Empire State Of Fuck You

The New York City Council approved zoning and land use changes today to pave the way for a 1,190-foot tower at 15 Penn Plaza, and the owner of the Empire State Building ain't happy.

The project is still in the planning stages by developer Vornado Realty Trust, who have no date for its construction and has yet to sign a major commercial tenant. The landmark's owner, Anthony Malkin, called it an "assault on New York City and its iconography." He left out, "and on my hugely profitable investment." Council members voted overwhelmingly in favor of the project, stating New York City and its world-famous skyline cannot afford to be frozen in time and must embrace new investments. "We can't make decisions based on one building...the city has to grow, and it's going to continue to grow." And besides, they're already down two building from 2001.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg also backed the project this week, dismissing Malkin's argument as delusional. "Anybody that builds a building in New York City changes its skyline — we don't have to run around to every other owner and apologize. One guy owns a building, he'd like to have it be the only tall building — I'm sorry, that's not the real world."

Vornado needed the council's action to rezone the area to accommodate a more dense development than local ordinances allow. The developer also needed the city's approval for transit improvements that Vornado has promised to finance. Lawmakers were told at a hearing that wider rail platforms at nearby Penn Station, better access to subway lines and the reopening of an underground passage connecting nearby subway lines and commuter trains to New Jersey would be part of the project

Plans envision a 67-story office tower two blocks west of the Empire State Building, which stands 102 stories and 1,454 feet but has an 86th-floor observation deck about 1,050 feet above ground. Malkin had lobbied the council to cut the tower by one-third the proposed height. The Empire State Building was the city's tallest when it was completed in November 1930, and hosts more than 3.8 million visitors each year. On a clear day, they say the view stretches 80 miles, as far as Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.