The Chetrit Group is seeking a special permit to convert the two-building complex that for many years was known as The Toy Center at 200 Fifth Avenue on the northwest corner at 23rd Street and 1107 Broadway on the northeast corner at 24th Street to 460 condominium apartments.

Much of the eastern portion of the two buildings, which are connected by a 9th floor skywalk over 24th Street, permits residential conversions but not the far western portions.

The developer, which acquired the complex for about $355 million last year from a partnership headed by Peter Malkin, is also seeking permission to create a 54-car garage at the rear of 1107 Broadway.

The City Planning Commission today held a review session on the two applications and will hold a public hearing on them Wednesday. Community Board 5 has voted for disapproval of the applications.

The buildings face Madison Square Park and the complex is now being called Madison Park West.

The 15-story, 670,592-square-foot building at 200 Fifth Avenue was built in 1909 and designed by Maynicke & Franke.

It replaced the Fifth Avenue Hotel that was, according to Robert A. M. Stern, Gregory Gilmartin and John Massengale in their great book, "New York 1900, Metropolitan Architecture and Urbanism 1890-1915)" (Rizzoli International Publications, 1983, "the city's most modern and luxurious?, with the first passenger elevator in New York, and a grand entrance hall -160 feet long and 27 feet wide,?..A sitting room to one side was known as the Amen Corner, because Senator Thomas Platt, leader of the Republican Party, held court there." The hotel had been opened in 1859 by Amos F. Eno and was initially known as "Eno's Folly" because the area was considered to far uptown, but it soon attracted interest and "the area became established as thye city's most fashionable."

The 16-story, 337,000-square-foot building at 1107 Broadway was erected in 1915 and was designed by H. Craig Severance and W. Van Alen. It replaced the Albemare Hotel and it was joined to 200 Fifth Avenue in 1968.

According to The Toy Center's website, the land at 200 Fifth Avenue "was farmland and part of a land grant to a free black slave in the early 1800s. The farmhouse that stood at the corner of what is now 5th Avenue and 23rd Street became a roadhouse called the Madison Cottage in 1839. It was noteworthy for being the last stop for outward-bound New Yorkers, on their way to the 'wilds of upper Manhattan'?.The Cottage was replaced by Franconi's Hippodrome in 1853."

The complex has been home to scores of toy companies who have been told to vacant the premises by the end of this month by the developer, who last year had offered them space at 450 West 33rd Street, but the tenants' association found that location unacceptable. The State's Economic Development Agency has been trying recently to find a new location for the toy companies, but to date none has been found and the companies have begun to consider relocation out of New York City.

Another very major showroom facility, the former Gift Building at 225 Fifth Avenue on the northeast corner at 26th Street, is now in the process of being converted to residential condominiums.

The Madison Square Park area, also known as the Flatiron District, has been undergoing a major transformation. A commercial building at 50 Madison Avenue on the northwest corner at 26th Street was recently expanded and converted to residential condominiums and plans are advancing for the conversion of the great MetLife tower, one of the city's greatest skyscrapers, at 1 Madison Avenue to condominiums.