Epress.am News from Armenia
City authorities on Wednesday approved plans to build a 67-floor skyscraper near New York City’s tallest structure, the Empire State Building, over objections from owners of the iconic landmark, AP reports.
The full city council overwhelmingly approved the project in a 47-1 vote. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has already voiced support for the building.
The new skyscraper, currently named 15 Penn Plaza and designed by the architectural firm Pelli Clarke Pelli, will go up two blocks from the Empire State building and across the street from Penn Station, a major bus and rail hub.
Empire State Building owner Anthony Malkin had asked the city to reject approval, arguing that the new structure would ruin the view from his legendary art deco building, raised in 1931.
“This is not about banning tall buildings, but about preserving the very uniqueness of the New York City skyline,” the Empire State Building owners said in a statement.
Mayor Bloomberg dismissed the claim. The new structure “would be a great addition to our skyline,” he said recently.