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The project is scheduled to begin late 2008
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Once a bustling transportation hub, the 1909 Battery Maritime Building now sits quietly tucked along the water's edge on the southernmost tip of Manhattan. But even though it is dwarfed by the countless skyscrapers that surround it today, the city Economic Development Corporation (EDC) sees its potential.
With a $60 million exterior and structural rehabilitation complete, the EDC now has developers from the Dermot Company working to maximize the potential of this extraordinary landmark building. The company, along with the Poulakakos family, is planning a massive interior renovation, marking the start of a new chapter for this historic downtown site.
The $150 million project is slated to begin by year's end. The plan will transform the existing edifice into a fully operational, multi-use building featuring public spaces and a 135-room boutique hotel made primarily of glass. Architects from Rogers Marvel are working with the Dermot Company to elicit community feedback and ensure that the historic integrity of the Battery Maritime Building is not compromised.
For the most part, the original structure of the building -- both external and internal -- will stay entirely intact. The goal, developers say, is simply to build on top of what is already there and to preserve and restore virtually everything. Those familiar with the project say that attempting to mimic the old architectural style for the new elements, however, is not practical in today's construction market, which is why they have taken a more contemporary approach to the hotel's design.
The Battery Maritime Building currently stands three stories tall, but will rise to seven once the new luxury hotel is added. For the most part, the addition will not be visible from the street -- only from the harbor and from neighboring Whitehall Ferry Terminal.
While the renovation will ultimately keep much of the interior in its original form, a gut demolition will first strip the layers and additions that were added piecemeal to the building through the 20th century. Some nonstructural walls will be removed to help open up the interior and draw in as much natural light as possible. New electrical, plumbing, and communications systems will be installed, as will soundproof windows to quiet the sounds of ferry horns and heliport landings just outside its walls.
Developers aim to earn LEED Silver certification, making the BMB a certified "green" building by the time construction is complete in approximately two years. According to Dermot, if the project kicks off by late 2008, the downtown community will have a new hotel, community space, and public market by 2011.
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