New York YIMBY reports that a 1,500-foot tower is envisioned by the Chinese company that owns 80 South Street. The rumblings about a super tall tower at that site have been going on for more than a decade, as the site changed hands several times and plans were drawn and then ditched. (Curbed has a good overview of the history of the site.) And since YIMBY has an exclusive on the images, you can look at them on their site, but as a consolation prize, this is an awesome vid where Calatrava talks about the same site with Charlie Rose*.

City records show the site was purchased in 2015 by the Howard Hughes Corporation for $100 million, with another purchase of $64 million for air rights. The site was then sold again in 2016 to China Oceanwide Holdings in Beijing for $390 million. The Commercial Observer reported that the site was for sale as recently as this past January, but ACRIS shows no sign of a new deed or mortgage.

The drawings were done by a Shanghai group that does architectural “visualization,” so not really architectural drawings, but enough to give you the idea of how gross it would be.

CLIMATE CHANGE MARCHERS ARRESTED
From Gothamist: “Over 60 protesters were arrested at a climate change demonstration near City Hall [on Wednesday]. Organized by Extinction Rebellion, an international protest movement demanding dramatic action on climate change, today’s action kicked off a planned ‘Week of Rebellion’ in New York City. The group, which started in England in late 2018, has been using roadblocks and glue to disrupt parts of central London for three days. The New York City chapter began today’s demonstration with a rally including chants, signs, chalk writing on the sidewalk, and a band.”

RUSSELL SIMMONS DISCOUNTS HIS PENTHOUSE
Russell Simmons has discounted his penthouse at 114 Liberty (the place is awesome – I was actually in this when it was under construction in the mid-90s). From the folks at The Post, who never miss a chance for a well-placed adjective: “Embattled music producer Russell Simmons, who has denied allegations of sexual misconduct by several women, quietly lowered the price of his Financial District penthouse to $8.75 million — down from its 2012 asking price of $11 million.”