Astor Pl. ‘trophy office building’ angling for early ’13 completion

The design for 51 Astor Place, now under construction.

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON | With the last remnants of The Cooper Unions old Engineering Building finally demolished, construction is moving ahead on its far glitzier replacement.

Edward J. Minskoff Equities Inc. is developing a 400,000-square-foot office building at 51 Astor Place on a design by Fumihiko Maki.

Influenced by the sites triangular shape, the new edifice will feature a geometric design, sporting a sharply angled glass facade.

In January, Minskoff closed on a $165 million construction loan.

Jones Lang LaSalle will market and lease the 12-story structure, which a Minskoff press release touted as a trophy office building.

According to the release, not only will 51 Astor Place have advanced technology and infrastructure, but will also provide tenants with above-standard electricalpower and generator capacity.

Located at Astor Place and Third Ave., 51 Astor Place is expected to be completed by early next year.

The building will be constructed to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification.

Amenities at 51 Astor Place will include a tenant-accessible green roof on the fifth floor, a penthouse and aThomas Basely-designed urban plaza at Astor Place.

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Astor Pl. ‘trophy office building’ angling for early ’13 completion