220 Central Park South - RA Stern - 920 ft

**LOVE-NYC** · August 28th, 2006, 04:46 PM

I understand there are plans to demolish 220 CPS and build a new 41 story high rise. Any ideas as to when this is supposed to happen?

Any info on 240 CPS? The building is undergoing major renovations. Any ideas if there are plans to convert the building to either condo or coop?

**jeffpark** · August 28th, 2006, 04:57 PM

Clarett Group plans 41-story condo tower on Central Park South 19-MAY-06

The 20-story apartment building at 220 Central Park South may be demolished by the Clarett Group and replaced by a 41-story condominium tower designed by Pelli Clark Pelli, the firm that designed One Beacon Court on Lexington Avenue and 59th Street, the Museum of Modern Art tower on East 53rd Street and the World Financial Center at Battery Park City.
This 20-story, light-gray brick building was erected in 1954 and was designed by Mayer & Whittlesley and M. Milton Glass. It has 124 rental apartments. Mayer & Whittlesley also designed 40 and 240 Central Park South, which, like 220 Central Park South, are through-block buildings that extend to 58th Street.
In their excellent book, "New York 1960 Architecture and Urbanism Between The Second World War and The Bicentennial," (The Monacelli Press, 1995), Robert A. M. Stern, Thomas Mellins and David Fishman provide the following commentary about this building:
"Replacing three nineteenth-century rowhouses, and an apartment building, all built by the Appleby family, number 220 had as its immediate neighbor to the west Charles Buckham's Gainsborough Studios (1908), one of the most distinguished examples of the 'artist's studio' apartment house type that flourished before the first World War. Unfortunately, neither the character of its neighbor nor the previous efforts of Mayer & Whittlesley influenced the design. The twenty-story building had coarsely detailed rows of double-hung aluminum windows set in white brick, corner balconies and a blocky elevator penthouse; a similarly dismal building faced Fifty-eight Street and was separated from its companion by a garden. The setback base of the building on Central Park South compromised the street wall that was so critical to the framing of the park."
The building has a two-step-down entrance, a revolving front door, a concierge, protruding air-conditioners, a garage, and spiked sidewalk landscaping. It is to the west of a fire engine company on 58th Street.
About 80 tenants in the building were notified yesterday that they could face eviction proceedings because of the planned demolition.
There are about 40 vacant apartments, about 45 rent-stabilized tenants and no rent-controlled tenants in the building. The remaining "market-rate" tenants would be asked to leave when their leases expire, or possibly to remain on month-to-month basis until the plan is completed.
Veronica W. Hackett, the managing partner of The Clarett Group, told CityRealty.com today that it plans to offer "substantial" relocation assistance and has a "geriatic counselor" to assist elderly tenants and has no plans "to throw tenants out on the street." The new building would be the tallest on the block, but Ms. Hackett indicated that architectural plans have not yet been finalized. The Clarett Group’s projects include the 55-story Sky House condominium tower under construction at 11 West 29th Street, Place 57, which is under construction at 207 East 57th Street, Chelsea House at 130 West 19th Street, 2770 Broadway, the Montrose at 308 East 38th Street, the Post Toscana at 389 East 89th Street and the Post Luminaria at 385 First Avenue.

**londonlawyer** · August 28th, 2006, 05:02 PM

Hi, JeffPark.

It's nice to hear from you. You hadn't posted for a while.

I was wondering what's going on with the 1960's-looking building on the west corner of CPS and 7th. It's facade is so run-down.

**LOVE-NYC** · August 28th, 2006, 05:07 PM

Thanks Jeff Park for the info on 220 CPS!
Can you tell me anything about 240 CPS??? I know it's rental building. Do you know if there are any plans to convert to condo or co-op?

**LOVE-NYC** · August 28th, 2006, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by londonlawyer

Hi, JeffPark.

It's nice to hear from you. You hadn't posted for a while.

I was wondering what's going on with the 1960's-looking building on the west corner of CPS and 7th. It's facade is so run-down.

As far as I know they are currently renovating the entire front of the bulding...balconies were falling apart!

**jeffpark** · August 28th, 2006, 08:25 PM

According to our friend Lois, the developer of this property plans to make it even larger

NY-POST
August-09-2006

"Veronica Hackett's Clarett Group, has purchased the tiny Carnegie Hotel at 229 W. 58th St. for $20 million from Carnegie Real Estate.

