Foundation work is progressing at 1491-1493 First Avenue, the site of a 35-story residential building on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Designed by Hill West Architects and developed by Carmel Partners, which purchased the property for $73.5 million in early 2022 from local developer Robert Chou, the 404-foot-tall structure will yield 206 condominium units, 7,120 square feet of ground-floor retail space, and a cellar level. CP VII 78th Street Owner is the owner and Carmel Construction East is the general contractor for the project, which is located at the southwestern corner of First Avenue and East 78th Street.
Crews were just beginning to unearth the site at the time of our last update in late May. Since then, excavation has concluded and a significant portion of the foundations have been formed. Recent photos show workers assembling the perimeter walls with concrete formwork and steel rebar, with only a handful of sections of exposed dirt and rock remaining to be covered over. Below-grade construction should continue through the winter months, followed by the emergence of the superstructure sometime in the first half of 2024.
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
The updated exterior rendering shows the expanded scope of the tower, which was augmented from its initial plans of 24 stories and a height of 209 feet. The new design is clad in gray brick framing floor-to-ceiling glass in various grid patterns across the multifaceted massing. The tower transitions from denser concentrations of brick at the base to broader expanses of glass as it nears the parapet, and is capped with a mechanical bulkhead covered in dark metal grilles.
Carmel Partners secured a $153 million construction loan from Northwestern Mutual in September to complete the project.
The closest subway from the site is the 6 train at 77th Street station along Lexington Avenue. Also nearby is the Q train at the 72nd Street station to the southwest on Second Avenue.
1491-1493 First Avenue has a completion date of summer 2025 posted on site.
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That’s a lot of rebar in the second pic!
Well, guess the tenants in adjacent building won’t need those AC’s once this new tower is built right up against those windows… but they might need to “leave the lights” so they will know its DAYTIME?! 🤔🤣
Wow this area is booming!!!