Teaser Site Launched for Restored Harlem Gem on Morningside Park, Leasing Begins This Spring

Built in 1901 as a seven-story residential building, the distinctive Beaux Arts-style apartment house at 92 Morningside Avenue in Harlem has shed its scaffolding after a two-year renovation/restoration by ND Architecture & Design. It’s also officially launched its teaser website that announces leasing of its 45 rental units will begin this spring.

The site reveals unit interiors will have “prewar-inspired floor plans, contemporary design, and masterfully crafted finishes.” The living experience is branded as “prewar parkside perfection” with “luxurious parkside living in a re-imagined Beaux-Arts masterpiece.” Layouts will range from one- to four-bedroom residences with some duplex apartments. Amenities will include bike parking, a recreation room, a rooftop terrace and professional concierge services.

Previous designs for the rehabilitation and addition (top); Current rendering (below). Courtesy of ND Architecture & Design

Located between West 122nd and West 123rd Streets, directly across from the eastern promenade of the Frederick Law Olmsted-designed Morningside Park, the building sits on the southern half of the block with a near-identical sister building at 98 Morningside Avenue occupying the northern half. It was vacant since 2002 when a fire left the former 50-unit building condemned. In November 2002, the NY Times reported that a lit cigarette in one of the units caused the overnight fire, leaving the entire building uninhabitable. The fire also affected 20 units in 98 Morningside, displacing a total of 270 residents between the two properties. Additional fires have been reported since, including another major fire in 2012.

In 2012, area residents formulated a petition to the Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate the building as an official city landmark and to require its owners to restore the building to its original grandeur. In 2013, the property was purchased by Renaissance Realty Group for $18 million from Baruch Singer with the intent to rehabilitate the building back into an apartment house. While the neighborhood’s landmarking push never took off, most of the facade’s original, decorative details prevail, with the partial returned of its cornice. Its sister building at 98 Morningside was also previously owned by Baruch Singer, but was purchased by Thor Equities in 2015 for $22 million. Permits have recently been filed to restore the building and renovate its apartments.

98 Morningside Avenue (L); 92 Morningside Avenue (R)

The building is in an increasingly appealing central-uptown location and faces the beautifully restored Morningside Park. Columbia University’s campus is close, and the express subway lines at 125th Street can shuttle commuters to Columbus Circle in only eight minutes. Across 122nd Street, the condominiums at 88 Morningside Avenue were finished in 2012 and average closing prices have been slightly above $1,000 per square foot.

TJ/CityRealty

Be the first to view listings for 92 Morningside at CityRealty.

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All construction shots via 6sqft; Renderings via ND Architecture & Design