The Post got the story and the renderings: there is finally progress on the square-block lot at Canal and Varick (and Sixth and Grand), which has been in the hands of the developers Taconic Investment Partners and its investment partner Nuveen Real Estate for nearly five years. The lot is owned by Trinity Church (as is most of Hudson Square, or was) and The Post says the plans now are for a 28-story office tower.

I’ve always called the site 2 Hudson Square. The developers are calling it One Grand. It is also 417 Canal or 76 Varick. The sort-of park on the east side is Duarte Square. The lot there is about 32,000 square feet, in an M1-6 district. Fun fact: the eastern border of the lot is actually the vestigial remains of Sullivan Street.

SHoP Architects has been attached to the project since 2019, by my records.

The building has always had specs for a public school in it: At this point I can no longer remember where I first saw this, but the plan is for a K-5, 433-seat school. When I last checked in March 2023, the school was included in the capital plan for the School Construction Authority. But, the SCA said, “There is no timeline for the project and there is no further information available at this time.”

None of the players here — either the architects (SHoP), the developer (Taconic Partners), Trinity Church (the landowner) or even the Hudson Square BID — ever reply to me on this topic so not sure I will learn more from here. But The Post said Taconic will not start construction until it finds an anchor tenant.