Dwyer, 258 Saint Nicholas Avenue: Review and Ratings

Review of 258 Saint Nicholas Avenue by Carter Horsley

This 10-story, 51-unit residential condominium building at 258 St. Nicholas Avenue on the northeast corner at 123rd Street in Harlem replaced the former 9-story Dwyer Warehouse, which was demolished in 2002 after the death of Modesto Olivo Sr., a construction worker on the site, during a planned residential conversion of the property.

Dwyer Development Corporation of Tarrytown, N.Y., of which John Cross is the president is the developer. Mr. Cross is also the sole owner of Townsend Builders, the project s general contractor.

James McCullar & Associates is the architect and he also designed the very handsome 6-story housing development for "special needs families" that was completed in 2003 at 189 Stanton Street, the 70-unit residential condominium building that was completed in 1988 at 445 West 19th Street, and the conversion of P.S. 139 in Harlem for public housing in 1988.

The building, which is known as Dwyer, recalls the original building's massing and red-brick masonry but space removed to provide courtyards is transferred to a penthouse level. It has have a roof deck on the 10th story.

The design calls for a metal-clad, four-sided corner with turret and parts of the street façades will also be clad in metal. The building has 7,500 square feet of "cultural space," and about 6,100 square feet of ground-floor and basement retail space.

Studio apartments range in size from 758 to 812 square feet and in price from about $376,950 to $460,845. One-bedroom units will range in size from about 900 to 1,800 square feet with prices ranging from $471,000 to $1,080,450. Two-bedroom, two-bath apartments with about 1,650 square feet range in price from $917,144 to $1,114,313.

According to Denice Johns of Society Estates Inc., the building has a 24-hour concierge, central air-conditioning, and some apartments will have Juliet balconies with French doors. Apartments have washers and dryers and stainless steel kitchen appliances and white Cararra marble bathrooms. Ceiling heights range from 9 feet 4 inches to 10 feet 6 inches. The building's lobby has polished bluestone floors and American Cherry wood paneling.

Startsandfits.com, which claims that the warehouse was its "favorite building in the city," has noted that "In April 1985, 90 people received medical treatment after being exposed to hazardous material fumes after a fire broke during renovations of the building."

The building is convenient to public transportation and Columbia University.