Construction Begins On Upper West Side's Tallest Tower: Report

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Developers have begun building a tower that will be the Upper West Side's tallest when complete, according to reports.

Extell Development recently finished up demolition of the Jewish Guild for the Blind on West 66th Street, paving the way to begin work on the planned 775 foot-tall tower at 50 W. 66th St., City Realty first reported. Demolition plans for the Jewish Guild for the Blind were approved in February and work began in March, signaling a rapid pace toward eventual development of Extell's tower.

Extell Development unveiled plans for 50 W. 66th Street in December, supplanting 200 Amsterdam Ave's claim to the tallest future development on the Upper West Side. The building will rise 775 feet and contain more than 100 condos.

The Snøhetta-designed building contains three district sections: a mixed-use base, a body tower and a "crown" at the top of the building. Each is designed to reflect the character and style of the surrounding area, the design firm said in a press release.

"Situated at the heart of the neighborhood's cultural core, steps from Lincoln Center to the west and Central Park to the east, the building will join the neighborhood, sensitively responding to its context and referencing the area's architectural character with a natural palette of refined materials," a Snøhetta press release reads.

Days after the plans were revealed, City Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal said she would "fight this current proposal with every tool at my disposal."

Rosenthal and other local elected officials sounded the alarm on Extell Development's plans for a development site on West 66th Street between Central Park West and Columbus avenue earlier this summer. In June, Rosenthal, State Senator Brad Hoylman and State Assemblyman Richard Gottfried wrote a letter to Extell's Gary Barnett demanding that the high-powered developer reveal his ultimate plans for the site.

Read the full City Realty report here.

Rendering by Binyan Studios Courtesy Snøhetta