Somerset Partners earlier that year for approximately $23.7 million, which at the time was home to a five-story warehouse. The developer broke ground on the project in October 2021.

Mott Haven’s rise as one of the five boroughs’ most developed areas was influenced by a series of zoning changes made under Mayors Rudy Giuliani, Michael Bloomberg, and Bill de Blasio starting in the late 1990s. Since the rezoning, the neighborhood has seen the rise of many new developments, including the seven-tower Bankside complex, the Arches, and Bronx Point, home to the country’s first permanent hip-hop museum.

During the development of Maven, RXR made investments in the surrounding neighborhood, including the hiring of local residents. In May 2022, RXR worked with East Side House Settlement (ESH) to host a “Clothing for Careers” distribution event that gave out high-quality, business-casual clothing to more than 200 Bronx residents who were unable to afford it otherwise.

RXR also donated $100,000 towards the creation of ESH’s commercial teaching kitchen, which will allow the non-profit organization to greatly expand its food security program throughout the South Bronx. To further improve food security in the area, RXR has partnered with Grassroots Grocery to provide more than 1,100 prepared sandwiches to local community fridges in the South Bronx.

“More residents are looking for buildings that exemplify the best in standard of living but also honor the neighborhoods they’re in, and the Bronx is no exception. The borough has long been a vibrant melting pot of creative expressions, a quality embedded into Maven’s very fabric,” Jarrod Whitaker, Senior Vice President of Residential Operations at RXR, said.

A housing lottery for the 60 rent-stabilized units opened in August, with New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income eligible to apply. The rental units were priced at $2,700/month for one-bedrooms, $3,235/month for two-bedrooms, and $3,500/month for three-bedrooms. The deadline to apply for an apartment is October 24.

Leasing for the market-rate apartments at Maven launched in September, with current availabilities starting at $2,987/month for a one-bedroom.

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The post RXR opens 27-story South Bronx rental with 200 apartments first appeared on 6sqft.

After years of deterioration, Richard Haas‘ iconic mural on the outside of a building in Soho will be restored. Painted in 1975, the five-story-high mural depicts a faux cast-iron facade painted to look like a continuation of the late 19th-century building at 112 Prince Street. Natural elements, time, and graffiti have made the mural unrecognizable, with the artwork almost completely faded. Work to bring the mural back to life began this week, with the project expected to be completed in November.

The original mural was commissioned in 1974 by Doris Freedman, the director of the public art organization City Walls, and completed the following year. Haas accurately repeated the design of the cast iron facade of 112 Prince Street, designed in 1889 by Peter Berger, to the unadorned brick wall. The artist incorporated two pre-existing windows and added a sleeping cat painted into another window as part of the mural.

In 1976, New York Times architectural critic Ada Louise Huxtable called the finished result a “trompe l’oeil triumph.” Not only is the mural significant as a marker of Soho’s legacy as a neighborhood for artists but also as Haas’s first outdoor mural, leading to his career as a famed large-scale outdoor muralist.

The mural has only been restored once before, five years after its completion. Now for the first time in 40 years, the work will be restored by muralist Robin Alcantara and a team of painters recommended by Tsipi Ben-Haim, the founder of public art nonprofit CITYarts, which has worked to restore the mural since 2015. Haas has provided “leadership and creative direction,” according to a press release.

A campaign to refurbish Haas’ work began eight years ago after an article in the Times said the mural was “dying a slow and painfully public death” and looked like a “battleground where graffiti vandals and natural entropy vie to see which can inflict the most insult.” After the co-op building said it could not afford the restoration, Haas helped organize a fundraising effort to save his work, jumpstarted by a donation from developer David Walentas.

The artist and his wife, Katherine Sokolnikoff, selected CITYarts, Inc. to oversee the project and secure enough funding from other groups, including the Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Silverweed Foundation, and Agnes Fund, among other private donors.

The pandemic temporarily halted the project, but new owners of the co-op building worked with Haas to move it forward, which included approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

As reported by the Times, each floor will take four gallons of water-based paint, the same Haas used in the 1970s, for a total of 55 faux windows. The restored mural will look almost the same as the original, with two new additions: a dog and a cat who both currently live in the building.

Repainting began last week and is expected to be completed in November, weather permitting.

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