NYC buildings to be highlighted during second annual OHNY

Real Estate Weekly, Sept 8, 2004

Openhousenewyork has announced its second annual openhousenewyork weekend, presented by Target Stores. which will take place Saturday, October 9 and Sunday, October 10. OHNY Weekend promotes awareness of New York's incredible achievements in architecture and design by providing the public with free access to spectacular sites of historic and contemporary significance in neighborhoods throughout all five boroughs.

Building on the success of its first event in 2003, which was the largest of its kind in city history, OHNY will expand its reach this year to encompass 100 sites, including the magnificent new facility for Jazz at Lincoln Center, designed by Rafael Vi oly. Jazz at Lincoln Center will provide a sneak preview of select spaces for OHNY Weekend, prior to its official public opening on October 18. Other new, notable sites include the Old Croton Aqueduct, the TWA Terminal, a midnight tour of Times Square, the last New York townhouse designed by architect Paul Rudolph, the studio of fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez, as well as popular 2003 sites such as the Pratt Institute Power Plant and Grand Lodge of Masons.

"Last year, the tremendous public response to our inaugural event exceeded our wildest expectations, with more than 45,000 visitors from all five boroughs, 32 states and 25 countries," said Scott Lauer, executive director and founder of OHNY, a private, non-profit organization dedicated to engaging the public and increasing awareness and appreciation of New York's built environment. "With the continued focus on matters affecting the design of our city--plans for a proposed West Side stadium, the 2012 Olympics and, most significantly, the redevelopment of lower Manhattan--it is more important than ever to increase public knowledge and understanding of architecture and design."

OHNY Weekend features a diverse array of sites, many of which are normally off limits to the public, from the historic to the cutting-edge, including private residences, design studios and art galleries, industrial infrastructure, such as power substations and water towers, and special access to monuments, landmarks, and buildings under development.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg cuts the ceremonial ribbon signaling the official opening of The River Plaza in the Bronx on August 24. Looking on (from l. to r.) are assemblyman Adriano Espaillat, assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Jr., NYC councilman G. Oliver Koppell, Paul Travis and Aaron Malinsky, of Kingsbridge Associates, and councilman Miguel Martinez. River Plaza Is the largest retail development to open in the Bronx in more than a decade. Developed by Kingsbridge Associates, on the former site of a vacant warehouse and other abandoned industrial buildings, the 235,000 s/f retail center will create more than 1,000 jobs, and is anchored by a 35,000 s/f Marshall's and a 130,000 s/f Target store. The privately financed, $90-million development is expected to generate $12 million in annual tax revenue for the City.