Skyscraper Proposed For Long-Vacant Hell's Kitchen Lot: See It

HELL'S KITCHEN, NY — A skyscraper, two hotels and a street-level promenade could be built on a lot near the Javits Center that is being redeveloped after sitting empty for years, according to a newly unveiled proposal — though it includes no housing, contrary to neighbors' wishes.

The full-block, 1.2-acre lot sits on 11th Avenue between 35th and 36th streets. Also known as Site K, it is directly across the street from the Javits Center.

In March, the state announced it was seeking proposals to build on the site, which it called "one of the last remaining vacant parcels on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan."

The new proposal, developed by The Peebles Corporation, was revealed Wednesday ahead of the group's presentation Thursday to Empire State Development Corporation — the state entity that will ultimately select a winning project for the site. Its centerpiece is a 1,500-foot-tall skyscraper by David Adjaye, the Ghanaian-British architect known for designing the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. and the new Studio Museum building in Harlem.

The entire development team is majority-Black, including Peebles' leadership. The construction firm, the McKissack Group, is the oldest minority/women-owned design and construction company in the U.S.

In addition to the skyscraper, the project will include a new headquarters for the mid-Manhattan branch of the NAACP, two hotels, an observation deck and a skating rink, as well as commercial office space, the developers say.

The development materials make no mention of residential units, however — an omission that could run up against the preferences of Community Board 4, which has asked for affordable housing to be built there. The state acknowledged that request when it issued the RFP in March.

"This project is emblematic of true equity in development," said Don Peebles, CEO of The Peebles Corporation, in a statement. "A symbol for all who visit New York, cementing in brick and mortar that New York is serious about economic inclusion."

The project would create more than 15,000 permanent jobs, and 35 percent of construction contracts would be given to people of color, developers said. It has "attracted citywide support from the African-American business and civic communities," according to backers.

The state has said that proposed developments for Site K could be entirely commercial, or a mix of commercial and residential.

Have a Midtown/Hell's Kitchen news tip? Email reporter Nick Garber at nick.garber@patch.com.

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