A Block Laid Bare

January 20, 2015 Construction, Real Estate

NW tribeca block map Ponte Equities demolitionIf you’re one of those folks who fondly remember when there were big open spaces in Tribeca and Battery Park City, there’s a hell of a silver lining headed your way. The block in northwest Tribeca bordered by Desbrosses, Washington, Vestry, and West is about to be almost entirely torn down. We’ve known it was coming, but still.

264 West, at the corner of Vestry and West, was torn down back in July. But a walk around the block shows that the wrecking ball is coming right now for all but two of the buildings in that entire block—426 Washington (which may or may not be next) and 428-430 Washington (under separate ownership); they’re pictured above.

Here’s what’s on the hit list. The plans has been that two buildings would go up in the soon-to-be open space; one is a 13-story building from Related Companies, while the other is a 9-story Ponte Equities building, presumably rentals. My hunch is still that the Related building, which fronts West Street, will have an entrance on Washington.

266 West

266 West••••••••••••••••••••

268 West

268 West••••••••••••••••••••

270 West

270 West••••••••••••••••••••

35-37 Desbrosses

35 Desbrosses••••••••••••••••••••

39 Desbrosses

39 Desbrosses••••••••••••••••••••

31 Desbrosses

31 Desbrosses••••••••••••••••••••

440 Washington

440 Washington 440 Washington inside••••••••••••••••••••

432 Washington

432 Washington

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1 Comment

  1. Ken Sacharin
    January 20, 2015 • 4:50 pm

    31 Desbrosses Street
    One of 31 Desbrosses Street’s tenants was the Pertussin cough syrup company. “Coughers, why be an outcast! Here’s relief! Do friends shun you? Fail to invite you to social gatherings? Are you glared at in public places because of your frequent coughing, so annoying to others?” (1939 ad)

    270 West Street
    On April 24, 1865 Abraham Lincoln’s body arrived in New York via a ferry from New Jersey to Desbrosses Street. After assassination, Lincoln’s body was brought to New York City. The ferry that brought the funeral rail car from Jersey City to downtown New York landed here. An enormous procession viewed by thousands wound its way from the ferry landing at Desbrosses Street (at West Street) to City Hall. When Lincoln’s body was removed from New York City, a procession moved from City Hall to a train depot at 30th Street and Tenth Avenue. There, Lincoln’s body was loaded onto a train to continue his journey home to Illinois.

    268 West Street
    Location of one of the Biggest Telephone Poles. In 1887, the sidewalk in front of this address was the location of one of New York City’s biggest-ever telephone poles. What street lamp-poles dream of becoming when they grow up. 90-foot telephone poles were bisected with 30 double crossarms and strung with 300 separate wires. In 1888, so many of the city’s telephone wires came down in the great March blizzard that New York City required wires to be buried from then on.

    ken sacharin
    “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re in colloidal suspension”