UPDATED, 12:15 p.m., Aug. 12: The United Arab Emirates are planning to build a 27-story mixed-use tower at 315 East 46th Street, according to permits filed with the Department of Buildings Wednesday.
Fisher Brothers is the development and construction manager for the Middle Eastern government. The UAE embassy bought the land back in 2009 for $44.7 million.
According to the application, the partners are looking to develop a nearly 90,000-square-foot building, consisting of nine apartments totaling 15,043 square feet and a 75,170 square-foot “community facility.”
It wasn’t immediately clear what kind of facility that would be, although the plans include a two-story auditorium.
The property, located between First and Second avenues, is close to the United Nations and surrounded by consulates and permanent missions, which suggests at least part of the building could be used by the UAE for official purposes.
The building is designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.
Fisher Brothers could not be reached for comment on short notice.
The project is the latest instance of New York developers working with with foreign governments on Manhattan projects. Early last year, developer Ron Yeffet joined forces with the Republic of Senegal to build a 22-story mixed-use tower at nearby 227 East 44th Street.
Correction: an earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the UAE and Fisher Brothers are partners in the project.