New Residential Developments for Manhattan and Suburbs

Two new projects in Manhattan, and several in Connecticut, Bergen County, and Westchester County, illustrate the region’s robust residential construction market.

Two Manhattan Groundbreakings

Two developers recently broke ground on condominium tower projects in Manhattan, adding fuel to what has been a red-hot residential construction market this year.

New York-based Clarett Group recently broke ground on Place 57, a 67-unit luxury development that will take the place of the former Sutton Theater at 207 East 57th St. Clarett withheld the project cost.

The 36-story glass and steel-clad concrete building will feature no more than two apartments per floor, many with panoramic views and nine- to 12-ft. ceilings. Designed by architect Ismael Levya, the tower will feature crystal lighting from Baccarat in the lobby and an outdoor garden with chandeliers.

Bovis Lend Lease of New York is construction manager on the 145,000-sq.-ft. building, which is expected to be finished by next spring.

Meanwhile, Jack Resnick & Sons, a New York-based developer, broke ground in mid-spring on a new 254-unit luxury condominium and retail building at 200 Chambers Street in Tribeca. Plaza Construction of New York is construction manager on the 30-story building expected to be complete late next year. Costas Kondylis and Partners of New York is the architect on the glass and steel building between Warren and West streets.

Luxury Westchester Condos for Aging Baby Boomers

Construction broke ground this spring on Barger Brook Manor, a luxury condominium complex in Yorktown, N.Y. The residences are designed to appeal to aging baby boomers downsizing from larger homes.

Cappelli Enterprises of Valhalla, N.Y., is developing the new project at the same time it moves ahead with construction on new mixed-use, high-rise developments in White Plains and New Rochelle.

The $80 million, four-story structure is on approximately 50 wooded acres. The property north of White Plains in Westchester County has protected wetlands and conservation easements.

Its 140 units range from one to three bedrooms with oak floors and granite kitchens, while the amenities include a health club, outdoor and indoor swimming pools, tennis courts, and walking trails. Construction is slated for completion in fall 2006.

Residential Starts in Stamford

Three new luxury condominium developments are in the works in downtown Stamford, Conn.

A partnership of Hannah Real Estate Investors and Stillwater Investment Management, both based in Stamford, is starting a new development next door to its $25 million Mill River House complex, which is under construction. The new $20 million project, dubbed Adams Mill River House, will result in an 80,000-sq.-ft. building on an acre of land.

The new development will have 52 one-, two-, or three-bedroom condominium apartments, including six set aside for affordable housing. According to Seth Weinstein, principal of Hannah, the new development was under planning and zoning review in early summer. The developers hope to begin construction later this year and aim for occupancy by next fall.

The Adams Mill River structure will have a brick and shingle exterior and townhouse-style façade. The four-and-a-half-story building will have a covered parking lot, private fitness center, outdoor garden, and recreation area. The units will be on the market for $300,000 and up.

Elsewhere in Stamford, demolition was underway at Forest and Grove streets this spring to clear the way for the 17-story Highgrove, a luxury condominium being developed by Ceebraid-Signal Corp. The Robert A.M. Stern design calls for 83 units in a 300,000-sq.-ft. structure, including two street-level townhouses. Schuman Lichtenstein Claman & Efron of New York is the architect of record.

The project team - led by Turner Construction of New York as construction manager - was slated to begin foundation work in early summer. The developer had previously named Uva Construction of Stamford as general contractor, but decided to replace it with Turner this year.

Sales of the units now start at $1.25 million, according to the developer, which had announced starting prices of $850,000 less than a year ago.

Pfizer Expansion Taps Tax Benefits

Using incentives introduced by New Jersey's state government to retain jobs, Pfizer Inc. broke ground earlier this year on 1.2 million sq. ft. of expansion projects at its Morris Plains and Parsippany facilities.

Pfizer, whose consumer healthcare division is the world's second-largest, was the first company to join the state's Business Retention and Relocation Grant program, which was introduced last summer. Pfizer will receive up to $25 million in sales tax exemptions on purchases of building materials, equipment, and furnishings. The program also provides tax credits for each employee retained. Pfizer's $500 million, six-year expansion is expected to retain 2,070 New Jersey jobs as well as create 600 construction jobs.

New York-based Turner Construction is managing construction on a new 250,000-sq.-ft. research and development facility and an 895-space, five-story parking garage on Pfizer's 170-acre Morris Plains campus. Parsippany-based Skanska USA Building, meanwhile, is managing construction of a new 490,000-sq.-ft. office building and 1,100-space garage on the campus.

New High-Rise for Bergen County

A New York-based developer broke ground in late spring on a 15-story condominium building in Edgewater, N.J. Located on River Road, the new One Hudson Park development will have 168 units in a concrete structure with a glass and brick façade.

Tarragon Corp., which refused to provide the building's cost, hired a design team of Gruzen Samton Architects, V Studio Interior Designers, and Alex Stark, a feng shui expert.

Daibes Brothers Construction of Edgewater, N.J., leads the project team on the building, which will have 210,000 net sq. ft. and is slated for completion in fall 2006. Tarragon will also build a new park adjacent to the building.

The tower will have a 50-ft. lap pool, fitness center, yoga studio, rooftop deck, children's playroom, and covered parking. The units will have one to three bedrooms and sell from $400,000 to $1.5 million.

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