Printer Friendly Format

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 109-03
April 30, 2003

MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG ATTENDS GROUNDBREAKING OF HEARST TOWER TO RISE ABOVE LANDMARK BASE OF HEARST CORPORATION BUILDING

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today joined The Hearst Corporation President and CEO Victor F. Ganzi for a ceremonial groundbreaking at the company’s landmark headquarters, 959 Eighth Avenue.  The 42-story glass and steel expansion, designed by architect Lord Norman Foster, will be one of most architecturally advanced and environmentally friendly buildings ever constructed in New York City. The original structure was designed by Joseph Urban and George B. Post & Sons in 1927 and built by W. R. Hearst in 1928.  The expansion will permit Hearst to consolidate its New York operations and ensure that its 1,800 employees remain in New York City.

“One of New York City’s most valuable assets and one of its most defining character traits is its unrivaled intellectual and creative capacity,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “I believe that is why Hearst is making such a major commitment to the City and why corporations such as Hearst, which is driven by its human assets, are one of the City’s greatest selling points.”

“This day represents the dawn of a grand new era for The Hearst Corporation,” said President and CEO Victor Ganzi.  “This vital expansion ensures that we can continue to flourish in our New York City home.  Our founder William Randolph Hearst envisioned his company as a vital component of a thriving media, communications and cultural center in the Columbus Circle area.  Construction of our headquarters tower will turn his dream into a reality.”

“The Hearst tower expresses its own time with distinction, yet respects and strengthens the existing six-story historical structure,” said Lord Foster.  “The tower is lifted clear of its historic base, linked on the outside only by columns and glazing, which are set back from the edges of the site.  The transparent connection floods the spaces below with natural light and encourages the impression of the new floating above the old.”

In its effort to introduce a truly 21st century headquarters to New York City, the Hearst Corporation has designed a headquarters building that will be one of the most environmentally-friendly high rise buildings ever constructed.  From the project’s inception, Hearst has set as its goal the attainment of LEED certification (or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) from the U.S. Green Building Council. The “green building” designation is bestowed upon those projects that employ pioneering solutions in a quest to fully utilize renewable sources of energy while offering substantial reductions in pollution and energy consumption.

The green elements in the construction of the Hearst tower will include recycling of construction and demolition waste, and the use of building materials containing recycled content.  In addition, the design of tower will include collection and storage of rainwater to be used for irrigation and cooling systems; installation of special fixtures that will reduce water use by at least twenty percent; adoption of measures such as motion sensors and day lighting controls that will reduce overall energy usage; and the maximization of natural light.  The Hearst Corporation anticipates a reduction in energy consumption of almost 25 percent compared to a standard New York City building.

“The new Hearst Tower makes a bold statement, not only in terms of its sophisticated, and dynamic design, but also in the confidence it expresses in our city,” said Jerry I. Speyer, President and CEO of Tishman Speyer Properties. “In moving forward with this project so shortly after 9/11, Hearst sent a message to the world that the business community remains committed to and positive about New York City’s future prosperity.”

In addition to construction of the tower, Hearst will implement a series of much-needed and long-delayed public improvements to the Columbus Circle-59th Street subway station, which serves 100,000 subway riders a day. Specifically, Hearst will construct a new entrance, install and maintain three elevators, reposition turnstiles and add or move stairwells, which combined will substantially improve circulation and accessibility, especially for disabled riders.  The subway work will commence in tandem with the aboveground construction and will be completed prior to the opening of Hearst’s renovated headquarters building.

Hearst has already begun the process of temporarily relocating its employees out of 959 Eighth Avenue to prepare the site for construction.  Completion and move-in is slated for 2006.





CONTACT:

Jordan Barowitz / Jennifer Falk   (212) 788-2958

Bud Perrone (Rubenstein Associates)   (212) 843-8068


More Resources