After pushing the opening date from April, then to July, again to August and finally October 15th, the new Aloft Hotel in Harlem will apparently open a little earlier than expected. The sister branch of the W Hotel chain that will open at West 123rd Street and FDB/8th Avenue will now premier one week early on October 7th according to the most recent update on their website: LINK. The above photo from this morning shows that the lower section is moving along nicely but what's going on with the top half (click to enlarge)? There's still plywood blocking up windows that are yet to be glassed and cornices missing. When walking by the building during the day, one can see that the interior lighting and window shades have been installed but someone better move on the facade if three weeks is the deadline. Read more about Aloft in our past posts on the new hotel: LINK
Blimey. I expected this to be pushed back another couple of weeks, not forwards! Unless they aren't too bothered about the top part?
ReplyDelete@Chris: It the damnest thing I've ever seen. It doesn't even look like they are trying to work on the facade at this point.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if there are labor issues involved.
Or if the right hand of marketing doesn't know what the left hand of construction is doing (or NOT doing in this case).
The other day i passed by and there was a parade of mattresses going in the door. And now when you pass by you can see the backs of flat screen TVs in the windows of the lower floors. I've never seen interiors move faster than exteriors.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention that the carriage house sandwiched in between the Aloft has major structural damage and everyone is lawyered-up!
ReplyDeleteD, are you sure? Not saying you are wrong, but can't believe they would be that careless?!
ReplyDeleteChris, D's absolutely right. Up until recently you could see a massive crack down the facade of the carriage house that had to measure at least 3 inches wide and a couple of floors. I think from what I can tell it's been patched up but this was an issue they ran into in the mid to early stages of building. I'm not sure if they made it right by the tenants but the damage may have required owners to evacuate. I could be wrong about the evac though since the info is old and I heard it through an unofficial source.
ReplyDeleteAnyone?
p.s. the ground beneath shifted from the excavation. I'm guessing an unforeseeable circumstance but a risk nevertheless.
ReplyDeleteThis hotel and the new to be Hyatt hotel at 125th and Lenox will legitimize Harlem as a destination neighborhood for visitors, not just for taking a quick tour of Harlem but making Harlem their home while staying in New York. This goes further towards putting Harlem on more peoples radar and with the many new sleepover visitors, many more ambassadors for Harlem as another great Manhattan neighborhood.
ReplyDeletewestsider, any word on the new Hyatt? They are supposed to be breaking ground before the end of the year, although technically the work that was done a couple of weeks ago could be deemed breaking ground.
ReplyDeleteChris, no news for a few weeks other than it looks like it will go ahead, and like the A loft, a speedy construction to opening schedule, these guys seem to know what they are doing.
ReplyDeleteOr not, as z-lister said they managed to severely damage a building next to Aloft while either excavating or driving piles.
ReplyDeleteOk, I have to say that I sell the condominiums above the hotel, and have yet to hear anything about a lawsuit. As a matter of fact, it was offered to the carriage house to upgrade the rooftop deck and the side of the facade for free. For a better entrance to the Condo lobby, and a better view over the carriage houses rooftop from the higher floors.
ReplyDeleteKDV--WHAT was offered to the owners of the carriage house? I am having some difficulty following your post.
ReplyDeleteto upgrade the roof deck on the roof with greenery, and to reface the side of the house to make it look nicer with a stucco finish.
ReplyDeleteIf the carriage house’s foundation is cracked I shouldn’t imagine the owners are interested in roof deck greenery at this point, particularly since the motivation seems to make upgrades for the benefit of A Loft and not the carriage house.
ReplyDeleteStucco should never be used on anything. Ever. Unless it’s a Tudor or in the south of Spain.
In all fairness to Aloft, the rumors of damage to the carriage house appear to be just that, unsubstantiated rumors. No idea what stucco is or looks like, but it seems like a reasonable offer to give a free roof upgrade with a nice deck. OK, Googled Stucco, maybe something more suited to Astoria ;)
ReplyDeleteChris mate. Stucco—think thatch roofed cottage, think half timbered Tudor.
ReplyDeleteChris, far from a rumor as substantiated by the visibly evident crack. I haven't passed by recently so don't know how the patchwork looks. Does anyone in Soho North building across from the carriage (who reads this blog) have any updates/insight?
ReplyDeletezLister, just reread your initial post. Missed the couple of floors bit! Fair enough, that's quite substantial.
ReplyDeleteWell, Sanou's Mum. I live in a historic and beautiful Beaux Arts Harlem building with plenty of stucco used on the exterior that owes nothing to thatched cottages or timbered Tudors, but don't let that stop your opinionated pronouncements. High Five!
ReplyDeleteOh valgb, nothing but nothing stops my opinionated pronouncements. Reality and I were divorced a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteBut I do have a hard time visualising a Beaux Arts (and they don’t call ’em beaux for nuttin’) building with a stucco exterior. Sorta chalk and cheese.
Sanou's Mum, I would post a picture, but i don't want to advertise where I live. Trust me, the building is lovely and tasteful, with beautiful Juliet balconies and many accents of stucco. I know the stucco you are referring to, and it's nothing like that.
ReplyDelete