(Thumbnail Image: Vornado Realty Trust)

BY MATTHEW HIBBARD

New York City recently approved a new skyscraper in mid-town Manhattan 67 stories high. The new building rivals the current skyscraper heavyweight, the Empire State Building.

New York station WABC reports the new tower could very well change the view of the city.


“Critics say the midtown skyline isn’t big enough for both, that the Empire State building should stand alone. But the new project would put an enormous office tower two and half blocks away transforming the face of the city for generations to come.”


The building is called 15 Penn Plaza, will reach a height of about 1,216 feet, which puts it just 34 feet shy of the Empire State Building and will be accessible to New York’s busiest transportation hub, Penn Station. Mayor Michael Bloomberg tells reporters in the Guardian newspaper...


"Anybody that builds a building in New York City changes its skyline. We don't have to run around to every other owner and apologize ... one guy owns a building and he'd like to have it be the only tall building. I'm sorry, that's not the real world ...”


The owner of the Empire State building sees the situation differently.

“This is an issue of a size 22 foot and a size 12 shoe, it’s just bloody big. In this corner Anthony Malkin, owner of the Empire State building says the proposed tower would block views of his iconic building from the west and forever block the New York skyline. The developers says the skyline would look like this, the Empire State building people say it would look like this.” (WINS)

Construction is unlikely to begin until an anchor tenant is found. For now, Ralph Gardner Jr. of The Wall Street Journal notices the back and forth tension between the two giants.



”Regardless of whether such a behemoth makes economic sense, given the economy's anemic present and uncertain future and the fact that it doesn't have a main tenant yet, I must confess that I love such Godzilla vs. King Kong bouts...”

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn says the project would create some 6,000 new construction jobs and $3.3 billion in new economic output.  



So what do you think? Will this new skyscraper be an eyesore for the New York skyline or a positive sign that the economy is moving forward?