EFTA01079736.pdf

III NS IIIII MADISONPARK REA ESTATE COMPANY LLC November 23, 2011 RE: Update Letter; Dear Partner, I hope this letter finds you well. I am thrilled to report to you that we have received The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission approval and also a New York City Department of Buildings Building Permit. As you know, this took more time than expected. The delay was mostly caused by the pace of the Commission's written approval. We received approval orally at a public meeting on June 21, 2011. For those inclined to glean some interesting information about our property, I have enclosed the Landmarks Preservation Commission letter. While waiting for the permit, we were able to do work in the building under our already existing demolition permit, including new water, sewer and electrical connections to the public utilities in the street. Also enclosed is an updated construction schedule which shows where we are now and when we hope to finish. I believe there are six months left to the base schedule until completion (not including the model apartment, see below). In addition, we will soon be filling for a construction permit for the fit out of the model apartment. As part of this update, there is an enclosed floor plan prepared by our architect Kevin Bergin. This layout has been developed with sales and marketing guidance from Prudential Douglas Elliman, our brokers. I believe it truly maximizes all the positive elements of the space. I have included two articles that report on two separate properties very close to us. The Museum of Mathematics is 100 feet to the west of our front door on 26th street. I believe having such an important institution so close to us only enhances our immediate neighborhood. The second article is about the Metropolitan Life clock tower and its future use. Both projects confirm the vitality of Madison Park surrounding area. At this time of thanksgiving I want to reiterate my appreciation for your trust. Happy Thanksgiving, David Mitchell EFTA01079736  THE NEW YORK CITY LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION CENTRE STREET 9TH FLOOR NORTH NFW YORK NY 10007 • TEL: 212 669-7700 FAX: 212 ot9-7'8C PERMIT CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS ISSUE DATE: EXPIRATION DATE: DOCKET #: 11/04/2011 4/21/2017 12-6007 ADDRESS BOROUGH BLOCK/LOT: HISTORIC DISTRICT MANHATTAN 856/14 MADISON SQUARE NORTH Display This Permit VVhile Work Is In Progress ISSUED TO David Mitchell Madison Park Real Estate Company LLC Pursuant to Section 25-307 of the Administrative Code of the City of New York, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, at the Public Meeting of June 21, 2011, following the Public Meeting of the same date, voted to grant a Certificate of Appropriateness for the proposed work at the subject premises, as put forth in your application completed May 26, 2011, and as you were notified in Status Update Letter 12-1814. This approval will expire on June 21, 2017. The proposed work, as approved, consisted of the construction of a rooftop addition; the installation of railings and lighting at the East 26th Street facade; the installation of railings at the East 27th Street facade; and the alterations of the ground floor infill at both the East 26th Street and East 27th Street facades; as shown in photographs and drawings LPC-1 through LPC-20, dated June 21, 2011, prepared by Crown Design & Consulting, submitted as components of the application and presented at the Public Hearing and Public Meeting. In reviewing this proposal, the Commission noted that the Madison Square North Historic District designation report describes 21 East 26th Street, aka 16 East 27th Street, as a neo-Classical style office and showroom building designed by Treanor & Fatio and built in 1924; and that the building's style, scale, materials and details are among the features that contribute to the special architectural and historic