● ROSELAND DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATES
ARO tops out in Theater District
The 62-story luxury rental tower at 242 West 53rd Street has topped out.
Developed by Roseland Development Associates and designed by CetraRuddy, the building, to be called ARO, rises over 700 feet and will have 426 luxury rental residences along with 40,000 s/f of indoor and outdoor amenity spaces.
Located on a through-block lot from 52nd Street to 53rd Street and between Eighth Avenue and Broadway, ARO was designed as a contextual sculpture that curves and lifts toward the sky, creating residences that will capture views on all sides.
The facade, which is rising quickly, is a curved, sculptural glass form with a white steel latticed outer shell projecting from the glass.
The building has already been honored with the 2015 SARA National Design Award and the 2015 Architecture Podium, International Architecture Award.
There will be approximately 15,000 s/f of retail space with double-height ceilings at the base, as well as attended parking. Residential occupancy is anticipated for spring 2018.
● TF CORNERSTONE
TFC makes Brooklyn debut with 33 Bond
TF Cornerstone Inc. (TFC) announced the official launch of leasing at its first Brooklyn residential development, 33 Bond.
The 25-story, 714-unit rental is located at the nexus of urban Downtown Brooklyn, Fort Greene and Boerum Hill, between Livingston and Schermerhorn Streets.
“With 33 Bond being our first venture into Brooklyn, we felt responsible for proactively responding to the present and forthcoming needs impacting the neighborhoods we sit between,” said Zoe Elghanayan, principal and vice president at TF Cornerstone.
“And by doing so, our residents can enjoy the consistent life-enhancing amenity services they’ve come to expect from TF Cornerstone.”
Designed by Handel Architects, 33 Bond has studios, one- and two-bedroom homes all with open-concept layouts. Each residence has white oak floors, chef’s kitchen with stainless steel appliances, Caesarstone quartz countertops and porcelain tile backsplashes, and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Amenities include an elevated park with skyline views, BBQ grills and dining pavilions. Residents will have access to HomeWork, a collaborative workspace and the building will have a 24-hour attended lobby, package attendant, club lounge with billiards table, screening room, event space, bicycle storage, parking garage and an on-site pet grooming space.
The building’s retail component, which spans nearly 60,000 s/f, will include both Chelsea Piers and Colombian roaster Devocion as tenants.
Chelsea Piers recently signed a lease to be the property’s anchor tenant and will offer residents and the surrounding community a 52,000 s/f on-site gym facility.
Pricing starts at $2,500 for a studio, $3,100 for a one-bedroom, $4,700 for a two-bedroom, one-bathroom unit and $5,350 for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit.
● CARNEGIE MANAGEMENT
South Bronx rental set to launch
Mdrn. Residential has been retained by developer Carnegie Management to market and lease a two- building new development project launching in South Bronx’s Piano District.
Housed at 25 Bruckner Boulevard, the six-story buildings which share an address, are called The Crescendo and consist of a combined 130 units.
The dual-building project, originally designed by architect Karl Fisher, is part of an assemblage of historic buildings.
The new buildings are adjacent to the 100-unit Clocktower Building, which began a conversion process from commercial to rentals in 2002.
The Crescendo will offer studios, one bedrooms, wo bedrooms, and three bedrooms with prices ranging from $2,200 to $3,900.
Amenities include an indoor heated pool, sauna, steam room, recreation room with pool table, kitchen and bar, a quiet room on each floor, gym, yoga room, kids room, terrace and roof recreation areas, as well as laundry facilities on most floors.
Apartments have individual HVAC and hot water heating systems, wood floors, stainless steel appliances and dishwashers. Parking spaces will also be available.
● MACQUESTEN DEVELOPMENT
New Rochelle tower plan okayed
MacQuesten Development has been selected by the City of New Rochelle in a competitive RFP process to build a 27-story mixed-use residential tower on a site currently occupied by the city’s downtown fire station #1 .
The $120 million project will include 282 residential units, 9,500 s/f of ground-level retail, a four-story parking garage and an option to build some 50,000 s/f of office space.
The plan calls for a mix of studios, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom units ranging in size from 425 square feet to 1,200 square feet. The LEED certified development will have a concierge, green roof, community room and health club.
MacQuesten will work with Mitchell and Associates, an architectural firm which specializes in firehouse design, to design a new firehouse to be located at an off-site location. The current firehouse at 45 Harrison Street would remain operational while MacQuesten builds the new firehouse and begins constructing the tower. 
The site of the new tower is located between Huguenot and Main Streets, just east of the downtown area and in close proximity to I-95. Construction of the tower and new firehouse is expected to begin early next year.
“The successful development of 45 Harrison Street is yet another milestone in our ambitious redevelopment initiative and a positive step forward in helping us create the ideal environment to live, work and grow in New Rochelle,” said New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson.
MacQuesten Development is currently the final phase of building the Heritage Homes complex, a three-phase development in New Rochelle involving the construction of 228 affordable apartments and townhouses on the former site of the Hartley Houses public housing project.
