Hotel To Be Built Near Hell's Kitchen Despite City Ban: Reports

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — A huge hotel tower is reportedly set to rise near Hell's Kitchen, as the developer Extell aims to skirt a new city rule limiting the construction of new hotels.

The 1,350-room, 541,000-square-foot hotel will be built on Eighth Avenue and West 46th Street, according to The Real Deal, which first reported on the development. It is part of a nearly full-block site that Extell has spent years piecing together before starting construction.

Earlier this month, the company received permission from the city to move forward with the plan, The Real Deal reported — despite a major restriction on hotel development that passed the City Council in December.

Backed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, the controversial plan requires the City Planning Commission to sign off on any new hotel proposed for anywhere in the city, regardless of zoning — with a few exceptions. It was supported by a major hotel workers' union, but opponents warned it could stifle tourism and hinder New York's pandemic recovery.

Exceptions to the new rule include the so-called Theater Subdistrict, which includes the Eighth Avenue site, and where hotels will still be allowed on mostly-vacant lots. This specific project was also "grandfathered" into the rule because Extell was already far along into planning the new tower, a company spokesperson told The Real Deal.

A spokesperson for the city's Department of Buildings said permits have only been issued for the building's foundation, while an application for the tower itself has not yet been approved.

Hotels and short-term rental apartments in Midtown have long had an uneasy relationship with their residential neighbors. Particular ire has been focused on Airbnb, as critics say the company has gobbled up the neighborhood's limited housing stock, driving up rents for full-time residents.