character of the Madison Square North Historic District. With regard to this proposal, the Commission found that the construction of the proposed one-story rooftop addition will not result in any damage to, or demolition of any significant architectural features of the roof; that the height and volume of the proposed rooftop addition, which will be set back substantially from the front and rear facades, will not overwhelm the scale of the building; that the proposed rooftop addition will be simple in design; that while the addition is visible from Madison Square Park, it will not call attention to itself; that the proposed alterations at the ground floor of the 26th Street facade maintain the historic symmetry and design of the EFTA01079737 building's facade; that the proposed alterations at the ground floor of the 27th Street facade is in keeping with the secondary facades of other buildings in the district; and that the proposed work will not diminish the special architectural and historic character of the building or the district. 3ased of these findiligs,.the Commission determined the proposed work to be appropriate to the building ar.d the Madisor. Square No.th Historic District, and voted to approve this application. However, in voting to grant this approval, the Commission stipulated that the applicant work with staff to modify the light fixtures, the railing at the 5th floor parapet, and the East 27th Strect facadc, and that two final signed and sealed Department of Buildings filing drawings showing the aop,o‘ed propos-ii he iuhrnitred to the Landmarks Preservation Commission for review and approval. Subsequently, on November 4, 2011, the Landmarks Preservation Commission received existing condition photographs, a cut sheet of the proposed light, and final drawings S-001.00, S-002.00, S-101.00, S-102.00, S-501.00, and S-502.00, dated revised October 12, 2011 and prepared by Matthew Coleman Abate, P.E.; M-001.00, M-002.00, M-I01.00, M-500.00, M-501.00, M-601.00, M-701.00 and M-702.00, dated September 30, 2011; and M-I02.00, dated revised October 21, 2011; and all prepared by James M. Keman, P.E.; G-001.00 through G-005.00, Z-001.00, A-101.00, A-I02.00, A-I04.00, A-105.00, A-106.00, A-201.00, A-202.00, A-203.00, A-301.00, A-501.00, A-502.00, and A-601.00, dated revised October 31, 2011 and prepared by Richard Joseph Walsh, R.A.; and A-701.00 through A-726.00, dated revised November 3, 2011 and prepared by Crown Design and Consulting. Accordingly, the staff of the Commission reviewed the drawings, and found that the proposal approved by the Commission has been maintained; that the light fixtures at the East 26th Street facade have been reduced to two (2) and the design revised; that the proposed railing at the 5th floor has been changed to a black metal railing; that the storefront on the East 27th Street facade has been revised to feature glass display windows and transoms with metal framing; that the design of the addition has been revised to feature an interior courtyard; exterior alterations at the roof, including the installation of mechanical equipment; exterior alterations at the East 26th Street façade, including the installation of two (2) security cameras; selective brick replacement and repointing; selective limestone patching; the replacement of three (3) six-over-six double-hung aluminum windows and three (3) one-over-one double-hung aluminum windows with six (6) six-over-six wood double-hung windows and new wood brick molds, in a black finish; the replacement of three (3) one-over-one double-hung aluminum windows and transoms with three (3) six-over nine double-hung wood windows and new wood brick molds, in a black finish; the replacement of three (3) pairs of multi-light wood doors and arched multi-light wood transoms; exterior alterations at the East 27th Street facade, including the replacement of eight (8) six-over-six double-hung wood windows, in a black finish; the