Macy’s Herald skyscraper

Macy’s advanced its plan to build a giant office tower atop its Herald Square flagship on Monday, announcing that it would spend $235 million to upgrade transit infrastructure at the site and to create new public amenities.

“We are doubling down on our commitment to New York by reinvesting in our flagship location while committing $235 million in private investment to upgrade the Herald Square neighborhood,” said Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette.

The plan was unveiled in February 2020 but delayed by the pandemic. No mention was made at the time about the public-benefit upgrades.

They are meant to ease the project’s way through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, the city’s often contentious approval process. The tower needs City Hall’s OK on its size and height — 1.5 million square feet of office space and between 750 and 900 feet tall, plans show.