Barnett defends rising towers around Central Park

Counsels against overreacting to super-towers casting shadows on New York landmark

From left: Renderings of One57 tower, 432 Park Avenue, 107 West 57th Street and Gary Barnett
From left: Renderings of One57 tower, 432 Park Avenue, 107 West 57th Street and Gary Barnett

Gary Barnett of Extell Development took something of a pummeling at yesterday’s panel of New Yorkers concerned about the shadows that rising skyscrapers will cast over Central Park. The verbal attacks were not overly surprising, considering Barnett was the sole defender of the construction of the towers.

As officials, experts and residents complained the buildings would shroud the public park in darkness at the meeting — some even called for a moratorium on new development in the area — Barnett argued the shadows are already there, according to DNAInfo.

“The southern part of the park is covered in beautiful trees, which already provide shade,” Barnett said at the meeting. According to him, even the shadow his 75-story One57 tower (currently under construction) would cast would only last a few minutes.

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Barnett’s tower isn’t the only one under fire. Developer Harry Macklowe’s 432 Park Avenue, to be the tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere, and a joint venture by JDS Development and Property Markets Group of a 1,350-foot-tall tower at 107 West 57th Street will also cast shadows over the park. [DNAInfo] — Angela Hunt

Correction: An earlier version of this article  misstated the developer of 107 West 57th Street.