YIMBY recently toured 732 West End Avenue, and the views from the building’s rooftop are impressive. The development stands 16 stories tall, and has 14 units in total; construction was controversial due to the neighborhood’s NIMBY politics, despite the fact that the resulting structure is contextual, and actually stands shorter than the adjacent tower. The site’s developer is Sackman Enterprises, and the architect is William Nicholas Bodouva + Associates; TOWN is handling marketing and sales.
Hudson River Panorama — zoomable photo at link
While 16-story buildings would be dwarfed in Midtown or the Financial District, the relatively low-rise surrounds result in unobstructed western views, and the building’s vistas over the Hudson River are comprehensive.
732 West End Avenue replaced two townhomes, and the resulting outcry resulted in a new historic district, stretching between 70th and 109th Street along West End Avenue. Efforts to halt practically all new development on the Upper West Side have been successful, and it seems that 732 West End will be one of the last new structures to rise along the thoroughfare.
Looking out over West End Avenue
As constricted supply yields ever-rising prices, many of the neighborhood’s existing residents will likely be displaced by wealthier newcomers. Eliminating new development may preserve old buildings, but it does not preserve populations — which is often the actual goal of landmarking.
732 West End Avenue at center
732 West End proves how irrational local NIMBYs can be, as the building fits perfectly into the streetscape; contrary to popular opinion, the Upper West Side does have an abundance of under-utilized land, and contextual new development — like Sackman’s project — is definitely a good thing.
The building is nearly complete, and work is now wrapping up on interiors.
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