What’s Happening at 96th Street And Central Park West?

Posted May 24th, 2017 by Sophie Smadbeck

One of the most active blocks on the Upper West Side in terms of development right now is 96th Street and Central Park West. On the north side of 96th street, which is not protected by historical designation, townhouses at 15, 17 and 19 West 96th Street that Garfield helped to assemble are being replaced by a 22-floor apartment building developed by Sackman Enterprises. According to the West Side Rag, the first five floors of the building will be a community facility with 16 condos above, each taking up an entire floor, with the exception of the duplex penthouse.

On the southwest corner of 96th street, which is part of the Central Park West Historic District, Argo Real Estate is in the process of converting 360 Central Park West from a 146-unit rental building into condos. As the property is protected by historical designation, conversion was the only development option for the property.

Across from 360 Central Park West stands the First Church of Christ, Scientist at the northwest corner of 96th Street and Central Park West. The church, which is landmarked, has represented one of the more controversial development plans on the Upper West Side. The church was originally sold to the Crenshaw Christian center in 2004 for $14 million and sold again in 2014 for $26 million to a development group. In April 2015, the Upper West Side community board’s land use committee approved a developer’s plan to convert the 114-year-old landmark into 39 apartments. However, when the full board voted on the decision in May 2015, the approval was overturned. The project has since been abandoned, but it remains to be seen if new plans will emerge to turn the building into residences as the structure now sits empty and unused.

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