Volume 80 | November 2025 | | | 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. | | | | SCHINDLER PROVIDING 35 ELEVATORS FOR MIDTOWN SKYSCRAPER OVERHAUL | | | Schindler tells ELEVATOR WORLD it is providing 32 passenger and three service elevators for the News Corp. Building, a 45-story commercial skyscraper at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in Midtown Manhattan undergoing an extensive US$367-million overhaul designed by Kohn Petersen Fox (KPF). Developed by RXR, the project will modernize the main entrance to the 1.9 million-ft2 building, headquarters of News Corp. and Fox Corp., New York YIMBY reports. Post renovation, a modern glass curtain wall will enclose the soaring lobby and a broad canopy wrapping around the corner. The landscaped plaza along Sixth Avenue will be enhanced with a sculpture, and expansive office amenities — including meeting rooms, lounges and wellness suites — will be incorporated. KPF is handling the interior design for the lobby, as well as the elevator modernization. | | | The new lobby and elevator system will be designed by KPF; image courtesy of KPF. | | | | OTIS' MARKS ATTENDS JPMORGAN CHASE SUPERTALL RIBBON-CUTTING | | | Judy Marks joins colleagues and customers at the ribbon-cutting ceremony; image courtesy of Judy Marks via LinkedIn. | | Otis President and CEO Judy Marks joined JPMorgan Chase for a ribbon-cutting ceremony in October 2025 for its new 1,289-ft-tall supertall headquarters (HQ) at 270 Park Avenue in Midtown East, Manhattan. Designed by Sir Norman Foster of Foster + Partners and developed by Tishman Speyer, the 60-story tower is served by Otis elevators with Jaros, Baum and Bolles among vertical-transportation (VT) consultants. On an earnings call in October 2025, Marks said Otis installed 89 VT units at the HQ, including 72 high-performance SkyRise® traction elevators and 12 escalators. In addition, Otis introduced its Compass® Infinity AI destination-dispatch system, which continuously learns and optimizes passenger flow. "We're proud to support JPMorgan Chase at this landmark site and beyond," Marks said. | | | JPMorgan's new supertall HQ takes its place on the Manhattan skyline; image via Parametric Architecture. | | | | ESI WELCOMES NEW VP OF STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS | | | | | Elevator Systems, Inc. (ESI) recently announced Greg Zuckett as its new vice president (VP) of Strategy and Operations. With deep experience across the industrial, technology and manufacturing sectors, Zuckett has driven enterprise growth through both organic strategies and M&A initiatives, ESI observed. Based in the Midwest, Zuckett will support the Garden City, NY-based company's continued growth in the Midwest region and around the world. Zuckett previously served as a private equity consultant, and has held sales and operations roles at Vantage Elevator Solutions and Standard Elevator Systems. "His expertise in elevator components and business expansion will be instrumental in strengthening ESI's brand and market presence," ESI stated. | | | | MTA ANNOUNCES FIVE MODERNIZED ELEVATORS IN QUEENS AND BRONX | | | The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) recently announced five modernized elevators manufactured and installed by Mid-American Elevator to enhance accessibility at two subway stations: the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue/74th Street station in Queens (two units) and the Fordham Road station in the Bronx (three units). Part of larger safety and accessibility upgrades, work included full replacement of cabs and equipment associated with cabs, shafts and pits; two renovated elevator enclosure structures; modifications to shafts and pits to accommodate new equipment; equipment updates to ensure smoother rides; replacement of all machine room, electrical and mechanical equipment; and upgrades to remote-monitoring equipment, intercom systems and cameras. "Thousands of customers a day are in for a smoother, more reliable ride," MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer said. | The Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue/74th Street station elevator replacement; image courtesy of MTA | | | | TWO KONE JOBS IN THE BRONX | | | In October, KONE told ELEVATOR WORLD it provided two MonoSpace® 500 elevators each to 1525-1527 Bryant Avenue and 1841 Seaward Avenue, making nine and six-seven stops, respectively in, the Bronx. In the 1500 block of Bryant Avenue is Bryant Avenue Apartments, a seven-story, 12-unit residential building for which the affordable housing lottery launched in September, New York YIMBY reported. Designed by Node Architecture, the gray building features outdoor strips of greenery and a rooftop outdoor amenity area. At 1841 Seaward Avenue is the Stevenson Senior Residences, a six-story building designed by WXY Architecture + Urban Design in collaboration with NV5 for which the affordable housing lottery launched in October, according to YIMBY. Containing 117 residences, it features a two-tone light brown brick façade. | | | IN MEMORIAM: MICHAEL "MIKE" GODWIN | | | | | Michael "Mike" Godwin, a man whose world "consisted of lift engineering and little else," according to his son, Jason Godwin of CEDES, passed away on November 5 at age 95 while on a trip away from his home in Cagnes-Sur-Mer on the French Riviera, where he lived for the last 40 years, to