Construction has topped out on 255 East 77th Street, a 500-foot-tall residential skyscraper in the Lenox Hill section of Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Designed by Robert A. M. Stern Architects and developed by Naftali Group, the 36-story structure will span 170,481 square feet and yield 62 condominium units in two- to five-bedrooms layouts. The development will also contain 1,650 square feet of retail space, one cellar level, and 22 enclosed parking spaces. Hill West Architects is the architect of record for the property, which is alternately addressed as 1481 Second Avenue and located at the corner of Second Avenue and East 77th Street.
The remainder of the reinforced concrete superstructure was formed since our last update in late January, when construction had recently surpassed the halfway mark. Photos taken yesterday show an American flag perched atop the multifaceted crown, signifying the completion of structural work. The building now stands as the tallest structure in the neighborhood.
Photo by Michael Young.
Photo by Michael Young.
Photo by Michael Young.
Photo by Michael Young.
Façade installation has followed closely behind the pace of vertical construction. The precast concrete panels now cover more than half of the main eastern profile, with the northern side of the building enclosed to the uppermost levels. The egress core is located at the center of this elevation, denoted by the sheer concrete walls flanking a column of narrow windows.
Photo by Michael Young.
Photo by Michael Young.
Photo by Michael Young.
Photo by Michael Young.
Photo by Michael Young.
Photo by Michael Young.
The below photos capture a large section of the façade being hoisted into position. The panel was picked up from Second Avenue, raised all the way up over the crown, then lowered back down the western elevation to its position atop one of the tall arches. A portion of the amenities will be housed within the levels at this midpoint break in the fenestration, including the indoor swimming pool.
Photo by Michael Young.
Photo by Michael Young.
Photo by Michael Young.
Photo by Michael Young.
Exterior work is further behind on the rear western face where the hoist is attached.
Photo by Michael Young.
Photo by Michael Young.
Naftali Group purchased the corner property for $73 million in 2021 and received $236 million in construction financing in the form of JPMorgan Chase’s $195 million senior loan and Starwood’s $41 million in mezzanine debt. Last December, the project received another $140 million loan from JPMorgan Chase. Sales launched in September 2024 and the developer is projecting a sellout of $500 million. Compass Development Marketing Group is handling sales for the residences.
Amenities at 255 East 77th Street will include a full-time doorman, concierge service, an outdoor garden, cold storage, a bike storage room, shared laundry room, on-site parking for sale, private storage for sale, a package room, lounge, game room, fitness center, yoga studio, health club, indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room, pet spa, children’s playroom, and a screening room.
The closest subway from the site is the 6 train at the 77th Street station two avenues to the west.
255 East 77th Street’s anticipated completion date is slated for fall 2026, as noted on site.
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Beautiful building.
This rose so quickly! So is the facade installation and can’t wait to see it fully enclosed
Pretty soon no one can afford to live in NYC unless making 3 million a year
Building more luxury does not affect all the smaller and lower rent properties already out there.
lol there is less supply . The smaller buildings purchased had units more affordable,
The Facade is actually Architectural Precast Concrete, not limestone; but good mention that it represents well. Windows pre-installed too, ideal to close in more quickly.
Are there other RAMSA buildings that use ‘Architectural Concrete”?
Is this really RAMSA work? Or some kind of marketing/consulting tie-in? The curtain wall is flat and undynamic, too simple, lacking RAMSA’s usual attention to detail and respectful nods to surrounding buildings. Aesthetically speaking, this does not seem like a very high end building.
Maybe because it is on Second Avenue they didn’t go all in on typical RAMSA bells and whistles?
I agree. I’ve been by this twice and the bas relief midway up looks too flat and simple. This looks stripped down imitation, but it’s still better than average.
Of course this is a RAMSA building, their work seems to consist constantly of ‘slight’ variations on the same theme of the great NYC pre-war buildings..people love and seemingly can’t get enough of them..
Boy, this building does not look great close up. The facade looks very fake. I like buildings to show how they are made, so if you want it to look like it’s made for stacked stonework, you should have to stack real stones and lay them out with mortar, not build a face Lincoln log, truck it in, and glue it in place.
Really gross.
So, is this what they call “value engineering”..