NYC's Never-Built Buildings

It seems like there are new buildings being put up in NYC every day, and we’ve definitely seen some impressive construction feats lately. However, not every construction project makes it to the finish line — some don’t make it past the design phase. These are some of NYC’s never-built buildings.

The Key Project for Ellis Island

Ellis Island had long been known as the country’s busiest immigrant inspection station, which has caused developers to debate what to do with the space. In 1954, Frank Lloyd Wright had his bid approved to create a “city of the future” featuring apartments for 7,500 residents that rose in offset stacks as well as hospitals, churches, schools, and a sports arena. Ambitious as it was, the plan was eventually rejected by the U.S. General Services Administration since Ellis Island was declared a national monument in 1965.

Photo via Tumblr

St. Mark’s-in-the-Bouwerie Residence Towers

St. Mark’s-in-the-Bowery is the oldest site of continuous worship in NYC, originally opened in 1799. In 1927, William Norman Guthrie, the Church’s rector, hired Frank Lloyd Wright to design apartment towers made of concrete and glass. The design had the apartments getting bigger as they rose. While it was Guthrie’s hope that the apartments would be located around the Church, the Great Depression left the Church nearly bankrupt, so the St. Mark’s-in-the-Bouwerie apartments never happened.

The Habitat New York

In 1968, architect, Moshe Safdie, presented his idea for “modern-day Utopias” called “New York I and II” in an effort to prevent New Yorkers from moving out of the city to the suburbs. Originally designed to span over what is now FDR Drive, the project moved to empty piers near the Fulton Fish Market and the designs changed to have the structures be suspended via cables. However, issues with the real estate market caused the plan to eventually fail.

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