visit his son William Godwin in Leeds, U.K. Godwin, along with the late Dr. Gina Barney, was gracious enough to lead ELEVATOR WORLD on a tour of notable vertical-transportation (VT) installations in the U.K. in the early 1980s. Godwin had many noteworthy pioneering VT industry contributions to his name, including inventing, conceiving or introducing the first curved elevator; the first "practical" Rope-less Gearless Linear Motor and associated Vertrak lift design; first graphic elevator remote-monitoring system; first hall-call cancellation feature; and first computer-based group traffic control algorithm; Remote Monitoring and "Lifts In Service Indicator" (LISI) now used on every elevator installation worldwide; first computer simulator for lifts; first Dot Matrix LED Position Indicators; co-invented Lift Call Allocation - COCA. In the 1970s, he authored, designed and specified a lift standard for the London Borough of Southwark that became the standard for all Housing Authority lifts throughout the U.K. His work had ties to the U.S., too, Jason Godwin said, recalling that his father insisted on Armor and GAL equipment for his ground-breaking 1981 Bush House (BBC World Service HQ) modernization and played a large role in GAL establishing itself in the U.K. having spent time with GAL founders Walter and Herb Glaser at their Bronx, NY office and factory. Godwin is survived by his two remaining sons, Jason Godwin and William Godwin, (the eldest son, Adrian Godwin, having passed away in 2019) together with three grandchildren, Farrah Louise Godwin, Laura Godwin and Michael Charles Godwin, plus four great-grandchildren. | | | | SCHINDLER PROVIDES NINE VT UNITS FOR NEW ROLEX HQ | | | Schindler tells ELEVATOR WORLD it provided nine vertical-transportation (VT) units — six passenger and one service elevator, along with two escalators — for the new 28-story Rolex headquarters (HQ) at 665 Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. New York YIMBY reports that construction is nearing completion on the building, designed by David Chipperfield Architects and developed by the Rolex Realty Co. ahead of anticipated completion in December. Aiming to achieve LEED Platinum certification, the structure features a pleated glass curtain wall and a double-height dining and event space with an adjoining terrace on the top two floors. There will be retail on the first four floors, followed by offices on levels five through 25. | | | | DYNASTY ELEVATOR RECEIVES NYC CLUB'S VENDOR OF THE YEAR AWARD | | | John Mezzo and Dynasty Director of Compliance Kathleen Jordan at the ball with Dynasty's award; image courtesy of John Mezzo | | Manhattan-based Dynasty Elevator received the prestigious Manhattan Resident Manager's Club, Inc., 2025 Vendor of the Year Award at the 29th annual Three Hands Ball at the 583 Park Avenue event venue on November 10. "We are truly honored to receive this recognition," Dynasty President John Mezzo said. "Big thanks to club President Stevdet 'Steve' Kukaj!," said Mezzo, who accepted the award on behalf of the Dynasty team. The Three Hands Ball is hosted by the Manhattan Resident Manager's Club, the Scandinavian Building Managers Guild and the Metropolitan Building Manager's Club. The Manhattan Resident Manager's Club Vendor of the Year Award is given annually to a company for excellence in the real estate management industry in NYC. Past recipients include Champion Elevator in 2023. | | | | TROUTMAN PART OF LUXURY ELEVATOR MODERNIZATION IN MANHATTAN | | | Troutman Elevator Interiors, based in Queens, was part of the recent modernization of four elevators at The Excelsior, a 48-story luxury residential tower in Manhattan's Sutton Place neighborhood. The project at 303 East 57th Street was completed in partnership with Centennial Elevator Industries, which led the modernization, and VSA Consulting Engineers, which provided design and engineering oversight. Reflecting the sophistication of the building, the modernized elevator cabs feature stained African mahogany wood panels with bronze inlays, a custom-stained wood veneer ceiling and refined bronze metal accents. To ensure the client's satisfaction, Troutman created a full-scale mockup for review prior to production. Troutman President Aldair Cardoso said the project "exemplifies its commitment to craftsmanship, quality materials and seamless collaboration in delivering timeless, high-end elevator interiors." | | | | MID-AMERICAN ELEVATORS FOR TWO MTA LIRR STATIONS IN QUEENS | | | The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) tells ELEVATOR WORLD Chicago-based Mid-American Elevator provided two elevators for accessibility projects at St. Albans Long Island Railroad (LIRR) station and Auburndale LIRR stations, both in Queens. Mid-American worked with a joint venture of Citnalta/Scalamandre and Parsons Transportation Group on the projects, made possible by support from the Federal Transportation Administration to make the stations compliant with the American with Disabilities Act. "Modernized elevators and station enhancements improve the customer experience and ensures everyone can use our system," LIRR President Rob Free said, adding that the LIRR is now more than 90% accessible. Work at St. Albans included a new elevator machines rooms, a reconstructed tunnel, new sidewalks, new guardrails and more. At Auburndale, crews were able to utilize the