It is a quick air rights hop to 220 Central Park South, which she plans to tear down and replace with a 41-story building. No plans have yet been filed for the new Cesar Pelli building and a sidewalk shed permit is merely for façade repair."

**LOVE-NYC** · August 29th, 2006, 10:09 AM

They did not only buy the littel hotel but also the former carpet shop to the left as well as the garage to the right of the hotel. Looks like it's going to be huge project. I'm just wondering...are they planning to build their 41 story building only on the park side or front and back (58th St.)?

On 58th St. none of the buidlings are taller than mabye 20 floors...at least on the stretch between 7th and Broadway.

**londonlawyer** · August 29th, 2006, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by LOVE-NYC

They did not only buy the littel hotel but also the former carpet shop to the left as well as the garage to the right of the hotel. Looks like it's going to be huge project. I'm just wondering...are they planning to build their 41 story building only on the park side or front and back (58th St.)?

On 58th St. none of the buidlings are taller than mabye 20 floors...at least on the stretch between 7th and Broadway.

Do you have photos of the 58th St. properties?

**LOVE-NYC** · August 29th, 2006, 10:50 AM

Sorry, don't have any photos of the properties.

**londonlawyer** · September 8th, 2006, 01:10 AM

I walked by there last weekend and am pleased to report that all three buildings on the 58th street side are crap. There are, however, three beautiful little brick buildings further down the street.

**lofter1** · September 8th, 2006, 07:12 PM

Thanks, LL, for that heads up ... it turns out this stretch of W. 58th St. is another one of those blocks that I have rarely if ever walked down despte all my years in NYC.

The buildings on W. 58th between 240 CPW and 220 CPW are indeed pretty crappy -- one is a 5 story stucco coverd thin that appears to be shuttered, then there is a five story garage and then the back of 220 CPW (aka 217 - 223 W. 58th).

However, LL is correct that the next three brick buildings are complete GEMS.

Luckily the one right next to the backside of 220 is 215 W. 58th, an FDNY firehouse (so it isn't going anywhere) -- Engine Company 23.

This building is LANDMARKED.

This is what she looks like (that's the white brick butt of 220 CPW / 217-223 W. 58th to the left):

The building to the right of Co. 23 is 213 W. 58th -- a true beauty: a 5-story brick with stone base and a steep slate mansard roof (you can see a bit of her in the photo above).

According to DOB this building is LANDMARKED.

It houses the Eric Butterworth Foundation, seemingly part of the UNITY Christian Church.

Next to that is 211 W. 58th, another sweet 5-story brick buidling that houses the Fazioli Salon at Klavierhaus,
with some of the most gorgeous pianos you've ever seem visible through the front window.

According to DOB, 211 W. 58th has a total of 20 apartments on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Floors.

This building is NOT LANDMARKED.

The new season opens at Fazioli at 211 W. 58th with a concert on September 22:

salon
at Klavierhaus

Information at 212.245.4535

This September, a new home emerges
for jazz and classical solo piano in New York City.

211 West 58th street, NYC

9.22 JAMES WEIDMAN

Buy Tickets Now!

New York-based pianist James Weidman is indisputably one of the world’s top sidemen. Over the years he has played and recorded with musicians as diverse as Max Roach, Woody Herman, Archie Shepp, James Moody, Greg Osby, Slide Hampton, Jay Hoggard, Marvin “Smitty” Smith, Gloria Lynne and blues diva Dakota Staton. Hear him in a rare solo concert at the Fazioli Salon.

9.29 HAROLD MABERN

Since he arrived in NY in the 60s, the music world has been in awe of Harold Mabern's passion for making swinging, thoughtful music. Hear him solo 9/29 at 8pm!

10.6 FRANK KIMBROUGH

As a member of the Dewey Redman Quartet or inthe piano chair of Maria Schneider's Big Band, Frank Kimbrough is now a major player on the NY Piano Scene. Check him out solo October 6 at Klavierhaus, 211 west 58th Street, in the shadow of Carnegie Hall.

10.13 RODNEY KENDRICK

Rodney Kendrick has studied with Randy Weston, Barry Harris, Chris Anderson and many other masters of the jazz piano. His command of stride, swing, bop and the classics ensures a fabulous night indeed.

10.20 WEI YIN CHEN, SHARP RADWAY

Sharp Radway and Wei Yin Chen have both distinguished themselves as piano masters. Wei Yin will play a program of Ginastera and other classical composers, while Sharp Radway will explore the art of the solo piano ballad.

