Swig tells GlobeSt.com that construction on the all-glass tower development, which includes the US debut of the Nobu Hotel and Residences and a Nobu restaurant, will take anywhere from 20 to 24 months to build, "and I am assuming that we will be in a better market then, than we are today." Although Swig says he has construction cost numbers, he cannot provide them at this time. He did note that he anticipates ground-breaking in the third quarter of this year.
He explains that it is a great time to be Downtown. "There are more and more tenants heading there." The tower will be located in the heart of Lower Manhattan's Financial District neighborhood at 45 Broad St., across and down the street from the New York Stock Exchange.
 Baye |
"Although we are in a tighter money market, I have no doubt in Swig's ability to get things done," he says, although he explains that as with any situation, there are always risks to consider. "We are talking about looking at the future and what it's going to look like two years from now," he says. "It's always a gamble, because you never know what things are going to be like a few years from now, however I believe that area will be very much alive."
Baye notes that the key to success, is to keep the people that are down there right now, down there. "Hopefully, these large companies will stay downtown. Do we need condo/hotels Downtown?" he queries, "yes. There is a demand and there will be a need for more hotel rooms as current projects such as the WTC get completed. I feel positive about the future here."
Recommended For You
 Lesser |
Lesser continues that the World Trade Center site is the top visited downtown tourist destination, with more than five million visitors expected annually once the memorial and museum open. "Once completed, the World Trade Center Transportation hub and the Fulton Street Transit Center are anticipated to revolutionize commuting and travel patterns for the city of New York as a whole, and will position downtown as a world class neighborhood."
Lesser tells GlobeSt.com that similar to all of Manhattan, "Downtown is currently 'under-hoteled' with a variety of new lodging projects in various stages of development. Given the increased corporate and leisure/transient demand expected during the foreseeable future, occupancy levels should remain strong coupled with continued growth in room rates above inflationary levels."
The state of Downtown as a whole, will be spotlighted on May 13 at RealShare Downtown New York. Both Swig and Lesser will participate as speakers at the event.
 Saft |
 Jackson |
One question has to be in the residential component, she says. "The market remains relatively strong in Manhattan but one might question the ease in marketing this number of units in this submarket. Still, we have seen a lot of interest in luxury residential units from foreigners--who find the weak dollar to their advantage."
Jackson agrees with Lesser in that tourism is strong in the City. She also notes that "while the press talks about a 'growing' recession, Manhattan remains relatively strong (in most areas). By the time this project opens, even Wall Street may be on stronger footing."
Jackson did express concern about the downtown location versus midtown, but she says that "hotels have worked before downtown, and with new office product over time, should work again."
 45 Broad St. |
Swig Equities will serve as the exclusive sales and marketing agent for the project. According to the Alliance for Downtown New York, Lower Manhattan has one of the highest median household income rates, having increased 47% since 2004 to $162,700.
The building will be sustainable, meeting design and construction requirements for LEED Certification by the US Green Building Council for environmental responsibility and energy efficiency. Swig tells GlobeSt.com that the decision to go green was easy. "It is the right thing to do. Buildings account for the most amount of greenhouse emissions. It was a pretty straight forward decision to "be responsible."
© Touchpoint Markets, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more inforrmation visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Natalie Dolce
Natalie Dolce, editor-in-chief of GlobeSt.com, is responsible for working with editorial staff, freelancers and senior management to help plan the overarching vision that encompasses GlobeSt.com, including short-term and long-term goals for the website, how content integrates through the company’s other product lines and the overall quality of content. Previously she served as national executive editor and editor of the West Coast region for GlobeSt.com and Real Estate Forum, and was responsible for coverage of news and information pertaining to that vital real estate region. Prior to moving out to the Southern California office, she was Northeast bureau chief, covering New York City for GlobeSt.com. Her background includes a stint at InStyle Magazine, and as managing editor with New York Press, an alternative weekly New York City paper. In her career, she has also covered a variety of beats for M magazine, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, FashionLedge.com, and Co-Ed magazine. Dolce has also freelanced for a number of publications, including MSNBC.com and Museums New York magazine.
