The Department of City Planning is finally set to propose a text amendment to NYC's zoning resolution closing the "mechanical void loophole." Currently, developers can push units into the sky by using stilts or mechanical floors that aren't deducted from the regulated floor area of the building. Building's like Central Park Tower, the future tallest roof in the city* has 350 feet of "mechanical space" below the luxury units overlooking Central Park. The result is apartments in the sky with unobstructed views, such as 220 Central Park South, that broke a record last week selling its penthouse for $238 million, the most expensive in the country! Here are some examples of built or proposed buildings with large mechanical voids: •Sky House condominium building in Flatiron at 15 E. 30th Street has 150 feet of mechanical floors, 23% of the tower's total volume. •A 775-foot skyscraper at 50 West 66th Street is planned to have 150 feet of mechanical space built in so the penthouse can be higher up. •Rafael Vinoly's 249 East 62nd Street would sit atop a 150' "mechanical" void. Central Park Tower - 350 feet of its height is devoted to structural void. The proposed zoning amendment would have mechanical floors taller than 25 feet deducted from the building's overall floor area. To keep developers from just stacking 25-foot floors on top of each other, mechanical voids must be at least 75 feet away from another. City Councilmemebr Ben Kallos commented on the proposed amendment, stating, "we're saying no to empty buildings filled with voids simply to give the 1% better views while leaving the rest of us in their shadow." What do you think of the proposed amendment? Comment below. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * A recently proposed skyscraper, "Tower Fifth" would be one foot taller than Central Park Tower if constructed – 1,551 feet. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #zoning #cityplanning #nyczoning #skyscraper #nychistory #architecture #nycarchitecture #urbanplanning #manhattan #57thstreet #centralparktower #centralpark #upperwestside #rafaelvinoly #one57 #432park #50w66 #skyhouse #flatiron #urbanism (at Central Park Tower) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtMJ_xNFCR0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=iq354v4pkb4o

The Department of City Planning is finally set to propose a text amendment to NYC's zoning resolution closing the "mechanical void loophole." Currently, developers can push units into the sky by using stilts or mechanical floors that aren't deducted from the regulated floor area of the building. Building's like Central Park Tower, the future tallest roof in the city* has 350 feet of "mechanical space" below the luxury units overlooking Central Park. The result is apartments in the sky with unobstructed views, such as 220 Central Park South, that broke a record last week selling its penthouse for $238 million, the most expensive in the country! Here are some examples of built or proposed buildings with large mechanical voids: •Sky House condominium building in Flatiron at 15 E. 30th Street has 150 feet of mechanical floors, 23% of the tower's total volume. •A 775-foot skyscraper at 50 West 66th Street is planned to have 150 feet of mechanical space built in so the penthouse can be higher up. •Rafael Vinoly's 249 East 62nd Street would sit atop a 150' "mechanical" void. Central Park Tower - 350 feet of its height is devoted to structural void. The proposed zoning amendment would have mechanical floors taller than 25 feet deducted from the building's overall floor area. To keep developers from just stacking 25-foot floors on top of each other, mechanical voids must be at least 75 feet away from another. City Councilmemebr Ben Kallos commented on the proposed amendment, stating, "we're saying no to empty buildings filled with voids simply to give the 1% better views while leaving the rest of us in their shadow." What do you think of the proposed amendment? Comment below. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * A recently proposed skyscraper, "Tower Fifth" would be one foot taller than Central Park Tower if constructed – 1,551 feet. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #zoning #cityplanning #nyczoning #skyscraper #nychistory #architecture #nycarchitecture #urbanplanning #manhattan #57thstreet #centralparktower #centralpark #upperwestside #rafaelvinoly #one57 #432park #50w66 #skyhouse #flatiron #urbanism (at Central Park Tower) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtMJ_xNFCR0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=iq354v4pkb4o