Midtown East Residents Decry 90-Story 'Ultra Luxury' Tower

It looks like Sutton Place will be getting a 900-foot-tall tower after all, much to the chagrin of neighborhood residents who say they were duped into thinking the Bauhouse Group's building wouldn't be taller than 30 stories, much less one of the tallest residential buildings in the city. According to minutes spotted by NYDN for a December 22 meeting between the developer and residents of the co-op at 434 East 58th Street, who the developer courted for the building's air rights, a Bauhouse rep told the development site's neighbors that the firm was "unsure of the exact height" of the building but the tower would "not be 100 stories." At the time of the meeting, the development group had enough air rights to build a 13-story building. Residents of the old co-op at 434 East 58th Street ended up selling their air rights for $11 million. Although misleading, the rep was true to their word: the tower won't be 100 stories. Bauhouse's plans, accompanied by a new color rendering, call for a 90-story tower on the site of four six-story buildings at 426-432 East 58th Street. The building's location in an area without height restrictions means the tower can be built as-of-right, or even grow taller.

A pamphlet advertising the building that surfaced in April says the tower will have 95 "ultra-luxury" apartments. It will also create 58,000 square feet of inclusionary housing, although it's unclear whether that will be on or off site. In March, Bauhouse sent out a press release saying that Norman Foster would design the tower, but that claim hasn't gained much traction meaning Foster might have bowed out. Rendering via NYDN.