$80M Upper East Side mansion could be NYC's most expensive sold townhouse

A ridiculously opulent Upper East Side mansion, once listed for an eye-popping $114 million, has found a buyer—and while it likely won’t end up selling for anywhere close to that nine-digit ask, it is reportedly in contract in the $80 million range, according to the Wall Street Journal. If it closes around that price, it’d easily garner the dubious distinction of being the most expensive townhouse ever sold in New York City.

The home in question is 12 East 69th Street, owned by billionaire Vincent Viola, best known for owning the Florida Panthers and being one of the many people ever-so-briefly considered for a position in Donald Trump’s cabinet. Viola and his wife, Teresa, bought the 19-room, 40-foot-wide mansion back in 2005 for a mere $20 million.

What led to that astronomical price jump? The Violas allegedly went all out in updating the space for their modern, mega-rich tastes, adding such over-the-top amenities as a panic room, an indoor heated saltwater pool, a dining room inspired by Versailles, a recording studio, a theater with red velvet seats, and the list goes on and on. (You can read the most outrageous bits from the Times’s initial 2013 profile of the home right here.)

It was first listed for $114 million in 2013, then dropped its price down to $98 million in 2014. It’s been off the market for a few years, and Paula del Nunzio of Brown Harris Stevens brokered the deal.

Per the WSJ, the buyer may be the same person who snagged Bob Diamond’s $50.5 million penthouse at 15 Central Park West earlier this year. That buyer, Chinese real estate developer Gongwen Dong, also snapped up a $32 million unit at 432 Park Avenue this year.

Correction: A previous version of this article wrongly noted that the buyer of a 15 Central Park West condo has not been identified; we’ve updated the post to reflect that information. Curbed regrets the error.

• Upper East Side Townhouse in Contract for a Record $80 Million [WSJ]