Village Blueprints – Building the Neighborhood’s Future

11 West 13th Street Joins New Construction in Greenwich Village

By Brian J Pape, AIA

Even through the depths of the Covid pandemic, construction continued in Greenwich Village on both remodelings and new buildings. Despite statements from developers that there are no more construction sites available in the Village, somehow, new projects keep springing up.

One of the most controversial new construction projects is 11 West 13th Street (formerly addressed as 5 West 13th Street) for The Greenwich Spire, a 30-story residential skyscraper. The through-lot property is alternately addressed as 8–12 West 14th Street which is near Fifth Avenue and Union Square. The project is being led by Legion Investment Group and EJS Group, which bought the site for $57 million in 2024.

Village Preservation has been calling attention to the fact that the builders of the 30-story tower are utilizing “City of Yes” zoning provisions in its construction which they say has shifted real estate regulations too far in favor of developers, while disregarding objections from local residents. It was hawked to citizens as a way incentivize the construction of affordable housing to address the city’s critical housing crisis.

In an October 6, 2025 OUR TOWN article, Andrew Berman, executive director of Village Preservation explains that his letter to Department of Buildings Commissioner James “Jimmy” Oddo is essentially structured as the endorsement of a previous letter sent by George Janes, a zoning specialist.

Janes makes a few elaborate objections to the zoning plans as is, the first being that “the building does not comply with ZR-35 61.” It violates “street wall base minimum height” requirements and the proposal’s facade is not aligned with the character of the buildings next to it. This is important for “contextual zoning” regulations intended to create a consistent visual experience for locals.

Secondly, Janes and Berman argue that the proposal “has too much [residential] floor area.” They contend that some of the floor area has not been properly accounted for, which would put it out of compliance with zoning laws.

Finally, they argue that the developer’s zoning application has a “deficient” zoning drawing (“ZD1”), which is a visual illustration of the proposed tower. “The ZD1 is not complete and does not follow the required instructions for such a drawing, containing errors and omissions which should have prompted a rejection by the Department,” Berman wrote in his letter to the DOB.

Janes wrote that “this applicant ignored the [ZD1] guide and submitted a document that clearly does not meet the Department’s minimum requirements,” noting that there “are substantial differences of hundreds of square feet per floor [emphasis his].”

On this basis alone, Janes adds, the DOB should reject the developer’s zoning application. The Department of Buildings rejected the challenge, saying that the proposed super-luxury tower does in fact conform.

The 538-foot-tall tower, reportedly ten times taller than many buildings in the surrounding area, is slated to complete construction in 2028. It will offer 34 condo units rather than 36, with an average scope of 3,200 square feet, and stand out sharply from the low-rise buildings that currently characterize the Greenwich Village neighborhood ─ and includes no affordable housing. Residential amenities will include a gym, swimming pool, golf simulator, pet grooming room, library and lounge, seven enclosed parking spaces, and bicycle storage.

There is a two-story podium instead of a typical five-story front along West 14th Street, leading to a motor courtyard with a porte-cochere entrance. The car port “paints a pretty accurate picture of what this place is gonna be like,” Berman said, and “also bumps up against one of the main tenets of ‘City of Yes,’ which was a move away from car-centric development and towards transit-oriented development.” The development site is located in close proximity to Union Square, providing convenient access to many subway lines.

Contrary to all that criticism, the architect KPF claims on its website that the design for The Greenwich Spire is “a Contextually Driven Residential Tower. The slender residential tower draws inspiration from the neighborhood character and material palette of Downtown Manhattan.”

“Greenwich Village has always possessed a rare quality –– an intimacy that somehow coexists with the grandeur of the city around it,” says KPF Design Principal Trent Tesch. “With The Greenwich Spire, we sought to honor that duality — from the handcrafted texture of the wire-cut brick facade, which roots the tower in the warmth and craft of the neighborhood, to its slender, setback crown, which claims its place among the most timeless buildings in the Manhattan skyline.”

The project will also include 2,300 square feet of ground-floor retail space with two storefronts. Leroy Street Studio is in charge of interior designs.

Despite the widely opposing expert opinion on just what this zoning and this project is, the Greenwich Spire’s anticipated completion date is mid-2028 and there doesn’t seem to be any impediment to its progress now.

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140 Jane Condo Nearing Completion

By Brian J Pape, AIA

Some of the most interesting new edifices in New York have been built along the platinum shore of West Street. Famous architects have plied their talents from Canal Street up to 23rd Street, among them Frank Gehry, Rick Cook, Jean Nouvel, Norman Foster, Richard Meier, and Bjarke Ingels. More new buildings are generally replacing parking lots or smaller taxpayer buildings outside the historic districts.

We’ve watched the progress of 140 Jane Street since it was announced in 2021. We reported on the slow early start on the foundation work and how, in 2024, things picked up.

Developed by Aurora Capital Associates, listing 134 Jane Street LLC as the owner, designed by Leroy Street Studio (LSS) with BKSK Architects as executive architects, the 11-story, 120-foot-tall, 105,804 square foot structure is finally nearing completion, much to the relief of the many buyers who invested well before this stage.

According to multiple reports, the developer Robert Cayre announced that one-third of the units were sold last year, and all but one is now in contract. In 2024, Penthouse 8 sold for $87.5 million for its 6-bedroom, 7-bath, 9,540 square-foot layout. If the condo closes for its listing price, the deal will set a new record for downtown Manhattan, exceeding a unit at the Witkoff Group’s 150 Charles that sold in 2024 for $60 million, roughly double what they paid for it nine years earlier.

Apartment 7N sold for $23.5 million for its 4-bedroom, 5-bath, 4,600 square-foot layout. PH10 is a 5- bedroom, 6-bath, 5,511 square foot unit marketed at $41 million. Unit 2N has four bedrooms and 4.5 baths and went into contract for almost $20 million.

The designers have paid special attention to taking advantage of this prime site and its river views. While its location blocks views of previous residences to the east, special care has been taken to angle the floor-to-ceiling windows slightly toward the west, though still an oblique view of the river. Incorporating balconies or terraces adds more opportunities to capture the river views. In an unusual gesture to reinforce the river views, a tower-like projection of rooms in the northwest corner of the building gives west-facing windows to floors 8-11. The precast concrete window surrounds have a stone-like texture with just enough mass to keep the perception of an all-glass building at bay. The heavy masonry arched openings at the ground floor will give pedestrians a radically different perception of the building than looking at it from a distance. When the developers are targeting the super-wealthy, the focus turns from housing issues to prestige gestures. Protecting the residents from “street people” demands a car court and concealed parking, amenities that seldom will be used, and a location that is becoming rarer and rarer.

LSS’s website describes the work as, “Inspired by the rich heritage and architectural significance of the West Village, 140 Jane Street is a celebration of craft and context. Nestled on a tranquil cobblestone street with views of the Hudson River, this boutique condominium features 15 immaculate residences designed inside and out by Leroy Street Studio. With unique conservatories, private balconies, or terraces in nearly all residences, 140 Jane Street provides an enticing blend of indoor and outdoor living, alongside a collection of beautifully appointed amenities including a porte-cochere, automated parking garage, lap pool, hot tub, and private park.”

The site is at the end of Jane Street where Tenth Avenue, Lincoln Highway, and West Street converge, and the only area where West Street is a local-only street in front of the Jane Hotel. Completion is estimated for early 2027.