In July, YIMBY brought you news of a new building permit application for 1711 First Avenue, a 34-story building that SHoP is designing for Anbau Enterprises on East 89th Street. Anbau has now shared renderings of the project with YIMBY, along with a few details about the luxury condo tower they’re about to build on the Upper East Side.
The tower’s façade will be made of brick and glass, with floor-to-ceiling windows for residents, while still avoiding an anodyne sheer glass curtain wall look. SHoP’s design will feature a bluestone base above the condo entrance on 89th Street, and a small cantilever over the walk-up to the west, glassier than the rest of the building, with sweeping city views guaranteed by more restrictive mid-block zoning.
1711 First Avenue, image by SHoP/Anbau
The building permit lists 78 apartments spread over 186,332 square feet of residential space. Anbau says they’ll be building one- through four-bedroom units, ranging in size from 875 to 2,850 square feet, with full-floor penthouses at the top.
The building will also have a 3,558-square foot commercial space on First Avenue. Barbara van Beuren, Anbau’s managing director, says the retail tenant will be tailored to the building’s amenity program, which may include an indoor basketball court, in addition to the standard luxury perks. The number of parking spaces is limited by the city in this part of Manhattan, but the developer is trying to squeeze in up to 29 spots with a space-saving robotic parking system.
While high luxury on the Upper East Side has traditionally stayed west of Lexington Avenue and on the waterfront blocks, a number of factors have upended the traditional calculus. Rising prices in Manhattan’s prime neighborhoods have sent wealthy buyers looking for deals in nearby areas without the same pedigrees as Park and Fifth. At the same time, the Second Avenue subway is about to become a reality, offering commuters an uncongested ride to the West Side — and then down Broadway as an extension of the Q train — making the far East Side all the more attractive.
1711 First Avenue, image by SHoP/Anbau
The Charles, finished earlier this year between 72nd and 73rd, proved the market for high-end condos on First Avenue, and Anbau’s building won’t be the only one started during this market cycle to to go up east of Lexington. DDG has also filed permits for a tower on Third Avenue, likely aiming for a higher price point than Anbau, and rentals are also in the works elsewhere in Yorkville. Rent stabilized tenants make redeveloping the tenements on First, Second and Third avenues a tough slog, but those who can unlock the sites have access to the most generous residential zoning in the city.
After demolition of the four tenements that make up the corner site, foundation work at 1711 First Avenue should start in January, with an eye to finishing the building by the end of 2016 – which also happens to be the MTA’s planned opening date for the Second Avenue subway.
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More towers destroying what little is left of Yorkville for the nouveau riche and trust fund set.