A New York Times investigation has revealed evidence of a development company repeatedly misleading the New York City Department of Buildings.
Matthew Haag reports for The New York Times on the curious case of the hotel on 11th Avenue in Hudson Yards. “At 642 feet tall, the building soars above the Hudson River, featuring jagged sets of floor-to-ceiling windows that shimmer in the sun,” writes Haag.
Here’s the catch: the architect of record on the project, Warren L. Schiffman, is on the record saying he had no role in designing the project. The same is true for other projects from the same developer, Marx Development Group: a hotel near La Guardia Airport (complete) and dual high-rise residences in Queens (still seeking approval), reports Haag.
New York state law requires buildings approved for construction to involve the oversight and involvement of a registered architect “to ensure that buildings are properly designed and do not pose a safety risk,” according to Haag.
So how’d the Hudson Yards hotel, currently under construction, get the permits necessary to build? “Officials at the city’s Department of Buildings said they did not find any structural defects in the plans for the Hudson Yards hotel, which is still under construction. Department records show that it reviewed the plans five times between 2018 and 2020, when they were ultimately approved,” according to Haag.
The department has since barred Schiffman from filing building plans, but more details on the fallout from the scandal are included in the source article below.
FULL STORY: The Hotel Is 642 Feet Tall. Its ‘Architect’ Says He Never Saw the Plans.
Suicides Prompt New Public Access Rules for the Vessel at Manhattan's Hudson Yards
The Vessel is reopening after closing for four months due to a rash of suicides.
Vote for New York City's 'Building of the Year'
New York is still a place of bold architecture.
New York's Newest Neighborhood Also the Most Expensive
Hudson Yards, which opened to the public within the past year, is the most expensive neighborhood in all of New York City, according to a new report.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.
Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.
Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service