The Plan: Soloviev Revamps 9 West 57th Amenity Space With Private Eatery and Gym

Employees’ relationship with how they work has evolved rapidly over the years, as attitudes about improving work-life balance and questions about the necessity of being in an office five days a week loomed large.

Many employers — including Amazon and Apple — have started requiring staff to spend more time in the office than working from home. But if employers insist on upending the new normal that is the work-from-home movement, they are going to have to make workers want to come to work.

That is exactly the attitude Soloviev Group took about its office building at 9 West 57th Street. It’s particularly evident on the 27th floor, which features a new amenity space equipped with a private restaurant and lounge.

“We have continually endeavored to modernize our building, keeping up with the times,” said Michael Hershman, CEO of the Soloviev Group.

Around a year and a half ago, Soloviev decided to spend about $40 million on the addition of a health club in the building, and to turn the 27th floor into an amenity space offering views of Central Park. Both opened within the last three months.

Tenant-friendly amenities fill 20,000 square feet of the tower that bears the name of its late founder, Sheldon Solow. The Solow Building space includes a coffee lounge with seating for 40 people that overlooks Central Park, plus a large conference and media room that can accommodate over 100 people and can be used for even bigger meetings and presentations.

The health club is equipped with all the regular workout necessities as well as hot and cold plunge pools and a golf simulator. It also features a “salt room” in which people can sit and inhale salt-infused air, said to provide benefits to lungs and skin.

Additionally, Soloviev partnered with Kent Hospitality Group on the design and development of the amenities space, which also includes the Vista Restaurant and Bar, a luxury dining area exclusive to tenants and their guests.

Vista is a warm and inviting space with large square windows, allowing for an abundance of natural light, while providing tenants with those spectacular Central Park views. The tables are situated on a soft gray carpet with comfortable chairs to allow for a more casual dining experience in a business space.

Vista will feature seasonal menus curated by Kent’s on-site culinary team led by chef Alfred Nebiar. The restaurant will also offer a carefully curated wine list and craft cocktails.

“Rather than have to go out in bad weather or spend time transiting to a restaurant, we wanted [tenants] to have the alternative to enjoy a meal closer to where they work,” Hershman said. “The benefits to the tenant include maximizing the usage of their time.”

Soloviev is on a mission to further turn 9 West 57th, developed in 1974, into a premier office destination for New Yorkers, and the company is homing in on the shift in the relationship between employees and their jobs, and the need for greater hospitality when providing office space. 

“Soloviev has always been very conscious of tenants’ well-being,” Hershman said. “And the idea is to ensure that tenants feel at home and they’re able to engage within the building, whether it’s morning, noon or in the evening, without having to go out. It’s a matter of enjoyment, a matter of convenience, a matter of wellness and well-being.”

Amanda Schiavo can be reached at aschiavo@commercialobserver.com.