After Caprice Holdings submitted plans for a rooftop nightclub at the 14th Street Triangle, the London-based operator of club venues has now purchased the property for USD 100 million, according to property records released on Tuesday. Aurora Capital Associates, led by Robert Cayre, sold the five-storey building at 675 Hudson Street to Caprice.
Caprice plans to redevelop the 19th-century property, provided the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) approves the works. The aim is to establish a New York location for a private club known in London as Annabel’s. The buyer’s address in the ownership documents is associated with Caprice Holdings, which is a sister brand of Annabel’s.
Ownership and financing
Both brands, Caprice and Annabel’s, previously belonged to the hospitality empire of British businessman Richard Caring but were acquired by the Abu Dhabi-based firm DIAFA earlier this year. For the current acquisition, Caprice Holdings secured USD 165 million in financing from HSBC, according to property records. Aurora Capital Associates had acquired the Meatpacking District property in 2023 as part of a favourable sale for USD 50 million, as evidenced by a deed of transfer. Who was involved in brokering the sale is currently unclear. Enquiries to Aurora and Caprice initially went unanswered.
Challenges with landmark approval
An earlier LPC hearing revealed authorities' reservations about the proposed rooftop addition to the landmarked Hudson Street property. Concerns focused on the proposed curved glass structure, designed by BKSK Architects, which the LPC considered inconsistent with the building's original character. Comments noted during the recent presentation to the LPC recommend that the new owners “improve the design relationship between the rooftop addition and the historic building below”.
Further comments indicated that the “curvilinear form of the rooftop addition conflicts with the geometry of the historic building; its scale should be reduced”. The property at 675 Hudson is also known as the Herring Building. Construction began in 1849, with further additions over the following half-century. The building originally served as a factory for masonry materials.
