Midnight Demolition and Luxury Hotel Development on West 44th Street
Sector: Hotel • Location: New York City, New York, United States
Source: Housing Notes by Jonathan Miller
In 1985, developer Harry Macklowe conducted an illegal after-hours demolition of four single-room-occupancy buildings on West 44th Street in Manhattan to beat a preservation moratorium. The demolition was done without permits and with live utilities, leading to criminal charges and a $2 million settlement. The site was developed into a luxury hotel that opened in 1990 but faced foreclosure in 1994
- Status
- Closed
- Sector
- Hotel, Commercial, Residential
- Location
- New York City, New York, United States of America
- Updated
- 22 Jul 2026
- Source
- Housing Notes by Jonathan Miller
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Project Information
Participants
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Status
Original status | completed |
Taiyo status | Closed |
Taiyo last update | 2026-07-22 |
Contact
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Description
Description | In 1985, developer Harry Macklowe conducted an illegal after-hours demolition of four single-room-occupancy buildings on West 44th Street in Manhattan to beat a preservation moratorium. The demolition was done without permits and with live utilities, leading to criminal charges and a $2 million settlement. The site was developed into a luxury hotel that opened in 1990 but faced foreclosure in 1994. |
Original sector | Real Estate Development |
Budget |
Location
Country | United States of America (USA) |
State | New York |
City | New York City |
Source
Source | Housing Notes by Jonathan Miller |
URL |
More Details
Record type | Project |
Sector | Hotel, Commercial, Residential |
Article published date | 2026-07-17 |
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