https://www.crainsnewyork.com/real-e...-hotel-project
Not everyone is thrilled by Extell’s proposed thrill ride in Times Square
EDDIE SMALL
June 27, 2023
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The definition of an amusement park doesn't come up often at the city's infamously dry community board meetings, but at a recent gathering of the land-use committee for Manhattan Community Board 5, this proved to be a topic of lively debate.
"Amusement parks have many different definitions," said Kramer Levin attorney Paul Selver. "But one thing they all target is multiple rides, multiple shows, multiple refreshment areas and games of chance and skill. They don't talk about a single ride."
At issue was an indoor drop ride that real estate heavyweight Extell Development Co. wants to include in the massive hotel project it is planning at 740 Eighth Ave., between West 45th and West 46th streets in the heart of the Theater District. The ride would hoist visitors 260 feet in the air before sending them plummeting down in a free fall. Extell has compared it in application materials to the Zumanjaro, a ride at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey also known as the "Drop of Doom."
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….. community resistance to the attraction is still brewing, even though stopping Extell from including it in the hotel remains a long shot. There is opposition to the ride itself and to the way the city approved it by ruling that it could be considered an accessory use for a hotel, similar to amenities like pools and spas. George Janes, a zoning expert who runs a specialty planning firm, has filed a challenge to this approval with the DOB. Though he is skeptical that the agency will agree with him given that it already approved the design, he is holding out some hope given how unusual this case is.
"The idea that amusement park rides are customarily found in connection with hotels is absurd on its face," he said. "They're not."
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Times Square Alliance President Tom Harris is a strong supporter of Extell's hotel project and said the drop ride would fit right in with the neighborhood. He predicted such attractions would likely be a trend going forward not just for the hotel industry but for the city overall, especially Times Square.
“It's the entertainment district. At its base, this is entertainment," he said. "When people come to Times Square, they want a really great, unique experience, and these attractions are a way to give it to them."
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The hotel would be massive even without the ride. Extell plans for the roughly 776,000-square-foot structure to include more than 1,000 rooms, multiple restaurants and bars, a gym, on-site shopping and an observation deck. The drop itself would be above the hotel portion of the project and below the observation deck, stand about 260 feet tall and last 84 seconds in total.
The hotel and its indoor ride abide by zoning rules and were approved by the city, said Extell spokeswoman Anna LaPorte. They also are in the Theater District, she noted, which is supposed to encourage entertainment and amusement attractions.
"More importantly, this building will provide significant economic development benefits to the city of New York," she said. The building "signifies the innovation that this city is known for all around the world, and we expect not just one attraction but the entire building to attract locals and tourists alike."
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Not everyone is thrilled about a thrill ride coming to Midtown. Olive Freud, president of the Committee for Environmentally Sound Development, a group that previously fought against a residential tower at 200 Amsterdam Ave., said adding the ride was just a way for Extell to convince city officials to let them build a bigger project.
"The only reason is to make the thing taller," she said. "They're doing the wrong thing for Manhattan. They're doing the wrong thing for New York. It's impossible, and all they can do is bring in more density."
The hotel will be 52 stories and 1,067 feet tall, according to Freud's group. Extell did not dispute these figures, and the developer did not provide an estimated total cost for the project.
Freud's group engaged Janes to prepare the zoning challenge against the ride. He slammed the lack of input elected and other city officials have so far had on what he characterized as a potentially major change to Midtown. The start of what could turn the neighborhood into Disney World should receive much more planning and input than it has so far, he said.
“New York City gets an enormous amount of tourists. They see shows, walk Times Square, see the city lights, have wonderful food, but they don't go on amusement park rides unless they go to Coney Island, and this is bringing Coney Island to Midtown," he said. "It seems to me like a very important planning question."
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Land-use Chair Layla Law-Gisiko emphasized that this opposition had nothing to do with the ride itself but rather with the fact that it was improper for the city to consider a ride as an accessory to a hotel. She was concerned about the precedent this could set, particularly as developers eye Midtown for a potential casino project.
"Do I believe that amusement rides are appropriate for Midtown? Honestly, I don't know. I have no idea. Maybe it's fantastic," she said. "But what I know is that it's a use that is not permitted."
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Last edited by NYguy; Jun 27, 2023 at 4:23 PM.
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