One Wall Street is in the midst of a huge $1.5 billion makeover as the 51-story Art Deco gem is converted from office use into 566 residential units, topped with a triplex that may fetch $40 million. At street level, significant activity can be seen, as parts of the facade have been removed to make way for the retail section in the building that will bring a Whole Foods to the Financial District.
The conversion into a residential tower with a retail base is being led by Harry Macklowe of Macklowe Properties. Whole Foods will be taking up around 44,000 square feet of space on the lower floors, when complete. Two other retails spots are also available in the building. The conversion is being helmed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects in a collaboration with SLCE Architects. CORE is handling the sales and marketing for the upcoming project.
Looking at the renderings, large panes of glass will protrude from the original facade, with access to Whole Foods on Broadway. Ceilings will be up to 22 feet high. Photos from the site last week show the original steel columns temporarily exposed in the cut-out stepped pattern for the new retail base.
This will be the most noticeable change in appearance for the building at street level, along with the approved addition of the extra floors at the top of its southern half. The rest of One Wall Street will appear as it has for the past 87 years, just as Ralph Walker designed and visualized it to timelessly stand out amongst the Lower Manhattan skyline.
When completed, residents of the building and those living by Wall Street will have much easier access to Whole Foods, with the current closest store all the way in Tribeca at 111 Murray Street.
Completion of One Wall Street is expected sometime around 2020.