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520 Fifth Avenue is a mixed-use supertall building under construction at Fifth Avenue and 43rd Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. The building occupies the former site of three structures. Mickey Rabina is developing the building, and architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox designed the structure and serves as architect of record. The interior design is by Charles & Co.
| 520 Fifth Avenue | |
|---|---|
 Artist's impression | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Under construction |
| Classification | Mixed-use |
| Coordinates | 40°45′16″N 73°58′50″W |
| Construction started | 2022 |
| Estimated completion | 2025[1] |
| Height | 1,001 feet (305 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 76 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Kohn Pedersen Fox |
| Developer | Mickey Rabina |
The site of the skyscraper was formerly occupied by three buildings: 516 and 518 Fifth Avenue, and an office building at the 520 Fifth Avenue address. Aby Rosen of RFR Realty, who owned 516 and 518 Fifth Avenue, unsuccessfully attempted to redevelop that site before the Great Recession of the 2000s. RFR and Tahl-Propp Equities tried to redevelop the site again in the late 2000s, and Thor Equities tried to build a 71-story building there before selling the site to joint venture between Ceruzzi Properties and SMI USA in 2015. Rabina bought the sites in 2019 and filed plans for a skyscraper there in 2021. As of 2024[update], construction is expected to be finished in 2025.
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Attempted redevelopment efforts
The site of the skyscraper was formerly occupied by three buildings: 516 and 518 Fifth Avenue, and an office building at the 520 Fifth Avenue address.[2][3] Before the Great Recession of the 2000s, Aby Rosen owned 516 and 518 Fifth Avenue.[3] Through his firm, RFR, Rosen at one time intended to partner with Hines to develop 516 Fifth Avenue into a mixed-use skyscraper designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli, though these plans were never realized.[4]
Later, RFR entered into a joint venture with Tahl-Propp Equities, owner of 520 Fifth Avenue, planning to either redevelop the site occupied by the three structures, or to sell the three buildings to another developer or investor.[3] RFR and Tahl-Propp entered into the deal to redevelop or sell the composite site in 2007.[3] After a legal dispute between RFR and Tahl-Propp, RFR purchased 516 and 518 Fifth Avenue, paying approximately $10 million for each building.[5] RFR did not redevelop the site, and Thor Equities began the process of purchasing the buildings from Rosen's firm in 2011,[6] ultimately finalizing its purchase in 2012.[7][8] An image of a six-story retail component for the site was released in February 2014.[9] In December 2014, Thor filed to build a 71-story, 920-foot skyscraper on a three-story retail podium.[10] Handel Architects was the architect of record for this design.[10]
Thor did not proceed with the building, and ultimately sold the site to a joint venture between Ceruzzi Properties and SMI USA for $325 million in 2015.[11] The firms received financing in the form of loans from JPMorgan Chase and Fisher Brothers.[12] New York YIMBY reported that the two firms would proceed with plans for a building designed by Handel Architects, originally produced for Thor.[13][14] In an interview in 2015, Louis Ceruzzi, founder of Ceruzzi Properties, stated the firm intended to begin construction on the site in early 2016.[15] Lou Ceruzzi had wanted to develop a structure with three stories of retail, 145 residential condominiums, and an eight-story hotel with 208 rooms.[8] In 2017, Ceruzzi and SMI received a bridge loan from Mack Real Estate Credit Strategies, which took the place of the earlier financing.[16] Lou Ceruzzi died that year,[8] and The Real Deal reported that the two firms were looking for a third development partner in 2018.[17] New York City developers including Extell and Zeckendorf were among the potential partners considered.[17] In 2018, Ceruzzi and SMI defaulted on the Mack loan.[18] Mack placed the loan for sale through HFF.[18]
Rabina development
The developer Mickey Rabina purchased the site in 2019 for $205 million.[19] Rabina repaid Mack during the process of buying the site,[8][20] and he secured a new mortgage for $110 million from Bank OZK.[20] Bank OZK made the construction loan to the project's developer despite a drop in foot traffic on Fifth Avenue (attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic) due to project's residential component and the enduring strength of the Manhattan residential market.[21] At the time, the developers tentatively planned to construct a 76-story skyscraper rising 920 feet (280 m).[22] Plans for a building designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox were filed in early 2021, replacing the earlier Thor (and subsequently Ceruzzi and SMI) plan designed by Handel Architects.[22][23] The plans called for a skyscraper rising 896 feet (273 m), with about 100 residences.[22] In addition, the facade was to be made of terracotta rather than glass.[8] New York YIMBY reported that Kohn Pedersen Fox had redesigned the plans for the skyscraper in December 2021.[24]
Rabina received a combined $540 million in construction financing from Bank OZK and The Carlyle Group in March 2022.[25][26] Excavation began at the site between December 2021 and March 2022,[27] and was still underway in July 2022.[28] Work on the building's foundation began later in 2022.[29] Construction was above street level as of March 2023.[30] New York YIMBY reported that the installation of the building's facade was underway in October 2023.[31] Sales at the building began in April 2024, with the cheapest apartments selling for $1.7 million.[32][33] Three-fifths of the apartments had been sold by that October,[8] when the building was topped out.[34][35][36] At the time, the first residents were scheduled to move into 520 Fifth Avenue in 2025, while the building was expected to be completed the following year.[34]
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The building was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox.[1][37] James von Klemperer, the president of Kohn Pedersen Fox, has said the firm drew inspiration from the works of Hugh Ferriss and from buildings near the site when designing the building.[1][34] In particular, von Klemperer cited the Fred F. French Building,[34] Century Association Building, the New York Public Library Main Branch, and Grand Central Terminal as inspiring the building's design.[1][37][38]
Exterior
The facade contains arched windows, each measuring 10 feet (3.0 m) wide and 10 feet high,[32][39] which are interspersed with fluted piers.[37] There are several setbacks, which are placed asymmetrically on the exterior massing.[37][40] These setbacks create several terraces, which are arranged in a spiraling pattern.[40][39] The windows on the upper stories are progressively larger, while the ground story has a colonnade.[40] The top of the building is approximately 1,000 feet (300 m) tall.[37][39]
Interior
Vicky Charles of Charles & Co. designed 520 Fifth Avenue's interior.[32][34][39] The building's main entrance is through a lobby with walls of walnut wood and a floor of mosaic tiles.[32][39] The building will be mixed-use, with 100 residences[8][32] and office space, in addition to restaurants on the first three stories.[41] The lower portion of the building, from floors 9 to 34,[34] will be used as office space,[32] spanning approximately 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2).[23] Each of the office stories has a separate heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, as well as outdoor terraces and movable windows.[34]
The upper stories, between floors 42 and 80, include apartments with between one and four bedrooms each.[34] The interiors are painted in neutral colors and have crystal, brass, and wood decorations.[36] In the apartments are kitchens with walnut cabinets, bathrooms with marble floors, and ceilings measuring 10 to 14 feet (3.0 to 4.3 m) high.[32][33] The five highest residences are penthouse apartments, which each occupy a full story.[33] On the top floor, which is numbered as the 88th because of its 880-foot (270 m) height above ground level,[34] is a private club with a game room, library, sun room, and dining room.[32][33] According to Vicky Charles, the residences used "rich colors, hand-printed wallcoverings, soft warm plasters, custom crystal chandeliers, buttery leathers, and luxurious plush upholstery".[38]
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