ELEVATOR WORLD New York is EW's free monthly newsletter focusing on vertical-transportation news in the Greater New York Region. Contact the EW Editorial Department to submit news or the EW Advertising Department to advertise and reach more than 5,000 subscribers in the New York area. | | | | CHAMPION ELEVATOR NEARLY COMPLETE WITH MAJOR FIDI MODERNIZATION | | | | | Champion Elevator Corp. announced it has successfully completed five of seven elevator cars for a modernization at 63 Wall Street, a 37-story residential building in Manhattan's Financial District (FiDi), in the "record-breaking time of less than seven months." Champion Elevator Director of Engineering Marvin Aarons served as engineer on this project, which involved removing old Gurney motors with deflectors in the secondary and replacing them with new Imperial, double-wrapped 705 gearless motors with deflectors within the machine base in the machine room. Champion President Don Gelestino observes the achievement is less about speed and efficiency than it is about "our commitment to excellence, teamwork and the relentless pursuit of quality." In particular, he praised the skill and dedication of Modernization Supervisor Gabriel Gomez and his team of mechanics. Gelestino said Champion "extends its heartfelt thanks" to every Champion employee, vendor and consultant involved, as well as, of course, the customer. "To the tenants of 63 Wall Street, we promise that your journey with us will always be safe, smooth and exceptional," Gelestino said. "This modernization was not just a technical upgrade, it's a testament to our promise to deliver the best." | | | | SKANSKA AWARDED MTA 21-ESCALATOR REPLACEMENT CONTRACT | | | Skanska, a leading global construction and development firm, announced it has been awarded a contract by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to replace 21 existing escalators throughout NYC. The approximately US$146 million design-build project will also improve associated back-of-house rooms and escalator machine rooms with upgraded equipment, adhering to applicable code requirements and operational needs. Skanska's work will include the design and replacement of escalators at the following subway stations: 51st Street Station: replace one escalator with new staircase; Park Place Station: two new escalators; High Street Station: one new escalator; Franklin Avenue Station: one new escalator; Lexington Avenue/63rd Street Station: 10 new escalators; and 21st Street/Queensbridge Station: six new escalators. Construction will commence this month and is expected to reach final completion in February 2027. | | | | TEI SECURES SEVEN-ELEVATOR MODERNIZATION AT THE MANHATTAN CLUB | | | TEI Group, headquartered in Long Island City, Queens, has been awarded a seven-car elevator modernization contract by The Manhattan Club Timeshare Association Inc. (TMC) for The Manhattan Club hotel at 200 West 56th Street. The 200+ suite hotel is housed in a 31-story tower built in the 1920s. A team from TEI Group will perform work that includes installing new gearless machines and upgrading the hydraulic elevators. "We are very excited to partner with TMC on this project and look forward to delivering excellent results for this building, enhancing passengers' riding experience," TEI stated. | | | Entrance to the hotel; image courtesy of The Manhattan Club | | | | TKE PROVIDES FOUR ELEVATORS TO NEW LIC RESIDENTIAL TOWER | | | TK Elevator (TKE) tells ELEVATOR WORLD it provided four of its momentum series gearless traction elevators to The Italic, a 50-story residential tower nearing completion at 26-32 Jackson Avenue in Long Island City (LIC), Queens. TKE Director of Marketing David Gerson observes momentum delivers high-performance, increased efficiency and reduced energy consumption for mid- to high-rise applications. It also eliminates the need for lubricants. Developed by American Lions and designed by SLCE Architects, the 526-ft-tall property was number 14 on New York YIMBY's 2023 year-end countdown of the tallest buildings under construction in NYC. Glass curtain wall installation was well underway in December 2023 is expected to continue into the first of this year ahead of anticipated completion in summer 2025. The Italic will include 363 rental units and amenities such as a fitness center, coworking spaces and an outdoor rooftop terrace. | | The Italic; rendering by Flower Design Studio via New York YIMBY | | | | KONE ESCALATORS FOR TRANSFORMED PENN STATION ENTRANCE IN MIDTOWN MANHATTAN | | | KONE tells ELEVATOR WORLD it provided three TransitMasterTM 180 escalators for the newly transformed Penn Station entrance at 7th Avenue and 32nd Street in Midtown Manhattan. The client was Amtrak, which hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the station entrance in November 2023 (NY Newsletter, November 2023). Penn Station's busiest entrance is now 50% wider and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Brooklyn-based Precision Elevator provided a new elevator for the project. The heavy-duty KONE escalators have an 18 ft, 7-in. rise, 1,000-mm step width and a full outdoor design. KONE worked with multiple trades to complete the work prior to Thanksgiving 2023, necessitating installing and aligning truss sections in the middle of the night. Look for more about this major project in an upcoming issue of