36 Hudson Street
The Building: The Mohawk Building, developed and designed by Joseph Pell Lombardi (55 Liberty Street), is a loft conversion of twelve condos with three bedrooms and three baths each, plus a penthouse that’s going to have a 50-foot-high living room, two fireplaces, and two huge terraces. Six of the twelve will have outdoor space with views of Duane Park. The Corcoran Group will do the selling.
The Goods: David Bouley’s planned cooking school at this location never took off, and he sold the building last year.
The Buyers: Transplanted uptowners are particularly looking forward to this property. “I have three clients now who want Fifth Avenue with outdoor spaces, and there isn’t anything,” says Corcoran broker Sharon Baum. “So I’m bringing them here!” Apartment-hunting homeless celebrities (Jay-Z, Naomi Watts), take note.
The Date: 2005.
328 Spring Street
The Building: The Urban Glass House, eleven stories of condos designed by Philip Johnson (and named for his Glass House in Connecticut), developed by Antonio Nino Vendome, and sold by Stribling & Associates.
The Goods: A 26-story Johnson-designed building on the same site was turned down a few years ago for zoning noncompliance. Now towers are sprouting all over the area.
The Buyers: People who think they missed out on Meier’s Perry Street towers. Or who really, really like late nights at Sway.
The Date: 2006.
215 East 96th Street
The Building: The Related Companies, sizzling-hot architecture firm Ismael Leyva Architects, and always-in-demand decorator David Rockwell are teaming up on this 41-story tower with 212 condos. Sales units will start on the 22nd floor and have sweeping views of the East River and Central Park. Ritzy amenities will abound: a playground with barbecues, an indoor garage, a gym, a business center, a spa—even a dog spa.
The Goods: Fresh off Time Warner Center, Ismael Leyva has a proven track record with high-priced uptown buildings like the Chatham and the Park Imperial.
The Buyers: Uptown moneybags who are relieved to move into a clean box rather than brave edgy architecture.
The Date: Late 2005.
90 West Street and 15 Broad Street
The Buildings: Richard Born and Ira Drukier, who delivered Richard Meier’s towers on Perry Street and the Mercer and Maritime hotels, are converting 90 West Street, a 1902 Cass Gilbert office building. It’s next to ground zero, and its terra-cotta façade (pictured) was severely damaged when the towers fell. “We are restoring the façade and converting the building into a 410-unit rental apartment house under the Liberty Bond program,” says Born. At 15 Broad, the former J.P. Morgan building’s conversion into 250 condos is being overseen by LB Lev Leviev/Boymelgreen (which did the ballyhooed conversion of 60 Spring Street), with details by Philippe Starck. It’ll have retail space, too—right across from the NYSE.
The Goods: In a few years, the dust will clear and the memorial will be up. Developers are betting that the area will finally get its long-awaited residential boom.
The Renters/Buyers: Bankers who blow their business-trip expense accounts at Ian Schrager hotels.
The Date: 2005.