Rendering Revealed, Demolition Ends For Long Vacant UES Corner: Report

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A long vacant Upper East Side corner where neighbors once dreamed of a community garden is finally finished with demolition, clearing way for a new, 24-story glass residential building to be built.

The property at 1491-1493 First Ave., near East 78th Street, was first purchased a year ago for $73.5 million by Carmel Partners, who plan to construct 94 condos and over 7,000 square feet of ground floor retail space inside the 209-foot tall structure, according to plans filed last year.

Renderings show a tall, glassy building with multiple setbacks, according to images shared on New York Yimby, who report that the units should average about 1,900 square-feet each.

Now with demolition ending, excavation for the new building should be commencing soon for foundation work and a planned cellar. Carmel Partners did not reply to an inquiry from Patch.

It's taken over 10 years for demolition to finish at this longtime vacant lot.

The first brick fell back in 2010, but for years the lot, owned by a local developer, remained empty and fallow.

Back in 2021, neighbors had hoped to turn the lot, which over the years became filled with trash, debris and innumerable rodent complaints into a community garden.

Local politicians, including former U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney and Council Member Julie Menin, threw their support behind the group of Upper East Siders who met while working on Senator Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign.

But their dreams were dashed when the lot was sold by owner and local developer Robert Chou in early 2022. The new owners, Carmel Partners, proceeded to tear down two more existing low-rise buildings at 1487 First Ave. and around the corner at 356 East 78th St.

New York Yimby reports a completion date of spring 2026.