Updated: 4:39 p.m., Dec 16: After grappling with opponents for years, Howard Hughes Corp. canceled plans to build a 40-plus story condo/hotel at the former site of the Fulton Fish Market at the South Street Seaport.
“There will be no residential tower on the site,” Christopher Curry, a Howard Hughes vice president told a meeting of Community Board 1 on Tuesday. The firm will build a smaller commercial building instead. Curry didn’t explain the company’s logic or offer any details, DNAinfo reported.
Dallas-based Howard Hughes, which land leases the Seaport from the city, had originally planned a 52-story tower at the site, then later scaled their plans back to 42 stories. Part of the building was to be condominiums, and part a hotel.
Local residents and preservationists pushed back hard against the project, saying the height would overwhelm the area and block views of the Brooklyn Bridge.
The Real Deal profiled Howard Hughes in depth this February.
A spokesperson for Howard Hughes provided the following statement:
“We continue to work on a revised mixed-use development plan taking into account feedback from the community and elected officials which requests the omission of a residential tower.” [DNAinfo] – Ariel Stulberg
Correction: A previous version of this article stated that another Howard Hughes project at the Seaport, Pier 17, was just approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. It was actually approved in 2013. The recent approval was minor modifications to the plan. A statement from the developer was also added.