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wo of the highest‑priced contracts in Manhattan last week came from 15 Central Park West, the limestone tower designed by the late Robert A.M. Stern. The deals—$26.8 million for a 3‑bed, 3,347 sq ft unit with sweeping Central Park views, and $25 million (down from $27.5 million) for a 4‑bed, formal‑entertaining layout with a sixth‑floor studio—were signed shortly after Stern’s death at 86 on Thanksgiving. According to Donna Olshan’s Luxury Market Report, this is the first time in five years that the week’s two top contracts originated from the same building, a phenomenon not seen since 2020.
A third sale, a $22 million contract for a 3‑bed, 3.5‑bath unit, was recorded in city records. The agreement was signed in October, a month before Stern’s passing, and closed in the weeks that followed. The buyer, listed as an LLC, remains unidentified. Final sale prices and new owners for all three units are still pending.
Jonathan Miller, CEO of Miller Samuel, notes that Stern’s death may not trigger an immediate price surge, but his legacy continues to support the building’s premium value. “Two sales in the same building draw more market attention for future listings,” he said. “The absence of new Stern projects will help sustain the premium they already command, though it won’t lift prices overnight.”
15 Central Park West, completed between 2005 and 2007 near Columbus Circle, has long been a bellwether for New York’s high‑end market. Curbed dubbed it the “Limestone Jesus” for its temple‑like façade, and the property boasts a 14,000‑sq ft fitness center, a 75‑foot skylit lap pool, a private restaurant, a motor court, a library, and a residents‑only screening room. It was among the first post‑2000 condominiums to blend prewar Park Avenue proportions with five‑star amenities.
The tower has attracted a roster of celebrities and financiers, including Denzel Washington, Robert De Niro, Sting, Alex Rodriguez, Sara Blakely, Lloyd Blankfein, and Daniel Loeb, earning nicknames such as “Tower of Power.” Stern, a former Yale School of Architecture dean, was celebrated for merging historical references with contemporary livability. His other landmark projects—220 Central Park South, 520 Park Ave, and 70 Vestry—regularly set price‑per‑sq‑ft records and shaped Manhattan’s modern luxury skyline.