existing elevator shaft and only needed to replace the elevator equipment and components. MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer said innovative contracting methods like project budling and design-build have resulted in the authority delivering upgrades "better, faster and cheaper than ever before." | | | Elevator opening at St. Albans LIRR station on November 13; image courtesy of MTA | | | | KONE ELEVATOR FOR NEW MANHATTAN RESIDENTIAL BUILDING | | | KONE tells ELEVATOR WORLD it provided a MonoSpace® 500 elevator making seven stops for 205 Cabrini Boulevard, a new six-story residential building designed by Rise Architecture and developed by Yisroel Eckstein in Washington Heights, Manhattan. New York YIMBY reported in September the affordable housing lottery launched for the property, which features two structures — one with a traditional red brick and another with an irregular light gray brick façade. Residences are equipped with washers and dryers, hardwood floors and name-brand kitchen appliances, and residents have access to balconies, bike storage lockers, a gym and a rooftop terrace. | Elevator at 205 Cabrini Boulevard; image courtesy of NYC Housing Connect | | | | ELEVATOR INDUSTRY PLAYERS AT COOPERATOR EXPO 2025 | | | Local elevator industry players were on hand with booths and representatives at the Cooperator New York Expo on November 18 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Hell's Kitchen. NYC's biggest co-op, condo and apartment expo, the event had 2,500 participants, 200 exhibitors, 24 speakers and 12 seminars. Among elevator industry companies exhibiting this year were All-Ways Elevator, Inc.; CBA Elevator Consultants, LLC; Champion Elevator Corp.; Dynasty Elevator; Liberty Elevator Corp.; and Vertical Systems Analysis, Inc. | | | The Champion booth; image courtesy of Champion | | The Dynasty book; image courtesy of Dynasty | | | | TF CORNERSTONE PLANS 1,000-PLUS-UNITS IN GREENPOINT | | | TF Cornerstone is planning two developments in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, on a waterfront site it acquired for US$175 million in 2024, The Real Deal reports. The developer's architect SLCE filed permits for the properties — a 38-story tower at 45 West Street with nearly 800 apartments and a 13-story building at 15 Oak Street with 268 apartments, along with 82 enclosed parking spaces. Run by the Elghanayan family, TF Cornerstone is one of Long Island City's largest luxury residential developers. Should this latest development be built, it would join a slew of others nearby, including Greenpoint Landing, a project of Domain Cos., LMXD and Park Tower that will include 1,000 units, 20,000 ft2 of retail and a public park. It is unclear whether the TF Cornerstone development will be condos or rentals. | | | JAPAN'S MORI TRUST BUYS 38-STORY PORTION OF 35 HUDSON YARDS | | | Japan's Mori Trust bought a 38-story portion of the supertall, 1,009-ft-tall 35 Hudson Yards from Related Cos. and Oxford Properties for US$540 million, The Real Deal reports, citing Bloomberg. Excluding for-sale residences, the purchase includes office, retail, the Equinox fitness center and the 15-story Equinox Hotel. 35 Hudson Yards is served by an Otis elevator system that includes high-speed, high-rise SkyRise® units. "Acquiring high-quality properties overseas such as 35 Hudson Yards contributes to the stability and sustainability of our asset portfolio and will drive further growth," Mori Trust CEO Miwako Date said in a statement. The company's first major foray into the Manhattan real estate market occurred two years ago when it acquired 50% of the equity in the 1.7 million ft2, 48-story 245 Park Avenue office building north of Grand Central Terminal. That tower is served by a TK Elevator elevator system. | | | OTIS ANNOUNCES EXPANDED GEN3 CORE FOR LOW-RISE MARKET | | | Otis has introduced the expanded Gen3 CoreTM elevator for two- to eight-story buildings in the U.S. and Canada. With 80% of buildings in the U.S. standing eight or fewer stories, the newly expanded elevator is designed to meet the needs of this evolving market. Gen3 Core is now available with new aesthetics, greater load capacities, larger door openings and bigger cabs, making it ideal for transporting both passengers and heavier items such as medical equipment, large deliveries and office furniture. Otis announced the Gen3 Core in 2023 to deliver a digitally connected elevator solution at a competitive price for low-rise buildings in the U.S. and Canada. Gen3 Core is now available with load capacities up to 5000 lb, door openings up to 8 ft and cabs up to 9 ft x 9 in. tall by 10 ft x 1 in. deep. The Gen 3 Core is manufactured at Otis' North American Manufacturing Facility of Excellence in Florence, South Carolina. "We listened, and we're proud to address customer needs," particularly in the residential, office and healthcare sectors, Otis U.S. and Canada President Joseph Armas said. | The expanded Otis Gen3 Core; image courtesy of Otis | | | | NAEC Spring Educational Conference | March 22-25, 2026
For more information visit naec.org. | | | | 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 2025 © Elevator World, Inc. | | | Copyright © 2025 Elevator World, Inc., All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Where to find us:
Changed your mind? You can unsubscribe at any time. | | | |
Comments
Post a Comment