A rendering for a building that will replace a Cooper Union engineering building has emerged (above). Designed by Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki, the 440,000-square-foot mixed-use building will replace the brown tribute to banality that currently hunkers across from the historic 1859 Cooper Union Foundation building. The 51 Astor Place building is to be demolished; the fate of the connected Starbucks (between Third and Fouth Avenues) is uncertain.
The Observer says the proposed building “will rise 145 feet, with one section reaching 13 stories and a shorter part going up to 11 stories.” The project will also aim for the U.S. Green Building Council's gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) status. Developer Edward J. Minskoff has agreed to lease the property from Cooper Union for 99 years.
Last December the school paid $979,750 to the Bloomberg administration to release it from a 1959 restriction that the building be used for “educational purposes only.” It’s unclear exactly what tenants will eventually fill the commercial space, but the amended agreement stipulates that at least 40,000 square feet of the site be used for education.
Demolition and construction is not expected until late next year, when the school relocates to a new building at 41 Cooper Square being designed Thom Mayne. The Times notes that the real estate deal is part of Cooper Union’s attempt to reverse a history of budget deficits. The private college has been able to increase its endowment to more than $600 million in part due to income from real estate holdings, enabling free tuition for approximately 1,000 students.
Rendering: Studley Architects.
