Developer Plans to Fly Orange and White Balloon over Upper West Side Building

A building on the Upper West Side will be getting a whimsical decoration as it celebrates its last days. After being sold for $300 million at the beginning of 2015, the former American Bible Society building will have a balloon tethered to the property to conduct a survey of the area.

New owner and developer AvalonBay plans to tear down the old building and the aerial survey balloon can provide information on the amount of traffic that passes the building and what times of day the area sees the most activity, which could be used to entice businesses to lease the commercial space on the first floor of the new building.

It's unknown exactly when the hovering balloon will take flight, since the approval spans the entire next year, but if you see an orange and white weather balloon over 61st and Broadway, look up and smile for the cameras surveying the scene!