From left: rendering of 626 First Avenue, Michael Stern
Updated 6:20 p.m., Jan. 23: With comment from representative of Michael Stern
A crane at the construction site of a pair of Michael Stern’s residential towers on the East Side allegedly punched a hole through the wall of an adjacent school building last week, according to city records.
The complaint was filed last week at 626 First Avenue against Stern’s LLC, 616 First Avenue, managed by JDS Development. The city issued a partial stop work order that prevents crews from working near the damage.
This is the second complaint involving damage to the school. The first was caused by drilling too close to the building without a protective fence. The school was not identified in the complaint, but New York University’s School of Medicine is adjacent to the site.
The story gets stranger. A representative of JDS Development said there are no cranes at the site yet, and that the stop work order was for cosmetic damage caused by drilling.
“The repairs are being made on Monday, and the partial stop work order was also just partially rescinded to allow for the repairs,” the representative said.
Designed by Gregg Pasquarelli of SHoP, the completed development will consist of two towers curved inward and connected by a skybridge; one 40-story and another 47-story at 626 First Avenue between East 35th and 36th streets.
The project has yet to get off the ground, however. The Department of Buildings approved structural work on January 8, according to a plan exam application, but plans for the necessary ductwork, a 25-foot curb cut and the excavation have yet to be approved.
“It’s an iterative process back and forth,” Stern said. “The zoning was approved and the foundation was approved, we’re waiting for the full approval now.”
The building’s drawings have only been partially approved, according to the application. The design includes 799 dwelling units, 270 below-grade parking spaces for residents, a park leading to the riverfront, a rooftop infinity pool, a spa and fitness amenities and a daycare.
JDS Development plunked down $172.1 million for the property in February of 2013, purchasing the land from Sheldon Solow, according to city records. Stern, the president, called the project an “anomaly” in the market amid soaring land prices.
“The only reason that deal was able to work was that it was such a large scale site the buyer pool was extremely limited,” Stern said previously to The Real Deal.