1289 Lexington Avenue: Review and Ratings

Review of 1289 Lexington Avenue by Carter Horsley

This 18-story condominium apartment building at 1289 Lexington Avenue on the northeast corner at 86^th Street is expected to be completed by 2019 by Kuafu Properties, Stillman Development and Ceruzzi Properties that acquired the site in 2014.

The very prominent site, which is also known as 147-151 East 86^th Street is now occupied by low-rise retail properties.

HOK is the architect.

The project will incorporate a 4-story retail base, a subway station with sidewalk elevator, and 50 apartments.

Bottom Line

A boxy, mid-rise residential tower with numerous setbacks over a four-story retail base will rise at this major subway station and busy public transportation intersection across from a Best Buy stories and not far from a Whole Foods stores.

Description

The building will have corner windows and numerous setbacks, some with broad stone outlines.

Many of the windows will be inset at slight angles.

The lower four retail levels will read from the street visually as two levels and the cross-street and avenue entrances will have marquees.  The New York Sports Club will continue as a retail presence on the site on 86^th Street.

The general massing will be somewhat similar to that of the Lucida apartment/retail building directly across 86^th Street whose façade is mostly glass.

Amenities

According to a June 26, 2015 article by Lauren Elkies Schram at commercial observer.com, the building will have a health club, a children’s playroom, a movie room, a residents’ lounge and a 1,500-square-foot rooftop garden. 

History

According to the commercialobserver.com article, “before Thanksgiving 2014, Fox’s off-price women’s clothing store and Sleepy’s took short-term leases (up to two years) at 147 East 86^th Street.”  The article also noted that “On December 23, 2013, the developers got a $33.1 million 99-year ground-lease from the heirs of Sol Goldman at 147 East 86^th Street” and “then bought 151 East 86^th Street from Town Sports International Holdings, the owner and operator of gym chair New York Sports Clubs, for $85.5 million on September 12, 2014” and in “March the trio also purchased 19,215 square feet of development rights from 1283-1291 Lexington Avenue for $12.4 million plus 6,535 square feet of footprint rights for $1.6 million.”