Developer Edward Minskoff detailed his plans for 51 Astor Place
, the former home of Cooper Union’s engineering department and the New York Film Academy Cafe, in a segment on NY1 last week. Minskoff, head of Edward J. Minskoff Equities, purchased the building in 2008 and commissioned famed Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki
to design a 13-story office building before inking an anchor tenant. The 183-foot tall building will have a ribbed granite and glass exterior and will boast a different design on each of its four sides. “This building technologically will be the most advanced building built in New York City since the Bank of America headquarters [completed in 2009] on 42nd Street,” Minskoff said. “It has all of the bells and whistles that big companies need: communication, electrical load requirements, transportation, floor-to-ceiling heights. It has all of that built into the building — does not have to be added after the fact.” The building will have about 400,00 square feet of rentable office space, and an entire square block of retail totaling 28,000 square feet. Minskoff expects the building to be ready in early 2013. [NY1]