New Luxury Tower On UES From Ex-Gov. Spitzer Gets City Approval

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The stretch of skyline facing the Metropolitan Museum of Art has remained unchanged for decades — but change is coming.

On Tuesday, former New York Governor and real estate heir Eliot Spitzer secured Landmarks Preservation Commission approval to replace an existing apartment building in a landmarked section of the Upper East Side with a new luxury condo tower.

Spitzer, who resigned as governor in 2008 amid a prostitution scandal, plans to demolish the current structure at 985 Fifth Ave. — a 25-story building with 46 rental units — and construct a 20-story condo building with just 26 high-end residences, according to his team's presentation at the meeting.

Located near East 80th Street, the limestone-and-brick building sits just south of the Met and was built in 1969 by Spitzer’s father, Bernard. The property also includes a privately owned public park featuring “The Castle,” a steel sculpture by artist Priscilla Kopel.

The new tower is designed by Studio Sofield and developed by Spitzer, on behalf of the former governor's family's development shop, Spitzer Enterprises.

The project was originally slated to rise 19 stories, but the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity initiative — designed to expand New York’s housing stock — allowed Spitzer and his architects to add one more level to the plan as of right.

The proposed plans replaces the structure with a new building with detailed ornamentation, including multiple stories of rustication, ornate silver gilding and cornices to match neighboring early 20th century apartment buildings.

In keeping with other traditional ornamentations in the neighborhood, the building will have a number of animals designs, including a dog fountain and a fun squirrel service window cover that the designers hope will serve as an "amusement" to neighbors passing by.

Community Board 8 approved of the new plan on Oct. 20. However, preservationists at not-for-profit organizations including Friends Of The Upper East Side and Historic Districts Council have opposed the plans for the building, representatives said at the Tuesday afternoon meeting.

"We are compelled to state clearly that we find this project appalling," Friends of the Upper East Side said in an official statement, noting that the organization specifically disapproved of the plan to get rid of the privately owned public park on the site, as well as the building's plan to expand its footprint beyond the previous blueprint.

"We also lament the drastic reduction in housing that this new luxury project represents. A 24-story building with 46 rental units—including at least six rent-stabilized apartments whose leases ended in 2022 and 2023—is slated to be replaced by just 26 luxury units and no affordable housing," Friends wrote.

In agreement with his critics, Spitzer said at the meeting he supports the need for affordable housing, and said as part of the plan, his team would create $7,000,000 in affordable housing certificates within a half-mile of the building — just not at 985 Fifth Ave.

"I agree with your concerns about open space and the need for affordable housing," he said to Zeynep Turan, manager of preservation and outreach at Friends of the Upper East Side, who had opposed the plan.

"Consequently, the acquisition of $7 million of certificates is very much a part of that equation here that will contribute to that supply," said Spitzer.

Then, the Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously voted to approve the plans for 985 Fifth Ave.

An updated construction timeline has not been announced yet.

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