replacement of four (4) tripartite windows featuring one six-over-six double-hung wood window flanked by two four-over-four double-hung wood windows, in a black finish; exterior alterations at the proposed interior courtyard, including the installation of through-wall louvers; and interior alterations. With regard to the proposal, the Commission finds, in accordance with the provisions set forth in Title 63 of the Rules of the City of New York, Section 3-04 (c) (2) (i), that the historic windows have deteriorated to a point precluding reasonable repair, rehabilitation or restoration; and that the proposed replacement windows match the historic windows in terms of configuration, operation, details, material and finish; that in accordance with Section 2-19 (e) (1), the proposed rooftop addition consists solely of mechanical equipment; that the installation of the mechanical equipment will not result in damage to, or demolition of, a significant architectural feature of the roof of the building; that the installation of the mechanical equipment will not be visible from a public thoroughfare; and that the installation of the mechanical equipment will not adversely affect the significant architectural features of adjacent improvements; that the number and small size of the cameras will not call undue attention to themselves; that their installation will not result in damage to or loss of any significant historic material; and that the work will not detract from the special architectural or historic character of the building or district; that the stone patching, replacement brick and repointing will match the existing in terms of strength, color, texture, tooling, size, coursing, profiles and details; that in accordance with Section 2-11, the through-wall HVAC unit will not be visible from any public thoroughfare; that the grille will be mounted flush with the surrounding masonry; and that no decorative masonry or other significant features will be affected by the installation. Based PAGE 2 Issued: 11/4/11 DOCKET: 12-8007 EFTA01079738  on these and the above findings, the drawings have been marked i.pproved with a perforated seal, and Certificate of Appropriateness 12-6409 is being issued. PLEASE NOTE, this permit is contingent upon the CommiKion's rev!ev/ and apprava: of scrnples of limestone patching, replacement brick, and repointing mortar prior to the co.nmenceraent of work. Picase contact Sandy Chung to schedule a site visit once samples are available for review. This permit is also contingent on the understanding that the work will be performed by hand and when the temperature remains a constant 45 degrees Fahrenheit or above for a 72 hour period from the commencement of the wart. This permit is issued on the basis of the building and site condition. described in the application and disclosed during the review process. By accepting this permit, the applicant agrees to notify the Commission if the actual building or site conditions vary or if original or historic building fabric is discovered. The Commission reserves the right to amend or revoke this permit, upon written notice to the applicant, in the event that the actual building or site conditions are materially different from those described in the application or disclosed during the review process. All approved drawings are marked approved by the Commission with a perforated seal indicating the date of approval. The work is limited to what is contained in the perforated documents. Other work or amendments to this filing must be reviewed and approved separately. The applicant is hereby put on notice that performing or maintaining any work not explicitly authorized by this permit may make the applicant liable for criminal and/or civil penalties, including imprisonment and fines. This letter constitutes the permit; a copy must be prominently displayed at the site while work is in progress. Please direct inquiries to Sandy Chung. Robert B. Tierney Chair PLEASE NOTE: PERFORATED DRAWINGS AND A COPY OF THIS PERMIT HAVE BEEN SENT TO: Michael Santora, Crown Design & Consulting cc: Sarah Carroll, Director of Preservation/LPC PAGE 3 Issued: 11/4/11 DOCKET: 12-6007 EFTA01079739  ID Task Name Duration Start Finish ote Octobe Novem Decem Januar Februa March April May_ June July Au MIE BIMIE BIMIE BIMIE BIMIE BIMIE BIMIE BIMIE BIMIE BIMIE BIMIE BIM 3 Windows (Wood) & Exterior Doors 205 days Mon 9/1/11 Fri 5/11/12 . 