FXCollaborative

It was exciting hearing some insights from FXCollaborative's Daniel Kaplan on the NYC housing market. To address the current housing crisis, Dan believes the city needs to be building everywhere, all the time. He explains that there are two financial models. One is privately built, city subsidized. And the second model, called inclusionary housing, is privately built, tax-induced mixed income. In the past decade, approximately 12,00 new units were built with the first model vs. the latter which produced almost 120,000 units. “Inclusionary housing is the superior model because it has real benefits for the residents and New York, in general. It’s a mix. it’s a blend, it’s integrated. Everyone enjoys the same civic infrastructure, the same amenities, the same school system. I think a better story needs to be told about this to better stimulate housing,” he states. Dan also chats with Guy Geier about office-to-residential conversions. While under-utilized office buildings are great candidates for residential as they offer high floors and lots of glass, and are located in infrastructure-rich areas, the economics don’t always make sense. “My biggest worry is that it is going to be too compelling and easy to tear these buildings down,” he says. “I think that would be a disaster from a carbon point of view. 2/3rds of the carbon is in the structural frame.” Consequently, he believes the City needs to make a more concerted effort to encourage these conversions. #architecture #affordablehousing #multfamilhousing #urbanplanning

Rubin Hall's 13th floor is BACK—just in time for Halloween. Constructed in 1928, the building originally skipped 13 in the numbering of its floors, in keeping with an architectural tradition tied to folk beliefs about 13 as a bad luck number. But after its recent passive house retrofit to make the residence hall climate-efficient and comfortable, Rubin reopened with an eye to the future and its 13th floor restored—and for good reason. A straightforward numbering system that matches the building’s architectural plans makes it easier for firefighters and other first responders to find their way to the right place in an emergency. Plus, not everybody thinks 13 is bad news. According to NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development’s Jesse Bransford, an art professor and researcher on occult traditions, the number is actually considered good luck in some circles. No one knows for sure where triskaidekaphobia—or fear of 13—comes from, but he has some theories about the cultural roots of the spooky association. 📹 : Video by Jonathan King

I like sharing interesting real estate conversion stories but rarely have any personal attachment to the projects. This one is different. This is a rendering of the reimagined Children's Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) in its future home, the former Church of Christ, Scientist, at 96th Street and Central Park West in New York City. With office-to-residential all the rage right now, church-to-children's-museum is an awesome, stand-out idea. The project was announced almost seven years ago, and it will take three more before it is completed. This is personal because I grew up going to CMOM with my sister. My parents were founding contributors to the current location, inspired by Laurie Tisch, whose philanthropy and leadership made the new location possible. Many years later, my wife and I moved just down the block from CMOM with our four-month-old first son (now 10), welcoming his brother (now 7) just over two years later. CMOM was basically an extension of our living room for them. In February 2020, we celebrated my little guy's 3rd birthday at CMOM. A month later, the world turned upside down, and we began moving out of that apartment to our current home ten blocks north. Other than the beloved annual "Sunday Funday" fundraiser, my boys have outgrown the museum, but I know it will be there for them and their own families one day. In a new home. With a great view of Central Park. Made possible by the imagination required to see a new future in old, under-utilized buildings. We need more of this imagination across all real estate assets and all across the country. I hope this story inspires you to advocate for the adaptive reuse of buildings in your neighborhood. As a reminder, I've posted previously about: Offices to residential Malls to offices Hotels to residential Warehouses to soccer fields Baseball fields to residential Offices to urban farms Movie theaters to event spaces Garages to datacenters So you have plenty to work with. What are you going to reimagine today? #realestate #futureofwork #museums #office #design #architecture #urbanplanning #conversion #adaptivereuse

We were excited to host a ribbon-cutting event for Apex Place Apartments, a Phipps Houses’ affordable housing development in Forest Hills, Queens! A huge thank you to our amazing partners FXCollaborative and Curtis + Ginsberg Architects for your dedication, support, and collaboration in helping us create a project that has made a lasting impact on our community! We also want to thank Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, New York City Council member James F. Gennaro and Queens Community Board 6 for coming out and supporting the event. We also had the opportunity to honor the legacy of Joseph Hennessey, former Forest Hills MHA President and Queens Community Board 6 Chair, in recognition of his dedicated service to the community.

Sneak peek of our members site visit today with FXCollaborative at the Calvary Baptist Church redevelopment! 👀