10.27 WEBER IAGO

"I truly believe that artists should always worry less about what their music will be "called" and more about what it really "is". The difficulty with this idea is actually a very small problem compared to the big picture, which is true expression. The great French composer Claude Debussy described his own music as "having always existed in the Universe" and that he was nothing but a vessel through which the music passed and appeared to our senses. That makes the job of composing music seem a very humble one, doesn't it ?"

11.3 JOHN STETCH

“Stetch’s crisp technique allows him to zip, smash and splash over the keyboard at will, creating stop-‘n’-start melodies, razzle-dazzle solos and bright conversations … a happy, welcoming feel to his music, despite its harmonic and rhythmic complexity …. expressive ebbs and flows and smart deployment of dynamics and space ….like hearing a painting by Miro or Matisse come to life…. playful technique and unfettered imagination … warm, swinging touch and crunchy chords … swings madly”...

11.10 JOVINO SANTOS NETO

..an uninhibited young keyboard soloist who writes boppishly self-propelling numbers." Jack Massarick, The London Evening Standard"

"Soft, expressive waltzes and ballads were convincingly paired with juxtaposed dance rhythms; the borders between notated "serious" music, "intuitive" folk and "improvised" jazz were crossed to the point of becoming irrelevant. "Neue Zürcher Zeitung." Switzerland

" ...a warm, high-energy player, as fun to watch as he is to hear." Mark Fefer, Eastside Weekly.

**lofter1** · September 9th, 2006, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by lofter1

The building to the right of Co. 23 is 213 W. 58th -- a true beauty: a 5-story brick with stone base and a steep slate mansard roof (you can see a bit of her in the photo above).

According to DOB this building is LANDMARKED.

According to LPC the building at 213 W. 58th was originally the " Helen Miller Gould Stable". Helen was the first-born daughter of financier Jay Gould.

It is noted in the LPC document entitled the Jonathan W. Allen Stable Designation Report at 148 East 40th St. (page 5, footnore 5) which also includes a short history of the consturction of stables in various parts of Manhattan. It is also noted in the George S. Bowdoin Stable Designation Report (149 East 38th St.) ...

Info from the Neighborhood Preservation Center:

Helen Miller Gould Carriage House Landmark Designation Report

Now the Unity Center of Practical Christianity

Primary Author: Landmarks Preservation Commission

Year Published: 1989

Number of pages: 8

Resource Type: Report

Description: Note: Original Designation Report is titled, "Helen Miller Gould Stable"

**lofter1** · September 9th, 2006, 07:00 PM

It seems that Helen Gould Miller had good taste and the money to enjoy it ...

Scarab Ring & Scarab Amulet donated to the Met Museum (1910)

Heart Amulets donated to the Met Museum (1910)

Helen was also the prime DONOR for construction of the Gould Memorial Library (1900 -- designed by Stanford White) at New York University's old uptown campus (where, according to the NY Times, Helen attended the "N.Y.U. Law School in April 1895 in a class of 48 women in a law program separate from that for male students").

The Gould Memorial Library is located on the campus of what is now Bronx Community College at 180th Street between Sedgwick and University Avenues ...

Photo by Elena Kemelman.
Hall of Fame for Great Americans, Gould Memorial Library (center)
and Hall of Languages (right), Bronx Community College.

Interior oculus and dome, Gould Memorial Library, Bronx Community College

The Upper Gallery of the Rotunda in the Gould Memorial Library

Info on the Restoration of the Gould Memorial Library ...

Plaster barrel-vaulted ceiling:

Stained glass windows by Tiffany & Company:

Helen's money for the building of The Gould Memorial Library included funds
for the construction of the Hall of Fame for Great Americans :

More on the Hall of Fame for Great Americans,
inlcuding the list of the first 29 persons to be selected
for inclusion in The Hall in 1900.

More photos of both The Library and The Hall at flickr

**lofter1** · September 9th, 2006, 08:41 PM

Another trinket that Helen Miller Gould donated to the MET ...

Gold clasp decorated with a engraved medallion representing the Virgin and the Child

Date: Circa 500 AD - Dynasty of Justinian
Material: Gold
Artist: Anonymous
Models: Jesus-Christ, Blessed Virgin
Place: Metropolitan Museum of Art Byzance II Centers - Ground floor Window: V01
Area in relation: Byzantine

Acquisition: Gift of Helen Miller Gould (1910)