4 ix Shop Drawings 15 days Mon 8/1/11 Fn W19/11 5 Approvals 75 days Mon 8122111 Fri 1212/11 MIMMMINI 6 Fabrication 85 days Man 12/5/11 Fri 3/30/12 7 II Installation 30 days Mon 4/2/12 FA 5/11/12 IIIIIII4I III' 1 Bridge Scaffold Erection 5 days Thu 12115/11 Wed 12/21/11 111 2 Demolition 12 days Mon 9112111 Tue 9/27/11 13 Steel 75 days Wed 11/30/11 Tue3f13/12 14 rE Shop Drawings 15 days Wed 11/30/11 Tue 12/20/11 15 Approvals 10 days Wed 12/21/11 Tue 1/3!12 16 Fabrication 30 days Wed 1/4/12 Tue 2/14/12 ■ 17 Installation 20 days Wed 2/15/12 Tue 3/13/12 56 Sprinkler 70 days Wed 11/30/11 Tue 3/6112 57 Service 15 days Wed 11/30/11 Tue 12/20/11 58 Roughing 55 days Wed 12/21111 Tue 3/6/12 :. 59 Plumbing 100 days Mon 10/31/11 Fri 3/15/12 60 Service 15 days Mon 10/31/11 Frl 11/18/11 61 Roughing 80 days Mon 11/21/11 Fri 3/9/12 • : 62 Trim 5 days Mon 3/12/12 FA 3/16/12 72 Electrical 110 days Mon 11/14/11 Fri 4/1112 73 ix Service 25 days Mon 11/14/11 Frl 12/16/11 ■ 74 ix Roughing 60 days Mon 12/19/11 Fri 3/9/12 75 Trim 15 days Mon 3/26/12 FA 4/13/12 111 W 8 Windows (Metal) 95 days Wed 11/30/11 Tue 4/10/12 9 LE Shop Drawings 15 days Wed 11/30/11 Tue 12/20/11 ■ 10 Approvals 10 days Wed 12/21/11 Tue 1/3!12 :fir 11 Fabrication 45 days Wed 1/4/12 Tue 316(12 • 12 Installation 25 days Wed 3/7/12 Tue 4/10/12 23 I Concrete Bond Beam 2 days 1 Thu 12/15/11 I Frl 12/16/11 Task 0111111111111111111111111IN Rolled Up Task illM111111111111111111111111 External Tasks Progress Rolled Up Milestone O Project Summary . 4P Project: I I - 11-23 Chapman Date: Wed 11;23,11 Milestone Rolled Up Progress Group By Summary gP M‘P • Summary _ Sp it Deadline il \/' Page 1 EFTA01079740  ID a Task Name Duration Start Finish e Octobe Novem Decem Januar Fetxu. March May_ June July Ago U. MEBEIEBMEBMEBMEB M E B M E B M E BIMIE BIMIE BIMIE BIM 35 Doors, Frames & Hardware 82 days Thu 1211/11 Fri 2124112 36 cc Order 8 Delivery 20 days Thu 12/1/11 Wed 12/28111 37 ■ Installation 15 days Thu 12/29/11 Wed 1/18112 38 ■ Frames by Mason 15 days Thu 12/29/11 Wed 1/18/12 1111111¥ 39 rr. Doors by Carpenter 5 days Thu 12/29/11 Wed 1/4/12 40 Store Front 27th Street 30 days Mon 1/16/12 Fri 2/24/12 41 Shop Drawings 10 days Mon 1/16/12 Fri 1/27/12 42 Fabrication 15 days Mon 1/30/12 Fri 2/77112 43 Installation 5 days Mon 2/20/12 Fri 2/24/12 32 5th Floor Roof Concrete infilis 10 days Thu 12/15/11 Wed 12/28111 IMf. 63 ■ HVAC 85 days Mon 1/16/12 Fri 5/11/12 gp lEll i. 64 rE Shop Drawings 15days Mon 1/16112 Fri 2/3112 65 Approvals 10 days Mon 2/6/12 Fri 2/17/12 66 Equipment Ordering & Delivery 60 days Mon 2/20/12 Fri 5/11/12 1- 67 Duct Fabrication 20 days Men 4/16/12 Fri 5/11/12 = 4 sa installation 22 days Mon 2/20/12 Tue 3/20/12 70 Units 15 days Mon 2/20/12 Fri 3/9/12 69 EE Duct 20 days Mon 2/20/12 Fd 3/16/12 71 Startup 2 days Mon 3/19/12 Tue 3/20/12 18 Steel Stairs 55 days Thu 1/5/12 Wed 3/21/12 "alp 19 LE Shop Drawings 10 days Thu 1/5/12 Wed 1/18/12 20 Approvals 5 days Thu 1/19/12 Wed 1/25/12 21 Fabrication 25 days Thu 1/26/12 Wed 2/29/12 .1-' 22 Installation 15 days Thu 3/1/12 Wed 3/21/12 aL.j1 24 Masonry 60 days Thu 12/15/11 Wed 3/7/12 lip lip 25 Brick and Block Work at Roof 60 days Thu 12/15/11 Wed 3/7/12 rli 26 Misc. Brick and Block Inns 25 days Thu 12/15/11 Wed 1/18/12 27 it Misc. Masonry 1st Floor 10 days Mon1/2/12 Fri 1/13/12 44 j Framing 68 days I Wed 12/7/11 1 Fri 3/9/12 1 Task inithiffitingl Rolled Up Task IIIIIMIIIIIIIMMU External Tasks a Progress Rolled Up Milestone O Project