In April, 2002, an explosion in the basement of this 11-story building at 121 West 19th Street injured about 30 people, broke windows and darkened its fa??ade.

Almost a year and a half later, the building, which had been erected as a commercial structure in 1904, was sold for more than $25 million to Alchemy Properties, which converted it to 67 condominium apartments including 4 duplex penthouses with skylights and terraces.

It was put on the market in April, 2005 and apartments were initially priced from $500,000 to $2.75 million and range in size from 766 to 3,948 square feet.

The building has a 24-hour attendant, a live-in super, common outdoor roof space, wiring for high-speed Internet access, high ceilings, Viking kitchen appliances, and Poggenpohl kitchen cabinets.

Fox & Fowle and Hustvedt Cutler Architects were the architects for the conversion.

At about the same time that this building was being marketing another site just across the street was being excavated for a residential condominium project known as Chelsea House at 130 West 19th Street. It has 64 units and was designed by Randy Gerner of Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel, Architects for the Clarett Group. It has 13 stories and five setbacks.

Both buildings are mid-block and are to the east of Fire Company 3 on the southeast corner at 19th Street and Seventh Avenue.