EW. | | | The three new KONE TransitMaster escalators are designed for heavy use at a station entrance used by approximately 600,000 NJ Transit, Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak passengers daily; image courtesy of Amtrak. | | | | JPMORGAN SUPERTALL HEADED TOWARD TOPPING OUT IN MIDTOWN EAST | | | By around the end of this month, JPMorgan Chase's 1,388-ft-tall, 60-story supertall headquarters is expected to top out at 270 Park Avenue in Midtown East (most recently in NY Newsletter, August 2022) as thousands of workers from more than 40 local unions work past the fifth and final tier of the structure, designed by Lord Norman Foster of Foster + Partners, New York YIMBY reports. The elevator system will be by Otis, and Jaros, Baum & Bolles is among the consultants. Construction hoists and scaffolding are being provided by Safway Atlantic by BrandSafway Scaffolding Systems, and Banker Steel is manufacturing 93,600 t of recycled steel for the project, which will become the tallest structure in NYC powered by hydroelectric energy. Developed by Tishman Speyer, the 2.5 million-ft2 tower is the first to rise under the 2017 Midtown East Rezoning Plan. With AECOM Tishman serving as general contractor, 270 Park Avenue is scheduled for completion in 2025. | | | 270 Park Avenue gets closer to its final form; photo by Michael Young for New York YIMBY. | | Rendering of 270 Park Avenue © DBOX for Foster + Partners | | | | FORBES LOOKS AT MANHATTAN REAL ESTATE IN 2024 | | | The world's eyes are on Manhattan; photo by mpewny for Pixabay. | | | Manhattan real estate is defined by resilience and dynamism, so Forbes painted a relatively optimistic picture of what 2024 could look like for the market in "5 Things To Watch For In Manhattan Real Estate Heading Into 2024," published in November 2023. The source observed that Manhattan is watched by the world, as well as affected by both local and wider economic, social and geopolitical forces. The five factors expected to affect the Manhattan real estate market this year, according to Forbes, are a potential decrease in mortgage rates boosting demand; strong consumer sentiment driving luxury sales (given a recession is avoided); a 2024 election that entails a "diametric choice on policy" prompting "must-sellers" to cut prices; turbulent global events driving demand for safer, U.S.-dollar assets, which could create demand for Manhattan condos from foreign investors; and workers continuing to return to offices, driving demand for office space. | | | | CURTAIN WALL INSTALLATION PROGRESSES AT OTIS-SERVED SUPERTALL IN MIDTOWN | | | Installation of the tan paneling curtain wall and arched windows at the 76-story, 1,000-ft-tall 520 Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan was progressing steadily in December, New York YIMBY reported, ahead of anticipated completion in summer 2026. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and developed by Rabina, the residential property will be served by an Otis elevator system that includes eight SkyRise® and two hydraulic units (NY Newsletter, June 2023). WSP is serving as structural engineer, DeSimone Consulting Engineers is façade consultant and Suffolk Construction is general contractor for the property, one block north of Bryant Park at the corner of Fifth Avenue and West 43rd Street. | | The tan paneling curtain wall and arched windows continue installation at 520 Fifth Avenue; photo by Michael Young for New York YIMBY. | | | | SCHINDLER AMONG ELEVATOR COMPANIES TO ATTEND NEW YORK BUILD | | | Schindler is among elevator companies that plan to exhibit at New York Build Expo 2024 on February 13-14 at the Javits Center. Winner of the Best International Show-Americas AEO Excellence Award, the annual event attracts more than 400 tradeshow exhibitors and features networking, entertainment, seminars and workshops. On February 13, Schindler Vice President, Port Technology Florian Trosch plans to present "Back to the Future: Incorporating Modern Designs with Old Buildings." Additional elevator and related companies planning to exhibit at New York Build Expo 2024 include Champion Elevator, Kings III Emergency Communications, Liberty Elevator Corp., Mobility Elevator & Lift Co. and Smartlift US. ELEVATOR WORLD will be there covering it. | | | | | TEI GROUP WELCOMES POSEY AS EVP OF SOUTHEAST REGION | | | TEI Group, headquartered in Long Island City, recently welcomed Chad Posey as executive vice president (EVP) of the Southeast region. Posey began his career in the elevator industry as an International Union of Elevator Constructors field technician with TK Elevator (TKE) in 1999. During his 25-year tenure at TKE, he held roles including national operations director, regional vice president of new installation/modernization, director of installation operations and, most recently, senior director of operations for the East. "We are very excited to have [Posey] join us and share his experience and knowledge as we expand our footprint and reach in 2024," TEI Group stated. | | | | ASCEND CONSULTING GROUP PARTNER LORA CELEBRATES ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY | | | | | Haniel Lora, partner at Brooklyn-based Ascend Consulting Group, marks one year with the company this month. Lora is a vertical-transportation (VT) industry professional with more than 21 years' experience who