Summary IIII PI Project: 1 l - It -23 Chapman Date: Wed 11;23,11 Milestone Rolled Up Progress Group By Summary . =‘, • Summary Igpl l. Sp it Deadline Page 2 EFTA01079741  ID Task Name Duration Start Finish • e October Nevem Deem Januar Februl Ma ch April May, June July Au.S1 ME s EI E BIMIE BIMIE BIMIE BIMIE BIMIE BIMIE BIMIE BIMIE BIM 45 ix 2nd-4th Floors 20 days Wed 12/7111 Tue 1/3/12 1 46 ■ 5th Floor 5 days Wed 1/4/12 Tue 1/10/12 47 p Penthouse 5 days Mon 1/2/12 Fri 116/12 48 Cellar 5 days Mon 1/9/12 Fri 1/13/12 49 ix Lobby 10 days Mon 2127112 Fri 3/9/12 29 Roofing 20 days Thu 3/8/12 Wed 4/4/12 31 Install 5th Floor Roof Payers 5 days Thu 3/8112 Wed 3/14/12 ao Install Rooting Membrane 20 days Thu 3/8/12 Wed 4/4/12 50 Drywall 72 days Thu 12/15/11 Frl 3/2312 9M MMM. 51 2nd-4th Floors 25 days Thu 12/16/11 Wed 1/18/12 52 5th Floor 7 days Thu 1/19/12 Frl 1/27112 53 It Penthouse 5 days Mon 1/30/12 Fri 2/3112 54 Cesar 7 days Mon 2/6/12 Tue 2/14/12 55 Lobby 10 days Mon 3/12/12 Frl 3/23/12 79 ■ Stone & The 57 days Thu 1/19/12 Fri 4/612 80 Install The at Baths 2nd.5lh Floor 12days Thu 1/19/12 Fri 2/3112 81 install Stone at Lobby to days Mon 3/26/12 Fri 416112 28 ix Concrete Roof 1 day Wed 3/14/12 Wed 3/14112 34 rc Fire Proofing 10 days Wed 3/14/12 Tue 3/27/12 76 EL Fire Alarm 20 days Mon 1/9/12 Fri 2/3/12 77 Ex Façade Restoration 10 days Thu 4/12/12 Wed 4/25/12 82 IS Carpentry 20 days Thu 415/12 Wed 512/12 I 78 n Painting 45 days Thu 3/22(12 Wed 5/23/12 33 Sidewalks 10 days Mon 2/27/12 Fri 3/9/12 85 Millwork 11 days Thu 415/12 Thu 4/19/12 86 Kitchen Cabinets Installed 10 days Thu 4/5/12 Wed 4/18/12 IR it 87 Lobby Desk 1 day Thu 4/19/12 Thu 4/19/12 83 ix Punt:hits' 30 days Thu 5/24/12 Wed 7/4/12 IMMI111111 84 cc Substantial Completion I 1 day I Thu 715/12 1 Thu 7/5/12 j Task IWWWffiffiffillimu Rolled Up Task iniiiiiiiiiimiiiiimm External Tasks Progress Rolled Up Milestone 0 Project Summary . 1 4P Project: I I - 11-23 Chapman Date: Wed 11;23111 Milestone Rolled Up Progress Group By Summary .M . • Summary . M. Spit Deadline Page 3 EFTA01079742 (3) Floor .Finish Plan: Fourth Floor EFTA01079743  THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Saving the Clock Tower By CRAIG KARMIN October 26th, 2011 Marriott International Inc. has agreed to buy Manhattan's famous Clock Tower building, raising the prospect that the company will use the historic property to revive a struggling new hotel brand. The lodging giant signed a contract earlier this month to pay $165 million to Africa Israel USA for the property, according to people familiar with the matter. Marriott is likely targeting the site for its stylish Edition Hotel line, hoping to build fresh momentum for Edition after the brand stumbled coming out of the gate, some people in the hotel industry say. Natalie Keyssor for The Wolf Street Journal Marriott may brand Manhattan's Clock Tower building as one of its fledgling Edition hotels. The Bethesda, Md., company announced Edition in 2007 with hotelier Ian Schrager as a partner. It predicted then it would open 100 Edition hotels over 10 years. So far, there is one in Istanbul and one in Honolulu. After a dispute with Marriott, the owners of the Waikiki Edition took back the property and rebranded it. A New York state court ordered the owners to return the property to Marriott's control. The owners then declared bankruptcy, which halted the New York judge's order. If Marriott does convert the Clock Tower to an Edition Hotel, it would continue the company's trend for spending significant sums of cash on new hotels to support the fledgling Edition brand. Marriott has already said it will spend about $400 million to open Editions in Miami Beach and London. Marriott also joins a long list of big names in the real-estate industry that either owned or agreed to buy the Clock Tower with dreams of converting the 1909 office building into a hotel or luxury residence. The roster includes SL Green Realty