London’s Beloved And Futuristic BT Tower Sold For $347 Million To Be Turned Into A HHotel

The BT Tower, a futuristic landmark on the London skyline for 60 years, is to become a hotel, owner BT Group PLC said Wednesday.

The company, formerly known as British Telecom, said it has agreed to sell the tower to U.S. company MCR Hotels for 275 million pounds (about $347 million).

The 581-foot (177-meter) structure, originally called the Post Office Tower, was completed in 1964 and was London’s tallest building until 1980. A further section of aerial rigging brought the total height to 620 feet (189 meters).

The tower was covered in microwave aerials that carried communications across the U.K. and also housed a rotating restaurant with panoramic views across London. The restaurant was closed after a 1971 bombing, claimed both by anarchists and the Irish Republican Army. It never fully reopened to the public, apart from special events and occasional tours.

Technological changes have gradually rendered the tower’s original role in Britain’s telecommunications network obsolete. Its microwave aerials were removed more than a decade ago.

“It’s played a vital role in carrying the nation’s calls, messages and TV signals, but increasingly we’re delivering content and communication via other means,” said Brent Mathews, property director at BT Group. “This deal with MCR will enable BT Tower to take on a new purpose, preserving this iconic building for decades to come.”

MCR Hotels owns about 150 hotels, including the New Yorker Hotel and the modernist TWA Hotel at New York’s JFK airport. The company said it would work with British architect Thomas Heatherwick on the hotel’s design.

However, travelers shouldn’t plan on making reservations just yet. The hotel firm said it will “take a number of years” for BT to move out due to the complex equipment on site.

AP

Transformative Plan Unveiled To Save America's Flagship, The SS United States

The SS United States, America’s Flagship, could return home to New York as a transformative economic development project unveiled today by the SS United States Conservancy, the owner of the famed vessel.,br />

The plan, developed in conjunction with two prominent New York firms, RXR and MCR Hotels, would repurpose the legendary ocean liner as a unique, mixed-use destination, including a 1,000 key hotel, numerous food and beverage destinations, multiple event venues, acres of public green space, and a world-class museum. The project could be a capstone to a decades-long effort to protect and revitalize the Hudson River waterfront, create thousands of new jobs, and generate millions in tax revenue annually.

During her storied service career, the SS United States smashed the transatlantic speed record in 1952 using only two-thirds of her power, a record that has never been broken. From her Hudson River berth, she carried more than one million passengers, from celebrities and royalty to immigrants and tourists. She was also a top-secret convertible troop transport that could rush 14,000 troops 10,000 miles without refueling.

The release of a redevelopment plan comes at a time when the SS United States is in peril. The ship faces possible eviction from her current pier in Philadelphia. The vessel’s landlord doubled the Conservancy’s rent without notice during the coronavirus pandemic, placing significant financial strain on the organization. The Conservancy is presently in litigation on the matter, with a trial date slated for early December.

The conceptual plan for a privately funded, commercial redevelopment identified Manhattan’s Hudson River as the optimal “home port” for the vessel, due to its proximity to transportation and pedestrian access to the Javits Convention Center. The project would entail the redesign and reconstruction of adjacent piers, which would create acres of new public green space aboard the vessel and adjoining areas. The ship’s transformative potential is not restricted to New York. Other locations and port cities could benefit from the ship’s commercial revitalization and iconic status.

RXR and MCR developed full schematic design drawings, extensive engineering and construction feasibility diligence in consultation with U.S. shipyards, a financial analysis to demonstrate the project’s commercial viability, and an assessment of the permitting and regulatory requirements to advance the redevelopment program. The project diligence team included Gibbs & Cox, the vessel’s original design firm, Perkins Eastman and HLW architects, and local land use and regulatory counsel.

The overall program was informed by MCR and RXR’s extensive experience redeveloping iconic, historic properties in New York, including Eero Saarinen’s landmark 1962 TWA Flight Center and hotel at JFK Airport as well as Manhattan’s historic Pier 57.

The Conservancy is now seeking state and local interest from New York or other potential cities to advance its plan at a host pier location. The nonprofit organization and its development team are prepared to donate the ship and the design and engineering work completed to date to expedite progress in securing a prime location for the vessel’s revitalization.

“The SS United States symbolizes the nation’s ambition and innovation. Our development partners have embraced the patriotic and economic significance of this monumental project. Through their extensive due diligence, they have created a bold and exciting plan that preserves the ship’s history and activates the vessel’s commercial potential,” said Susan Gibbs, president of the SS United States Conservancy, the national nonprofit organization that has worked tirelessly to save it for more than a decade.

The ship was once a global ambassador of her namesake nation, and her red, white, and blue funnels were a source of pride and inspiration following the devastation of WWII. Although the Jet Age silenced her engines in 1969, the SS United States continues to represent an inspiring synthesis of post-war technological innovation, mid-century modern design, as well as the nation’s enduring ambition, resilience, and optimism.

“The Conservancy’s partners and passionate supporters from across the country and around the world have created a viable path forward to save the SS United States,” added Gibbs, the granddaughter of the ship’s original designer. “But we are quickly running out of time. We know this can be a viable, transformative project. Let’s rally together to secure a home for America’s Flagship.”