New Downtown boutique hotel tops out.

York Hunter recently celebrated the "topping out" of a new $25 million 100-room luxury boutique hotel in SoHo, which the construction services firm is building on behalf of The Pomeranc Group, a New Jersey-based real estate and management concern with properties in New Jersey and Manhattan.

The hotel is being built on a vacant parcel of land at 60 Thompson Street, between two residential buildings.

"We couldn't think of a more exciting location to open a luxury hotel," said Lawrence Pomeranc. His partner and brother Michael added, "At this location, we believe that we can provide travelers with an option to experience New York at its best. The art and restaurant community in this neighborhood provides a unique cultural experience that is separate from the rest of Manhattan."

"This is a very challenging project due to the 'sliver' nature of the site," explained Ken Colao, president and CEO of York Hunter. "The building is being constructed between two older residential properties on a very narrow plot. Because these adjacent buildings were not built on piles, we had to be extremely creative and cautious in the design and construction of the new foundations to minimize the disturbance to the existing structures."

The Stephen B. Jacobs Group PC has been commissioned the architectural duties for 60 Thompson. Thomas O'Brien of Aero Studios, whose client list includes Giorgio Armani, Donna Karan and David Barton, heads the interior design team assigned to create the modern 12-story, European-style hotel.

The property will feature intimate rooms and loft suites, full marble bathrooms, a lobby lounge designed to encourage socializing, a prominent restaurant, and a rooftop garden and bar. The deluxe hotel will be priced between $350 to $500 per night for most rooms, with suite rates to be determined.

The hotel at 60 Thompson will be the first of several projects that the Pomeranc brothers - Jason, Michael d Lawrence - plan to roll-out in the design- driven luxury market-place. The brothers also have stakes in a handful of hotels in the New York region, including The Metro Hotel (NYC), The Hilton Hotel at Newark Airport (NJ), and The Ramada Hotel & Conference Center (NJ). In addition to their various hotel properties, the Pomeranc Group also owns and manages a substantial number of New Jersey residential communities in Hudson, Monmouth and Mercer counties.

York Hunter, a full-service construction firm based in New York City, has been involved in many of Manhattan's new hotel projects. In addition to 60 Thompson, York Hunter recently finished construction of the Courtyard Marriott in Times Square and Wall Street Holiday Inn. The firm is also currently serving as construction manager for the conversion of the Midtown building formerly known as the Chemist Club to an upscale hotel known as Dylan.