Posted by Leonard Steinberg on January 4th, 2013

Dear Sam Chang:

I see your long stalled site at 2 Renwick Street, at the corner of Canal, will soon be home to two new hotels designed with your long-time creative partner, architect Gene Kauffman. This development parcel that covers a batch of lots facing Renwick, Canal and Hudson Streets is part of an area that is experiencing a radical transformation and whatever you build will be very important to the Hudson Square area as it will be the first impression of the neighborhood coming from Canal Street and seen by all those driving on Hudson Street uptown and those exiting to New Jersey.

I just helped MAGNUM develop the building THE ARMAN at the corner of Greenwich (482 Greenwich Street) and Canal Street: It too started out as a rather bland building and we morphed it into an attractive, contextual property built out of a weathered grey-beige brick with dark framed windows that even the neighbors like! It also sold for record pricing in this location. My message to you is that good design not only pleases neighbors, but will also add value to your property, and the room prices.

So, in the spirit of the new year, I am offering my consulting services, free of charge, in the hopes that you will design something here that is an asset, not a liability, to this wonderful area.

Sincerely,

LEONARD STEINBERG