Hotel Pennsylvania

[tombarnes]

Hotel Pennsylvania May Be Slated for Demolition

This small article I picked up from Hotel Chatter suggests that the Vornado Realty Trust may replace the venerable Hotel Pennsylvania with an office building by 2011. There is no question that the rooms are small, and that the hotel needs major work. I'd even be happy to see the exterior preserved, while ditching most of the interior. Sadly, the interior has been cruelly mangled over the years. Still, outright demolition seems beyond the pale for this building. After all, this was designed by McKim, Mead & White! While it was not one of their most noted works, it is still better than a lot of the schlock buildings which are allowed to stand. Nobody cares about landmark buildings in New York anymore? Scratching head here...

WNYC

More from Bloomberg.

[Manolos]

the interior of that hotel is disgusting....the exterior and lobby are nice, they should do major renovations and then it would be ok.

[tombarnes]

I looked at pictures of the interior on the hotel's website yesterday. Yup, it's pretty disgusting now. The original lobby is all but gone now, and the rooms are simply sad. I still think the exterior should be incorporated into whatever takes the place of the hotel.

[mallguy]

Vornado recently bought the adjoining Manhattan Mall, described in a recent real estate article as a "disaster", and plans to do some redevelopment of the mall. Vornado now controls the whole block. I'd guess that the hotel will be changed as well in tandem with the mall's redevelopment.

[Cotuit]

Vornado recently bought the adjoining Manhattan Mall, described in a recent real estate article as a "disaster"

[lammius]

Hotel PA is kinda dirty. I've been in there once before (a friend stayed there). But hey, it's cheap and it's next to the Penn Station!

Manhattan Mall, while I hate the concept of a suburban mall in Midtown, is convenient. I walk by every day on my way to/from work and after stopping in 2 duane reades and a music shop in K-town, I was able to find earbuds at the mall's radio shack. I think if there must be a "mall" in Manhattan, Herald Square is the place for it.

[tombarnes]

While it appears as though most people in the world of landmark preservation in New York have all but abandoned the Hotel Pennsylvania to its fate, a few groups (even if they are fringe groups) are out there trying to raise public awareness of its imminent destruction. I have no doubt that the rooms there would qualify as disgusting and that the interiors have suffered major alterations over the years. I still think the exterior and key elements of the interior should be retained. This is still a major landmark building and a key element in the renewal of the area. Its destruction is needless.

The New York Observer

[tombarnes]

End of the Penn?

The Vornado Realty Trust, it would appear., had given the Hotel Pennsylvania a new lease on life last summer when they tabled their plans for demolishing the landmark building and replacing it with a hulking pile of glass. Now they are back to their old plan and have revived their intention to destroy the building and build anew. No one is pretending that the hotel is in good condition today, but the shell should certainly be preserved. It is foolish to do otherwise.

Exterior 11/08

OK, so the lobby lookes like the Port Authority. I still think this building deserves more than the wrecking ball.

[StevenRocks]

The only thing that would save that shell would be a major preservation protest, and I can't see that happening. At least the chatter about Macy's moving to the site has calmed.

[tombarnes]

Just what is it about economic downturns which supposedly gives license to owners to destroy buildings in the name of expediency? We shall probably be seeing more of this sort of excuse in the near future. I'm afraid I agree that few are likely to turn out in support of this building, but its importance should not be unnoticed. In truth, I'd think it would be far less expensive to retain the shell and build within than to build whatever plastic extravaganza they are contemplating. It may be less expensive to tear the building down and build...anything...on the site, but is this building likely to be replaced by something better? I doubt it very much.

[skylinefan]

Wow, this discussion caught my eye because I came very close to staying at this Hotel when I was in NYC back in December. This might have been asked earlier but is this Hotel designated as an historic landmark?

[tombarnes]

I believe the buiding has nominal protection under the landmark statutes. However, the preservation board appears unwilling to go to bat to save the building.