56 Leonard Street: "Construction Will Begin Next Week"

56 Leonard Street: "Construction Will Begin Next Week"
© Tronic / Alexico Group

Finally! The construction of 56 Leonard Street is continuing after years of big "nothing". Tribeca's tallest went out in 2007 and after successful construction start, work has been halted because of financial situation. This 250m (821ft) tall piece of modern architecture is designed by Herzog & De Meuron and it's known as one of the most beautiful skyscrapers going up in New York since Art Deco masterpieces back in '20s and '30s.


For more info about this beauty, check out our previous post with more photos and renderings.

New plan proposes restart of construction this December. Because of complexity of the structure, skyscraper should be done by 2016, which means, construction should take 4 years. Here's quote from Tribeca Citizen with exact plans:

"But the concern now is the impact of construction on the surrounding neighborhood. Committee chair Peter Braus called it “shocking” that construction will last four years, including nearly two years for the facade alone.

“It’s a very complicated structure,” said Tony DelGreco, a vice president of Lend Lease (formerly Bovis Lend Lease ) and the manager of the project.

DelGreco said that the first 10 floors will go slowly because of the large cantilevered apartments. 

“When you get past the 46th floor that’s when you get all the cantilevers coming again and it slows us down again,” he said. “So this has an 18-month concrete schedule for that reason. It’s just a slower, methodical job. You have to go slow to get it right.”

DelGreco said construction will begin next week on the north side of the site where workers will begin the three-month job of chopping up the sidewalk and putting in utility vaults for Con Edison. It will take more than a year-and-a-half, beginning in December, to build the superstructure, with facade work to start next July. The building is scheduled for completion in Spring, 2016."

In short:


• October–December 2012: Con Ed vaults and foundation remediation
• December 2012–August 2014: Superstructure
• November 2012–January 2016: Mechanical, electrical, plumbing and sprinklers
• July 2013–April 2015: Façade
• August 2013–January 2016: Interiors
• Completion: Spring 2016.

Stay tuned, we will watch this one closely.

Update: Workers returned on the site, first construction update in 2013.