Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Selected as Seaport District Master Planner
The Howard Hughes Corporation has taken its next major step in continuing to develop the Lower Manhattan area.
NEW YORK CITY—In moving forward with the development of Manhattan’s historic Seaport District, the Howard Hughes Corporation has retained Skidmore, Owings & Merrill as the master planner. The architecture firm will work with HHC and local stakeholders on the continued growth of the area, with goals of respecting its history, character and local community.
Skidmore Owings & Merrill will provide a comprehensive plan for HHC’s Seaport District properties including the surface parking lot at 250 Water St. and other improvements to the district. The design will consider public space, community facilities, resilience and sustainability, affordable housing, pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle circulation, streetscapes, infrastructure and public transit. It will also support the South Street Seaport Museum which provides education about the district’s historic role as one of the city’s major ports.
HHC president of the New York tri-state region, Saul Scherl, points out this next phase builds on company’s revitalization of Pier 17 and preservation of the Fulton Market, Tin Building and neighboring blocks. In 2010, HHC assumed a long-term lease for Pier 17 and portions of the South Street Seaport District, and invested $600 million in the area.
Preserving the neighborhood’s storied past as a center of maritime trade and commerce, HHC is building and renovating more than 450,000 square feet of space with entertainment, dining, fashion and cultural destinations and public space.
“The depth of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill’s work in New York—on everything from development in historic districts to adaptive reuse of landmark buildings and the design of resilient waterfronts—makes the firm uniquely qualified to help lead the Seaport District into its next phase,” says Scherl.
The architectural firm’s designs in the city include the conversion of the Farley Post Office into the Moynihan Train Hall, the master plan for the Cornell Tech Campus on Roosevelt Island and the University Center at the New School.
“HHC is committed to advancing a plan that serves the needs of this vibrant community and enhances the district’s role as a vital economic hub for the city,” adds Scherl. When the current properties are completed and fully leased, the development will have added 1,740 jobs and will each year generate over $200 million in economic activity, according to HHC.
The Seaport District’s four-story Pier 17 has a 1.5 acre rooftop that’s open year-round. It operates an outdoor ice skating rink in the winter and serves as a cultural performance space in other months, now featuring a summer concert series. In addition, ESPN has relocated its studios and broadcasts live from the pier. Later this year, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Andrew Carmellini, David Chang and Helene Henderson will open restaurants and a Nike Design Center will also open shop at the venue.
Other Seaport District tenants include Carla Sozzani’s 10 Corso Como, Sarah Jessica Parker’s SJP flagship store, Big Gay Ice Cream and the city’s first iPic Theater. Plus, HHC provides space for local nonprofits Black Gotham Experience and Kubemas tutoring. In addition, Vongerichten is launching a 53,000-square-foot food hall in the restored Tin Building next year.