Skip to Content
CityRealty Logo
Marketing has started for a 7-unit residential condominium project at 120 Eleventh Avenue that is being developed by Robert Chandler and Gianfranco, owners of the Chandler Chicco Agency, a health-care public relations concern.

The building, which is also known as 545-7 West 20th Street, was erected in 1909 and from 1913 to 1916 was occupied by the Mint Products Company, which made Life Savers. Subsequently in the 1980s and 1990s it housed the Spike bar.

The developers acquired the 5-story building in 2000 and subsequently hired Winka Dubbledam, the architect of 497 Greenwich Street and 33 Vestry Street, to design a rooftop addition of several stories.

The building is one block north of a women's house of detention, Jean Nouvel's curved glass tower on 19th Street and Frank O. Gehry's sail-like new corporate headquarters for IAC also on 19th Street.

The developers subsequently decided to build a lower addition - only two stories - and hired Studio D + Forum.

An article in yesterday's edition of The New York Times by Irwin Arieff about the project said that the developers declined to name "the well-known architect whom they consulted," but wirednewyork.com revealed it to be Archi-Tectonics, which is headed by Ms. Dubbledam.

According to the article in The Times, "The five apartments, with three or four bedrooms and two and a half or three and a half baths, range from about 3,300 to 4,000 square feet and offer Boffi kitchens, bathroom finishes by Ann Sacks, huge closets, direct elevator access, oversize windows and solid-wood pocket doors. Doormen are on duty during the day and via videocam overnight."

"The two penthouses," it continued, "have glass walls and each covers more than 6,500 square feet of space. The larger one - five bedrooms, six baths - opens onto a 1,821-square-foot roof garden, while the terrace of its four-bedroom, four-bath companion has 1,730 square feet....Mr. Chicco and Mr. Chandler originally bought the building to provide new and bigger offices for their public relations firm. But they say the firm outgrew the space before it could be built. That's when they formed a partnership called Puissance Enterprises to turn the building into luxury lofts, with ground- and second-floor commercial space. They moved into the penthouses eight years ago with their families, and will stay there until they are sold."

The apartments range in price from about $4,200,000 to about $17,000,000.

Related Articles

Future New York

What's old is new again: Mass timber construction in NYC as Timberburg readies to launch sales

Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Great Listings

Gorgeous New York City apartments with exposed brick walls from $399K

Friday, April 10, 2026
Future New York

Landmarks praises residential conversion/restoration of NoMad's Baudouine Building, Seeks revisions to rooftop addition

Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Iconic Addresses

Paul Newman's parkside office sells 47% over ask; Pre-war condo conversions lead Manhattan sales

Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Get To Know

What is a sponsor unit? Pros, cons, and NYC apartments with no board approval required from $165K

Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Future New York

NYC contracts led by $18.5M Upper East Side mansion and a bespoke Billionaires' Row condo

Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Get To Know

How property values are assessed in NYC + Great new listings with open houses from $445K

Saturday, June 20, 2026
Get To Know

Swim with a View: 30 Manhattan buildings with high-floor swimming pools and fitness centers

Saturday, June 20, 2026
Architecture Critic Carter Horsley Since 1997, Carter B. Horsley has been the editorial director of CityRealty. He began his journalistic career at The New York Times in 1961 where he spent 26 years as a reporter specializing in real estate & architectural news. In 1987, he became the architecture critic and real estate editor of The New York Post.