Extell’s ‘One Manhattan Square’ Project Pegged for Q3 2019 Completion

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One Manhattan Square, the eighty-story skyscraper (823 feet) on South Street brought to you by Extell Development Corp. is on track for completion in the third quarter of 2019. At a construction rate of approximately one floor every three days, plus the enclosure and fit-out, the project is still more than three years from out. Domestic sales are anticipated to begin in September, as previously reported.

This was the estimate provided last night during the fifth quarterly meeting with area residents (predominantly from 82 Rutgers Street). Here are some other updates gleaned during the info session (in no particular order):

• Foundation is complete. Work has begun on the fifth floor of the podium. The superstructure itself begins on the sixth floor.

• The tower will be enclosed by the end of 2017.

• Construction on the “poor door” affordable tower should commence in the fall.

• For safety purposes, neighbors are pitching to create a mid-block crossing in the center of Cherry Street. Lots of neighborhood youth cross to attend the area Head Start program, and there are fears about the increased traffic that will result from the wall of glass coming to the waterfront. Susan Stetzer committed to putting this measure on a future Community Board 3 agenda.

• Extell committed to providing security reflector vests for area children passing through the covered walkway between the project site and 82 Rutgers Street.

• The developers are now more assertive in their position to bring an “affordable” supermarket back to the street. Razy Haas, SVP Project Management and Development for Extell, repeated that claim several times during the hour-long meeting. Haas shot down any hope for a possible “early opening” of the supermarket, though, noting it can’t happen before “early 2019.”

• There are three total retail units.

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• A semi-public parking garage with 110 spots (operated by third party) is planned for the four-story podium beneath both towers. It sits closer to the affordable building. Any spaces not taken by condo owners will be offered to public, as per zoning requirements. Entrance onto South Street.

• Extell doesn’t anticipate additional “movement” in nearby buildings. They’ve committed to footing the bill to repair at least 60 to 100 apartments in the adjacent 82 Rutgers building that were damaged due to foundation activity. All repairs are permanent. (We were assured that Extell went above and beyond normal underpinning practice to protect 82 Rutgers during the excavation.)

• Extell still owns the lease to the old Pathmark Pharmacy until 2049. Haas noted that they “intend to occupy [the store] until [the lease] expires.” There was a request to lease out the space once the project offices are closed so that it doesn’t become further blight.

• As before, when asked by the panel how the lower-income residents would benefit from the One Manhattan Square project, Haas responded with the same canned line about “adding vibrancy” to the area that “everyone in the community will appreciate.” Speak for yourself.

• The next meeting with the developers is slated for October 2016.

Of course, the elephant in the room is 77 stories tall and belongs to the Two Bridges Neighborhood Council/Settlement Housing next door. (The non-profits sold a 500 square-foot package of development rights for $51 million to erect this super-tall tower, literally on the backs of seniors.)

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