Manhattan House is on its way to a new existence. These apartments, originally constructed in 1951 and awarded soon after with praise from the American Institute of Architects (New York Chapter), were designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. The block-long building at 200 East 66th Street houses almost 600 apartments As residents move out, the building is slowly going to be converted to a condo development, with units boasting anywhere from one to five bedrooms, with a few studios thrown in for good measure. One or more full-floor penthouses will add an extra luxurious touch.

The politics of the building may have more to do with how progress continues in the conversion than financial or aesthetic matters. Faced with residents who don’t want the building converted, and dealing with the limitations of listing rent-stabilized units–which by law cannot automatically be converted to condominiums–Manhattan House directors are fighting their way through technical issues.

Once the red tape has been wrapped up and all of the unhappy tenants satisfied, the developers of Manhattan House have large plans for the apartments here. By combining existing apartment units, some of which are as big as 2,400 square feet, developers hope to attract tenants who expect something more from a modern condo development. This combining of living space would make for a unique appearance as well as huge floor plans. Other than these changes to the units, developers don’t plan to renovate much. The units already have fireplaces, and 8.5-foot ceilings, in addition to views to both the north and south. Developers will be updating appliances, adding new fixtures to the master baths and sprucing up the kitchen with crown molding and glass tiles. If all goes as planned, the building will soon be worth over one billion dollars.

Since the development is still in the process of finalizing, many more amenities might find their way into the package later on. Currently, developers are working on a gym, and have recently added full concierge service. Most units will have a washer and dryer; a large, private garden will provide a community-wide place to relax.

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This entry was posted on Monday, October 29th, 2007 at 5:00 pm and is filed under Upper East Side.