The city that never sleeps is also the city that restlessly reinvents itself. Two legendary landmarks — the Waldorf Astoria at 50th Street and Park Avenue and the Palace Theatre at 1568 Broadway — are undergoing visionary changes.
Expansion of the Waldorf Astoria will recast it as a mixed-use luxury property that includes a completely renovated hotel, residential condominiums and extensive retail opportunities. Our team represented an affiliate of Anbang Insurance Co., the new owner, on all land use and landmark processes for this extensive reimagining of the original hotel. The Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously approved the project in April 2017 as a direct result of our counsel and work, determining that the planned renovations and upgrades of the hotel’s interior were sensitive to the special historical and architectural qualities of this storied East Side institution.
Judy Garland raised the roof of the Palace Theatre when she performed there in 1951 for an unprecedented 19-week concert run. Today, it’s the theater’s ground floor that’s getting a lift, with help from Kramer Levin. The project calls for elevating the ground floor of the legendary theater some 30 feet to accommodate on-grade retail on the ground floor in Times Square. In the process, the Nederlander Organization, which owns this interior landmark, will benefit from a comprehensive renovation and modernization of the 100-year-old theater.