The Rockefeller Group, a New York City-based developer, owner and operator, has put forward extensive housing plans for a site on the Upper West Side. The company acquired the plot in January together with Atlas Capital Group for $96 million.
According to the latest submissions to the New York City Department of Buildings, a residential building with 340 dwelling units and an area of 392,319 square feet is planned for 200 West 97th Street. If approved, the proposed 28-storey building would include 2,465 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, a parish central school, a residential lobby, and an amenity lounge. Floors two to 28 are each intended to house between five and 19 residential units. A terrace and a pool are planned for the building's rooftop.
Hilary Allard Goldfarb, Head of Development for the Rockefeller Group in the Northeast, commented on the project: "We are excited to advance plans for our project at 200 West 97th Street in partnership with Atlas Capital." She emphasised that together they will realise a premier multi-family property that will thrive on the Upper West Side, while also providing an important component of affordable housing and improvements to the church property.
The basement of the planned building is set to include various amenities, among them a pet spa, a podcast room, a cinema room, a lounge, a sports simulator, and a children's room. The ninth floor will offer co-working spaces, a café, a fitness centre, a 'glam room', and outdoor areas. The plans were submitted by Timothy Flynn, Senior Vice President for Design and Construction at Rockefeller, while Frank Fusaro of Handel Architects is named as the architect.
The Rockefeller Group and Atlas Capital Group acquired the property at the corner of 97th Street and Amsterdam Avenue in January from the Roman Catholic Church for $96 million. As part of the agreement, the purchasers committed to preserving the existing church and rectory on the site, while underutilised parts of the campus will be repurposed into residential accommodation. Demolition permits for an existing four-storey building on the plot have already been submitted. Rockefeller expects vertical construction to commence in the first quarter of next year.
The residential component of the development will be realised through the 485-x tax incentive programme. This requires that 25 per cent of the units in the building be designated as affordable housing, in return for corresponding tax relief. A spokesperson for the purchasers stated in January that the project demonstrates what is possible when thoughtful development is aligned with strong public policy, and how this can address multiple community needs simultaneously.
