Eleven Times Square:

TOPPED OFF!

Designers, developers and construction team members participate in a "topping out" ceremony at 11 Times Square on November 12, 2008.

In August of this year, the New York Post designated SJP Properties' 11 Times Square, currently under construction at the southeast corner of 8th Avenue and 42nd street, as a development "project to watch". And New York's commercial real estate and development communities DID watch, as the 1.1 million square foot speculative office tower rocketed ahead of schedule towards completion.

On November 12th, a "topping out" ceremony was held to mark a milestone in the construction of this 600-foot building. (In building construction, the phrase "topping out" or "topping off" refers to the placement of the last beam atop a building). The building employs several innovative and cutting-edge construction techniques, including the use of a structural steel and concrete core system that for the first time in New York City's history, was completed prior to the building's steel frame, creating one of the most efficient and secure buildings in the world.

For more information about the 11 Times Square project, please visit http://eleventimessquare.com/.

Port Authority Possibilities

Design rendering for Port Authority Office Tower.

On November 17th, renderings were released for a planned office tower atop the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 8th Avenue.

The planned 42-story tower, designed by architecture firm Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, will include 1.3 million square feet of office space and a complete renovation for the 40,000 square feet of retail space currently along the north side of the terminal.

In addition, the new design calls for 18 new gates that can hold an additional 70 buses, for a grand total of about 3,000 more passengers at the terminal's peak hours (the facility currently has 223 gates that handle 7,000 buses and 200,000 commuters each day).

For more information about this project, please click here.