Construction has gone vertical at 501 East 81st Street, an ten-story residential building in the Yorkville section of Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Designed by Zproekt Architecture and developed by Rybak Development, the 100-foot-tall structure is planned to span 29,829 square feet with an undisclosed number of units, likely condominiums based on the design firm’s history in the neighborhood. The building will also have a cellar level and three enclosed parking spaces. The property is located at the southeast corner of York Avenue and East 81st Street.
Foundation work was underway at the time of our last update in early January, when crews were still assembling the substructure behind the wraparound wooden fencing. A sidewalk shed was installed a couple of months ago, and recent photos now show the reinforced concrete superstructure steadily rising above street level. Crews have already formed the first several levels of the building, where we can see the shape of the curved corners of the outer walls and balconies facing York Avenue. A network of metal scaffolding and black netting covers much of the project and will continue to shroud the rest of the upper levels as progress continues. YIMBY predicts 500 East 81st Street will eventually top out sometime around the end of summer to early fall. Façade installation likely won’t start to happen until sometime closer to the end of this year.
500 East 81st Street. Photo by Michael Young.
500 East 81st Street. Photo by Michael Young.
500 East 81st Street. Photo by Michael Young.
500 East 81st Street. Photo by Michael Young.
500 East 81st Street. Photo by Michael Young.
500 East 81st Street. Photo by Michael Young.
500 East 81st Street. Photo by Michael Young.
500 East 81st Street. Photo by Michael Young.
The main rendering above shows a straightforward rectangular massing that incorporates rounded corners, which is also repeated on the glass-lined balconies along the broad northern elevation and narrow western profile. The façade will be composed of light gray stone paneling finished with fluted surfaces surrounding a grid of recessed floor-to-ceiling glass windows. There will also be additional dark metalwork accenting around the fenestration on the first three stories. The structure rises to a flat parapet topped with a landscaped terrace, followed by a tall mechanical bulkhead clad in dark metal paneling. The main entrance will be positioned on the center of the East 81st Street elevation under a backlit relief of the building’s address.
The below rendering offers a closer look at the multiple sets of balconies, which will feature small light fixtures on their undersides, as well as the thin cornice lines that separate the façade in two-story increments.
Rendering courtesy of Rybak Development.
Rybak Development purchased the property for $10.4 million in June 2023. The site was formerly occupied by the Gracie Inn Hotel, a one-story laundromat, and a diner at the northern corner.
The nearest subway from the ground-up development is the Q train at the 86th Street station at the corner of Second Avenue and East 83rd Street.
500 East 81st Street’s anticipated completion date is slated for spring 2026, as noted on site.
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Nice fit👍, I think the design is about as proportionate & as “classic”, (at yet almost timelessly “modern”), as a bldg can get, Bravo!👏👍to the architects & builders.
The lights on the balcony undersides are a useful/great touch!
Nice development, but it’s a bummer the zoning doesn’t allow to retain the previously grandfathered retail space. It was nice having a cafe on that corner.
50+ years it was a cozy, friendly neighborhood, corner where everyone knew each other, especially Gracies coffee shop. It will be missed. So, kudos to the millionaires taking it over!
This building overlooks the ugliest buildings and York Ave is endless sirens 🤷🏻♀️