A demolished hotel in Manhattan could make way for US Open tennis courts if a real estate investment trust gets its way.
Vornado Realty Trust is considering building tournament-worthy tennis courts on the site of the former Hotel Pennsylvania across Seventh Avenue from Madison Square Garden.
The lot had been planned for a 61-story office building, but is questioning that proposal due to a sharp drop in demand for corporate real estate in Manhattan following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have a CBD office apocalypse involving the threat of working from home and the complete blacklisting of offices in the capital markets,” Vornado CEO Steven Roth told investors on a recent conference call on results, according to various reports.
The presentation included the tennis courts, as well as other potential options, including a soccer field, basketball courts and a venue for New York Fashion Week, all of which Vornado described as “conceptual.”
Vornado Realty Trust is weighing construction of tournament-worthy tennis courts in New York
The proposed tennis courts would be built on the site of the demolished Hotel Pennsylvania.
An open-air public space would be a radical change from the office buildings in the area.
“We are currently considering a number of potential interim options for the Hotel Pennsylvania site,” the spokesperson said. he told Crain’s New York.
It is unclear whether the USTA, which organizes the US Open, has been involved in any way in the planning. A USTA spokesperson did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
Crain’s originally reported the news, displaying US Open posters in its renderings.
However, the renderings in the Vornado brochure do not include any US Open signage.
The project is currently called The Penn Platform and also offers a massive 197-by-150-foot billboard space.
The front of Madison Square Garden also offers enormous potential for billboard use.
There are other proposals too, including a football pitch (pictured) and basketball courts.
“The PENN Platform is an 80,000-square-foot event space located in the heart of Manhattan, directly across from Penn Station,” an excerpt from the brochure reads. ‘With its prime location and access to 650,000 daily riders, the PENN platform offers brands a unique opportunity for an activation space in New York City’s newest setting.
‘The Platform’s open design and advertising/signage opportunities make it ideal for a wide range of events, while the bustling energy of the city ensures maximum exposure and engagement to make a lasting impression.
‘The Penn platform offers excellent brand visibility opportunities through strategically placed advertising displays.
Two large LED screens along Seventh Avenue, the west facade of the Manhattan Mall and the surrounding platform walls provide high visibility to all Penn Station commuters and event sponsors at Madison Square Garden.