Corp., Mr. Schrager, property developer Aby Rosen, and fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger. But for a variety of reasons, none of them stayed around long enough to make it work. EFTA01079744 People familiar with the property say there are several challenges to converting it into hotel, from the small lobby to limited room for a restaurant and other amenities. The clock tower was completed 102 years ago for insurer MetLife Inc. and was modeled after the Campanile di San Marco in Venice. At 700 feet high, it was the world's tallest building until 1913, when it was surpassed by the Woolworth building in lower Manhattan. During the recent boom years, the tower's storied pedigree and enviable location near Madison Square Park attracted several prominent suitors who had visions of turning the Gothic-style building into an exclusive place to live or stay on visits. SL Green bought the building from MetLife in 2005 for $150 million, and the next year sold a controlling stake to Messrs. Schrager and Rosen. In 2007, Africa Israel USA, part of diamond-industry billionaire Lev Leviev's empire, acquired it for $200 million. Africa Israel spent tens of millions of additional dollars on financing fees and preparing the building for conversion to a luxury condos that were going to be designed by Versace. Earlier this year, Mr. Hilfiger and a partner signed a contract to buy the building for $170 million. The partners planned to transform it into the designer's first hotel, with luxury condos, too. But Mr. Hilfiger walked away from the project last month. An executive at his private office said "there simply are other projects that may make more sense for us." EFTA01079745 feald W Sae* entA ark e;ttneo Expect the woddcio One Math Museum, Many Variables By KENNETH CHANG July 27th, 2011 For every one who finds mathematics incomprehensible, boring, pointless, or all of the above, Glen Whitney wants to prove you wrong. He believes that tens of thousands of visitors will flock to his Museum of Mathematics, to open in Manhattan next year, and leave invigorated about geometry , numbers and many more mathematical notions. "We want to expose the breadth and the beauty of mathematics," said Mr. Whitney , a former math professor who parlayed his quantitative skills into a job at a Long Island hedge fund. He quit in late 2008 with connections to deep pockets and a quest to make math fun and cool. Two years ago, he and his team built a carnival- like traveling exhibit called the Math Midway, a proof-of-concept for the coming museum. It includes a tricycle with square wheels of different sizes that visitors can ride smoothly around a circular path ridged like a flower's petals. An accompanying sign explains why : T he undulating circular surface rises and falls exactly to offset the odd shape of the wheels, so that the tricycle's axles — and the rider — remain at the same height as they move. Mr. Whitney hopes that colorful, interactive props will help his cause. "If we just pluck people in the street — 'What adjectives would you use to describe math?' — very few of them would say, 'beautiful,' " Mr. Whitney said. His vision has enticed large contributions. The museum, which will be at 11 East 26th Street, has raised $22 million, including $2 million from Google and a lot from individual donors (yes, there's some hedge fund money in there). It remains to be seen whether a math museum can succeed. There are currently zero math museums in the United States, and the one small one that did exist, on Long Island, closed in 2006. There are plenty of science museums that cover math topics, but Mr. Whitney's museum, nicknamed MoMath, will be devoid of dinosaurs and planetarium shows and will instead focus on the abstract. "They're a dedicated bunch of idealists," Sylvain E. Cappell, a New York University mathematician on the museum advisory council, said of Mr. Whitney and his staff. EFTA01079746 Without a museum