Tallest Bldg on the UWS May Be Trimmed From the Top

By: Veronica Kordmany

The supposed tallest building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan may not be coming any time soon. The State Supreme Court ruled that New York City would have to trim off an undetermined number of floors, while also revoking the city’s building permit. As of last August, the building stood at an astonishing 51 stories.

Located at 200 Amsterdam Avenue, the currently-55-story condo was determined to be in violation of zoning limits, according to a lawsuit filed by the nonprofits. The judge that delivered the ruling is Justice W. Franc Perry, who argued that the “668-foot tower was constructed on an oddly shaped, “gerrymandered” lot that abused zoning rules to maximize its height”, according to an article published by The New York Post. Attorney Richard Emery guesses, “It’s probably about half the building that has to come down. That’s the best estimate so far”.

The developers of the property, identified as SJP Properties and Mitsui Fudosan America, two major real estate companies, have decided to appeal the judge’s decision. “It defies more than 40 years of precedent in the city’s zoning laws,” the developers said. “It also ignores the thoughtful decision of the DOB to grant the permit, which was upheld by the [New York Board of Standards and Appeals] following exhaustive document review and testimony over a two-year period.”

Opponents of the real estate deal, namely the Municipal Art Society and the Committee for Environmentally Sound Development, have voiced their strong criticisms, citing that the building is “grossly out of scale with the neighborhood” and a “…radical and wildly inaccurate interpretation of the Zoning Resolution”. Other critics have projected their support for the two groups by insisting that the permit should be revoked, on the grounds that the aforementioned DOB memo was misconstrued. The memo was designed to lay the ground rules for “…assembling air rights from adjoining zoning lots to allow taller buildings”, according to The New York Post.

Eventually, the construction site has been declared illegal, making its enemies delighted. The real estate developers consider it “a shocking loss for New York City.”

According to the company website, 200amsterdam.com, the building is prepared to serve as a residency, furnished with penthouse and apartment spaces available for rent. It is located at the intersection of Lincoln Center and Central Park, with prices ranging from approximately 3 to 8 million dollars. It is stocked with a spa, a 75’ saltwater swimming pool, locker rooms with gender-specific saunas and steam rooms, as well as a state-of-the-art fitness center, not including the separate yoga and pilates center.