Extell Development is laying the groundwork to wipe out the eastern half of a Hell’s Kitchen block, a move that could erase a stretch of low-rise storefronts, auto shops and a longtime lumber yard on Manhattan’s far West Side. The filings cover the 11th Avenue frontage between West 45th and West 46th Streets, setting up one of the largest proposed clearances the neighborhood has seen in recent years. Local residents and small-business owners have plenty of incentive to watch how the Department of Buildings handles the paperwork as it works through the system.
As first reported by Crain's New York Business, Extell filed applications this week with the New York City Department of Buildings seeking permission to demolish multiple parcels on the block. According to that report, the DOB has not yet issued demolition permits for the targeted sites, so the effort is still in the early procedural stages.
Public records and permitting data reviewed by PincusCo show the applications were submitted with Extell executive David Rothstein listed as the contact. The cluster of full-demolition filings amounts to roughly 14 jobs spread over seven tax lots and covers about 100,000 square feet of existing building area. Many of those jobs are currently listed as under plan-examiner review rather than as active demolition permits, a reminder that there is still a bureaucratic slog to get through before any walls come down.
What’s On The Block
The affected parcels include the longtime Metropolitan Lumber & Hardware outpost along with several small commercial buildings that over the years have housed clubs and other neighborhood businesses. According to CityRealty, demolition is already underway on adjacent pieces of the broader Eleventh Avenue corridor, where projects such as ABBA Voyage and other West Side developments have been steadily reshaping expectations for how the area will be used.
Details In The Applications
The filings break out individual lots that currently include two auto-repair garages, a former pizzeria and an L-shaped parking lot. On paper, those footprints line up into what could become a sizable development site if they are ultimately consolidated under a single project. Documents compiled by PincusCo indicate that one existing structure on the block alone totals more than 50,000 square feet, and the combined demolition applications account for roughly 100,000 square feet of buildings slated for removal.
How Extell Got Control
The ownership story on this block has been anything but a straightforward walk to the closing table. Crain's New York Business reports that Extell and its partners gained control after purchasing debt tied to a portfolio once owned by developer Robert Gans, who put those assets into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2022. Reporting and court records cited by Crain’s describe earlier attempts to resolve the debt, including a 2021 letter of intent from SL Green, highlighting how these lots have traded hands through creditor workouts rather than through traditional retail sales.
State-Owned Neighbor In Play
Right next door, the western half of the larger block remains in state hands and currently serves as surface parking for visitors to the USS Intrepid museum. Separately, the state has moved to redevelop a neighboring parcel. Governor Kathy Hochul’s February 2025 request for proposals for 621 West 45th Street signals official interest in transforming nearby underused land, a factor that could influence design, access and overall planning if Extell proceeds with a major project on its side of the block, according to Homes and Community Renewal.
For now, full-demolition applications are only the opening move. Before any wrecking crews show up, the filings must clear plan-examiner review, obtain site-safety approvals and receive formal demolition permits, a process that can stretch over weeks or months depending on the complexity of the work. The New York City Department of Buildings notes that major tear-downs require a site safety plan along with related technical reports, which means even once applications are approved on paper, another round of review awaits before actual demolition can begin.
