Hoping to grace the New York City skyline, Affirmation Tower is set to make history as the first skyscraper built by Blacks in the Big Apple; however, a recent roadblock for the project is now putting the building’s fate in jeopardy.
Affirmation Tower is set for location at 35th and 36th streets, 11th Avenue and Hudson Boulevard West—across the street from the Jacob Javits Center, one block from the High Line, Hudson Yards and the No. 7 subway line.
The team made its presentation to the Empire State Development Corporation last October in response to a request for proposals with a commitment of 35% in contracts to people of color totaling more than a billion dollars. However, Craig Livingston, managing partner for Exact Capital Group, told the AmNews that the RFP was canceled.
Livingston said he and his colleagues are not clear as to why this process did not work for Affirmation Tower. The team is not ruling out the possibility of adding a plan to build affordable housing for the project, however, Livingston believes that the characteristics of the Hudson Yards area makes it hard to envision.