Skyy Vodka founder’s Upper East Side mansion with major art ties asks $25M
Photos courtesy of DDReps
A historic New York City mansion that once hosted some of the biggest artists of the 20th century is available for $25,000,000. Owned by Maurice Kanbar, an inventor and philanthropist who founded Skyy Vodka, the five-story neo-Renaissance building at 4 East 77th Street on the Upper East Side served as the first location of Leo Castelli Gallery, which is credited with launching the careers of Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol, among others. Currently home to the Michael Werner Gallery on the first two floors, the mixed-use property could become a grand single-family home again, as it was when originally constructed over a century ago.
Photo courtesy of DDReps
The home was built as a single-family residence by developers Robert McCafferty and Richard W. Buckley in 1897. The first owners of the 25-foot-wide home were Benjamin J. Knower and his wife, Mary Constance Allen, according to the listing.
In 1942, the house was converted into a multi-family townhouse. In 1957, contemporary art dealer Leo Castelli opened a gallery at the townhouse and exhibited the works of significant 20th-century artists, including the first solo shows for Jasper Johns, Frank Stella, and Roy Lichtenstein, among others.
Kanbar, who died last year, owned the building since 1964. In addition to inventing Skyy Vodka and several other products, Kanbar also opened the Quad Cinema in Greenwich Village, the first multiplex cinema on the East Coast.
Photo courtesy of DDReps
Rendering courtesy of The Renovated Home
The nearly 11,700-square-foot home features six bedrooms, seven full baths, and five-and-a-half baths. The Michael Werner Gallery currently occupies the first two floors with four vacant residential units on the upper floors.
Renderings provided with the listing showcase the potential for the property to become a massive single-family home. Since the first two floors are zoned for commercial use, the buyer could also keep the lower-level tenants and earn passive income.
Photo courtesy of DDReps
Rendering courtesy of Spotless
Original architectural details remain, like mosaic floor tiles found in the entry and the stunning sculptural staircase.
In addition to its storied history, the home’s location is also special, just off Fifth Avenue, across the street from Central Park, and surrounded by similarly impressive cultural institutions.
[Listing details: 4 East 77th Street by Stacey Kanbar, Julie Kopel, and Leonard Steinberg of Compass]
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