yet, Mr. Whitney periodically gives walking tours to point out the mathematical wonders that can be seen around Manhattan. At 42, he exudes a boyish, geeky enthusiasm as he talks about how the branches of ginkgo trees intersect at right angles more often than those of other trees, or points out that the bolts that open and close New York fire hydrants are pentagonal, rather than the usual six- sided variety . Three years ago, he was working with algorithms at Renaissance Technologies, a private investment firm that uses mathematical models to figure out where to put money. But after a decade there, he was looking for a new career path with a "more direct socially redeeming value," he said. Then, he heard that the math museum on Long Island, Goudreau, had closed. He started thinking that there should be a math museum and that he should be the one to build it. "I really felt that I found my calling," Mr. Whitney said. "I don't mean to be grandiose, but it was something that felt like it really fit with my lifetime of experiences and abilities and likes and so on." Under his vision, MoMath will be one small way to bolster mathematics education in the United States. For years, American students have performed in the middle range on international comparisons of math skills, and an oft- heard worry is that the United States might lose its technological prowess. While Mr. Whitney cites these dynamics as a reason for his quest, he is also a realist. Yes, the museum could serve as an intellectual catalyst and teaching resource, but it alone is not going to raise math scores. "I'm certainly not holding my breath for that," he said. Rather, he said, the museum's mission is to shape cultural attitudes and dispel the bad rap that most people give math. "It's the only field you can go to a cocktail party and talk to people with pride about how lousy you are," Mr. Whitney said. He hopes the museum can inspire at least a few to plunge into math more deeply . He imagines breaking down a piece of cutting- edge math research into pieces that enthusiastic visitors could help solve. "We want to be a place where that spark can ignite," he said. For Mr. Whitney, the spark came after a broken collarbone. When he was 14, he attended a math camp at Ohio State University — he saw it as a chance to get away from home for the summer, he said, not to learn math, a tedious subject that he found easy . During a soccer game, he collided with someone bigger, leaving him injured. With nothing else to do, he looked over the problem sets he had been ignoring. The problems were different from the ones from school, spanning different branches of math and highlighting the connections among them. "I fell in love with mathematics that summer, and I've had a lifetime love affair with it ever since," he said. After majoring in math at Harvard and earning a Ph.D. at the University of California, Los Angeles, he taught at the University of Michigan before joining Renaissance Technologies. EFTA01079747 He commutes to a modest office in Midtown scattered with math puzzles and sculptures, where he and a team of about 20 brainstorm about exhibits for the museum, which right now is 19,000 empty square feet. One idea is a large cube with square holes punched through each side, a structure known as a Menger sponge. When a visitor pulls the cube apart diagonally , the holes turn into six- sided stars. "It's like a 'gosh, that's really cool' kind of emotion people have," said George Hart, the museum's chief of content. "It's a very nice example of how mathematics can give you these big surprises." T he opening is more than a y ear away, but Mr. Whitney is already dreaming bigger: a larger museum, a palpable cultural impact. "There are all sorts of myths about mathematics out there," he said — math is hard, math is boring, math is for boys, math doesn't matter in real life. "All these are cultural myths that we want to blow apart." EFTA01079748