is responsible for portfolio and client management and organizational leadership at Ascend, alongside founder and CEO Kenneth Seiferth III. Prior to joining Ascend, Lora spent 15 years in leadership roles at local VT consultancies, including United Elevator Consultants and Vertical Systems Analysis. He is credentialed by the Department of Buildings as an Elevator Agency co-director, is a NAESA International QEI-certified elevator inspector and holds OSHA 30 certification. "I am proud to have [Lora] helping to lead the charge at Ascend Consulting Group," Seiferth said. "Cheers to many more years." | | | | HUNTINGTON STATION LIRR OPENS ELEVATOR | | | The Town of Huntington, NY, recently cut the ribbon on the newly replaced elevator on the north side of the Huntington Station Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) station at New York Ave 110 and Broadway, Patch reports. The elevator had been inoperable off and on for many years and was "potentially dangerous" according to officials. "It was only after Supervisor Edmund J. Smyth's Administration received notification by the elevator service company that the elevator was potentially dangerous to use was it finally repaired," the town stated. "It was the Smyth Administration that took the elevator out of service until it could be fully replaced." The Town of Huntington worked with the elevator service company for many months to resolve issues and completely replace the elevator. | | | WORLD'S TALLEST LAB TOWER PROPOSED AT HUDSON YARDS | | | An unidentified NYC developer hopes to build the world's tallest R&D laboratory in the 400 block of 11th Avenue between 37th and 38th streets at Hudson Yards, Healthcare Real Estate Insights is among outlets to report. The site is just north of a 51-story, 379-room Aloft hotel rising on 37th Street. Designed by SGA with Jaros, Baum & Bolles among the consultants, the 37-story, 650,000-ft2 11th Avenue BioTech Tower would have a lab-to-office ratio of approximately 60% and 40%, respectively, according to Scott Barnholt, director, architecture, and senior associate at SGA's NYC office. SGA, which also has a Boston location, has designed several similar (though not as tall) lab facilities in that area, as well as the eight-story 95 Greene Street in Jersey City, New Jersey, previously occupied by Merrill Lynch but converted into laboratory and R&D space. Barnholt told the source that the 11th Avenue BioTech Tower is designed as a "vertical campus" since — compared to property in cities like San Diego — it has far less land to work with. Real estate records show that the site consists of three parcels that comprise approximately half an acre. | | | 11th Avenue BioTech Tower; image courtesy of SGA | | "Amenity pockets" with landscaped outdoor terraces are on the drawing board; image courtesy of SGA. | | | | NEW ELEVATORS ENHANCE ACCESSIBILITY AT NY TRAIN STATION | | | Commuters are applauding a new set of elevators provided by Liberty Elevator at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) Hartsdale Train Station in Hartsdale, NY, approximately 22 mi. north of Manhattan, News 12 is among outlets to report. Representing "a significant help for individuals requiring assistance to access train platforms," the elevators were installed following what the source describes as multiple requests by those who use MTA's Metro-North Railroad system. On the website for the nearby Town of Greenburgh, Town Supervisor Paul Feiner described the elevators as "a holiday present from Metro-North to Hartsdale" that will help the elderly, physically disabled and parents pushing strollers. In addition to the elevators, Metro-North installed heating systems. | | | | IN MEMORIAM: EDWARD "EDDIE" DEMPSEY | | | | | Edward "Eddie" Dempsey of South Nyack, New York, passed away peacefully after a brief illness in August 2023 at the age of 84. An elevator mechanic in NYC for decades, Dempsey was a proud member of the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) Local 1, where he served on the executive board and the Picnic Committee. IUEC Local 1 gave Dempsey the title of Distinguished Shop Steward. After retirement in the mid-1990s, he inspected Manhattan elevators, including those next to the collapsed Twin Towers after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. When he stopped working, he assisted visually impaired individuals by driving them to appointments. Dempsey's survivors include his wife, Betty; children, Christine, Thomas and Joseph; a sister; and five grandchildren. | | | | Villa Barone Manor, Bronx | April 10, 2024 For more information, visit website. | | NAEC Spring Educational Conference | April 14-17, 2024 For more information, visit website. | | International Elevator & Escalator Symposium | November 12-13, 2024 For more information, visit website. | | | Editorial submissions, reprint permission requests and subscription/removal requests should be sent to the ELEVATOR WORLD Editorial Department. EW New York editorial staff: Angela C. Baldwin, Kaija Wilkinson, Kathleen Farrell and Lindsay Fletcher. The EW Editorial Calendar can be downloaded here. ELEVATOR WORLD New York is a registered trademark, and all rights are reserved. Copyright 2022 © Elevator World, Inc. | | | Copyright © 2024 Elevator World, Inc., All rights reserved.
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