Joseph Moinian and W Downtown New York

Developer Joseph Moinian is planning to combine the top two residential floors of the W New York Downtown Hotel and Residences into one 12,000-square-foot duplex penthouse priced at $40 million, the New York Times reported.

By pooling 12 units on the 55th and 56th floors of the hotel at 123 Washington Street, he hopes to capitalize on the trophy apartment trend. The home comes with a $2 million credit toward construction and design. Moinian intends for this to help with marketing and selling the remaining 80 units in the building, the Times said. [more]

From left: Jerry Stackhouse, the Atelier and Deborah Cox

The Atelier is getting two more celebrity residents. Brooklyn Nets powerhouse Jerry Stackhouse and Broadway star Deborah Cox are the newest boldface names to sign leases at the Moinian Group-developed condominium building at 635 West 42nd Street between Eleventh and Twelfth avenues, a source with knowledge of the deals told The Real Deal. [more]

Joseph Moinian and the site at 605 West 42nd Street

Joseph Moinian’s plans for a mammoth residential tower at 605 West 42nd Street are officially back in play. The developer filed a new application for the site today with the city’s Department of Buildings which calls for a 61-story, 656-foot tall rental tower with more than 1,100 units.

Moinian had first earmarked the 1.1 million-square-foot site, located adjacent to the Moinian Group-developed Atelier condominium tower, for a residential tower in 2007. The recession stymied progress at the site, but the new plans signal that construction may shortly begin again in earnest. [more]

From left: Joseph Moinian and Gary LaBarbera

A report card commissioned by a new union advocacy organization that gave the Moinian Group’s operations an “F” has several flaws and seems to unsystematically target the developer for its penchant for hiring nonunion workers. In its report, Build up NYC, a coalition of labor groups including 32BJ SEIU, the Hotel Trades Union, and the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, excoriated the Moinian Group for a laundry list of alleged failings at its buildings, as well as a poor record of worker relations…. [more]

A rendering of 3 Hudson Boulevard (source: FXFOWLE)

New renderings are out today of developer Joseph Moinian’s forthcoming 1.7 million-square-foot tower near Hundson Yards, the New York Post reported.  The 1,000-foot tower is designed by Dan Kaplan of FXFOWLE and will twist from its base to catch the sunlight. “It has a subtle, elegant spin and only rotates the 22 degrees as you go up,” Kaplan, said. “It’s enough to give it a distinctive form, but not so much that it contorts the building.” [more]

Joseph Moinian

From the November issue: 6:00 to 6:30 a.m.  I wake up between 6:00 and 6:30. I check the New York Post. If there are headlines that I like, I will read the full version later on my iPad in my car. I also like to watch international news when I’m getting ready, like the BBC and Al Jazeera.

7:00 a.m.  I only eat breakfast about three times a week, egg whites with maybe some tomato or grilled onions. I also drink a skim latte from Starbucks every day, without sugar, because I like the bitterness. I bring it with me to the office and it stays on my desk until it gets cold. Joe’s entire system is on-the-go. [more]

From left: Bruce Mosler of Cushman & Wakefield, Ron Cohen, Stephen Siegel and Joseph Moinian (credit: Marc Becker)

Ron Cohen, vice chairman of Capital Markets New York at Jones Lang LaSalle, was honored last night at the 30th annual gala benefiting the American Friends of Rabin Medical Center. Proceeds from the event, dubbed “The Best of New York Meets the Best of Israel,” will benefit the future Emergency and Trauma Center at Rabin Medical Center in Israel.

Cohen is also a founder and executive board member of the AFRMC…. [more]

From left: Joseph Moinian, 535-545 Fifth Avenue (building credit: PropertyShark) and Jeff Winick

Even as more retailers appear to be downsizing, Joseph Moinian is working to combine 84,000 square feet of retail space on a full Fifth Avenue block. The New York Post reported that the Moinian Group head is unifying the retail space in the ground floor of the office building at 535-545 Fifth Avenue, between East 44th and East 45th streets. [more]

From left: Joseph Moinian, Joseph Sitt and 245 Fifth Avenue

A $140 million loan on developers Joseph Sitt and Joseph Moinian’s 245 Fifth Avenue has been transferred into special servicing because of default concerns, according to data provided to The Real Deal by analytics firm Trepp.

While the developers are still current on their loan, a default may be imminent, the data indicates. The transfer happened March 5, according to Trepp’s records. [more]

From left: Starwood CEO Barry Sternlicht, Moinian Group CEO Joseph Moinian and a rendering of 237 West 54th Street

Developer Joseph Moinian and partner Starwood Capital Group paid $6.125 million to the Shubert Organization for 25,000 square feet of air rights that will be used for the development of a hotel at 237 West 54th Street, a source familiar with the deal said. [more]