Excavation and pilings are progressing at 242 East 71st Street, the site of a 22-story residential tower in the Lenox Hill section of Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Designed by Robert A. M. Stern Architects and developed by Avdoo, the 172,000-square-foot structure is slated to yield 50 condominium units, ground-floor retail space, and enclosed parking. The nearly 10,000-square-foot property is located at the southwest corner of Second Avenue and East 71st Street.
Work has descended below street level since our last update in early April, when groundbreaking had just taken place. Multiple excavators, piling machines, and other equipment are in use across the partially dug site, and steel beams have been set up to support the retaining walls excavation continues. YIMBY expects the foundation walls and slab to get underway later this summer, and for the superstructure to begin rising before the end of the year.
242 East 71st Street. Photo by Michael Young.
242 East 71st Street. Photo by Michael Young.
242 East 71st Street. Photo by Michael Young.
242 East 71st Street. Photo by Michael Young.
242 East 71st Street. Photo by Michael Young.
242 East 71st Street. Photo by Michael Young.
242 East 71st Street. Photo by Michael Young.
242 East 71st Street. Photo by Michael Young.
242 East 71st Street. Photo by Michael Young.
242 East 71st Street. Photo by Michael Young.
The following axonometric diagram from the construction board aligns with the drawing below it from Avdoo’s website. The building will feature a design typical of Robert A. M. Stern Architects, consisting of a multifaceted massing with numerous upper level setbacks. The façade will likely be composed of limestone, surrounding a varied fenestration that includes several arched windows and cutouts, rectangular windows with Juliet balconies, and two columns of bay windows on the eastern elevation. The setbacks and loggia cutouts on the upper floors will create space for numerous private terraces, and the tower will culminate in a bulkhead with openings resembling large windows to hide the mechanical equipment.
242 East 71st Street. Photo by Michael Young.
A possible preliminary sketch of 242 East 71st Street, spotted on Avdoo’s website.
The ground-up development is located near the northern entrance to the 72nd Street subway station, served by the Q train.
242 East 71st Street’s anticipated completion date is slated for the summer of 2028, as updated on the info board.
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A hole in the ground, where all things are yet possible.
Is that supposed to be euphemism for a bad development or something ?
Oy, this is a tough crowd, I was just trying to wax a bit philosophical, instead of complaining about the color of some brick, or that this building alone won’t solve the housing shortage..
Looks like another RAMSA masterpiece for the UES.
It will be a very nice new building, but once again, there were probably more affordable units lost here than will be replaced by very expensive units. This isn’t progress.
Exactly my point David. If only $5 million to $35 million apartments built who can afford this? Most likely many running from the Moddle East.
But this generates much more tax dollars for the city.
People don’t seem to realize that having affordable units in luxury buildings isn’t a new idea. I moved out at 18 or 19 and into an early 1920s building with luxury 2,3 and 4 bedroom designs. A few included attached maid’s studios. But the building has a small collection of alcove bedroom units that were always set aside for teachers, accountants and other workers who didn’t make enough money to live in one of the buildings regular units. Interestingly, we didn’t have our own entrance because our units were built behind the elevator shaft so we accessed the same hallways everyone else used. There were always the few who deigned to acknowledge our existence, but most of the tenants accepted us as people. We had full access to the gym, library, living room and large community kitchen as well as the garden.