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PROJECT
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Landmarked Building Is A Window-Man’s Dream Replacing nearly 5,000 windows required first winning approval of the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission.
W
hen RXR Realty, New York, acquired the
It was to be no small task. At 2.3 million sq. ft., the
adjacent to the commercial westside piers. Its unique con-
Starrett-Lehigh building, which occupies
Starrett-Lehigh building is larger than the Empire State
struction offered railway freight cars access from the west-
an entire block on Manhattan’s western
Building, which opened less than half a year earlier and
side car float pier directly into the building for unloading
stands 83 stories taller.
and storage.”
edge, the original steel windows installed for its opening in 1931, were still in place. Given the building’s roster
Starrett-Lehigh had to be enormous. It was originally
Sheer size wasn’t Starrett-Lehigh’s only distinguishing
of high-end tenants—including Martha Stewart Living
built, according to its website, as “a novel solution to
trait. The building features continuous bands of horizon-
Omnimedia, Club Monaco US, Tommy Hilfiger USA,
freight distribution. The Starrett-Lehigh freight terminal,
tal windows, each curving at the inside and outside cor-
Scholastic Corp., and McGarryBowen advertising agen-
warehouse, and office building was built directly over the
ners of the building. It has nearly 5,000 windows, with
cy—RXR prioritized a window upgrade.
Lehigh Valley Railroad Co.’s working freight yard and
the typical window standing 5 ft. wide and 9 ft. high.
26
MARCH 2019
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