The {Real Estate} Life: Four New Developments to Watch

Fall of 2013 is turning into THE season for new developments in New York City.  With inventory at an all-time low, I’m thrilled to see these projects drawing closer and closer to opening.  There are dozens of great new development projects taking place throughout the city.  Here are four more to keep at the top of your list.

534 West 29th

Renderings of the front and rear of 534 West 29th Street
Renderings of the front and rear of 534 West 29th Street

Blackhouse, the New York City-based development firm with more than five properties across the city, is shooting for a High Line double play with Casa Moderne, the renamed luxury condominium development — formerly known as Casa Bella Artes – overlooking the elevated Chelsea park.

The all-residential property will have only six apartments spread across ten floors, a mix of customizable duplexes and triplexes, ranging in size from 1,500 to 3,000 square feet. Many of the units will have outdoor space including terraces and gardens, while the penthouse unit will have a roof deck with a pool. The units range in price from $2,500 to $3,000 per square foot, pegging asking prices between $3.75 million and $9 million.

The Greenwich Lane

150 West 12th Street
The Greenwich Lane
The Greenwich Lane at 150 West 12th Street

Following the sell-out of 130 West 12th Street, the first of the former St. Vincent’s buildings to go condo, the Greenwich Lane will hit the market this fall with five apartment buildings and five townhouses on the former St. Vincent’s lots.  The buildings will include 200 one-bedroom through six-bedroom condo units, and the townhouses and one of the apartment buildings are new construction. FXFowle designed the buildings, and Thomas O’Brien is in charge of the interiors.

551 West 21st Street

Rendering of 551 West 21st Street courtesy Hayes Davidson and Foster + Partners
Rendering of 551 West 21st Street courtesy Hayes Davidson and Foster + Partners

Sir Norman Foster has designed 551 West 21st Street, a new condo building that will hit the market next month and open in 2015. The building will have 44 apartments, most priced between $5.75 million and $17.5 million, except for the penthouses, which will be $35 million and up. There will be three of those penthouses, and one will have the option of a private rooftop pool. The ground floor will house the 303 Gallery, a contemporary art gallery that sat on the site previously and was flooded during Hurricane Sandy.

The Woolworth Building

The Woolworth Building, in Lower Manhattan, was completed in 1913.
The Woolworth Building, in Lower Manhattan, was completed in 1913.

When it comes to office buildings going residential, the Woolworth Building takes the cake.  The building’s highest 30 floors sold on July 31, 2012 for $68 million, and the owner, an investment group that includes usually-smaller-scale developer Alchemy Properties, plans to take those floors condo by 2015.

A five-level penthouse of around 8,000 square feet will be housed in the copper-clad cupola that tops out at 792 feet. Originally designed as a public observation area, the cupola has a wraparound outdoor deck reached by a private elevator. In the basement of the 1913 Cass Gilbert-designed building is a 55-foot-long pool, and it will be cleaned up and available for residents’ use. Owners will also be able to access their apartments through a separate elevator, not the one used by the poor commoners who work on the building’s first floors.

Stay tuned for more updates on the exciting new developments heading our way over the next few months.  If you have any interest in these or any other development project, send me an email at claudia@townrealestate.com and I will be happy to arrange VIP access for you!

Claudia Saez-Fromm

An entrepreneur, innovator, and singularly successful real estate salesperson, fitness fiend, foodie, mommy, and fashion fan. www.claudiasaezfromm.com

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