Located on the border of two of downtown’s best neighborhoods, SoHo and TriBeCa, and within strolling distance to the Hudson River, Renwick Street is an anomaly: An under-developed and practically unknown block surrounded by some of the most expensive and in-demand real estate in New York City. Some big plans for 15 Renwick Street dissolved when the economy soured, but now that the high-end market is soaring again in Manhattan, a comeback is in the cards. The Real Deal reports today that New York-based residential real estate firm Izaki Group Investments has taken control of the development site, and has tapped CORE to head sales and marketing at the property. (The two are already working together on the condo conversion of TriBeCa’s 93 Worth Street.)

A boutique condominium development will break ground this fall, and CORE CEO Shaun Osher added, “We are very excited to be working on another project with IGI on one of the last remaining undeveloped lots in this exciting neighborhood.” We’ll have more details on 15 Renwick Street in the months ahead.

Recently we highlighted the very active spring at One Museum Mile, and now the New York Daily News has a follow-up report with some huge news: A penthouse in the luxury condominium tower, at 1280 Fifth Avenue, has just sold for $3.1 million, or around $1,767 per square foot, a staggering amount for the Central Park area above 96th Street. The Daily News writes that the Central Park Conservancy found that home values around 110th Street in Harlem have jumped 39% from 2007 to 2012, and new luxury product, like that found at One Museum Mile (where the Museum for African Art will occupy the base of the building), is a big reason why. But how does the neighborhood compare with the rest of Manhattan? The paper puts it all into perspective:

The price per square foot record puts the area on the same playing field as Chelsea, the East Village, and parts of the upper West Side.

One Museum Mile, located at the northeast tip of Central Park, has more in common with the multimillion-dollar prewar co-ops 20 blocks south than its neighbors. The price per square foot for the sprawling three-bedroom, three-bath doubles and triples current sale prices in and around El Barrio and Central Park North.

To see CORE’s active listings in the 116-unit new development, click here.

Long Island City’s Murray Park is an under-the-radar gem in a neighborhood that has exploded with growth in recent years. A multimillion-dollar renovation by the city has infused the park with a new ball field and state-of-the-art playground equipment, and we’ve been keeping an eye on the park’s improvements while watching the ascent of One Murray Park, the first condominium located along the green space. We’ll have news about this exciting new LIC development next week, but for now, check out the One Murray Park Facebook page for more photos and updates.

The spring selling season has ramped up and One Museum Mile has certainly been no exception. The new luxury condominium development along Central Park is experiencing positive momentum in sales and contracts, and acclaim for its modern traditionalist design and direct park views.

“One Museum Mile is one of the most exciting projects to come to market. It is truly special because of its Fifth Avenue address, direct views of Central Park, and some of the world’s finest museums right on its doorstep,” said Shaun Osher, co-founder and CEO of CORE, which is handling the sales and marketing for the project. “Sales traffic is strong, and we’re proud to report that we have sent out 9 contracts in just over a week.”

The building’s recent successes were celebrated last night at a fantastic event fittingly named “Tasting the World of Upper Manhattan.” Hosted by CORE and the building’s developer, Brickman, the evening celebrated the wonderfully rich culture of Upper Manhattan by bringing together local eateries and fellow Museum Mile institutions at the building, which is also the future home of the Museum for African Art.

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Marking a new focal point on Manhattan’s celebrated Museum Mile — home to iconic cultural institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Museum of the City of New York — is a distinctively designed limestone structure: One Museum Mile.

Located at 1280 Fifth Avenue and directly across from Central Park, One Museum Mile’s classic design and limestone relief façade are credited to legendary architect Robert A.M. Stern, who collaborated with Andre Kikoski Architect PLLC and SLCE Architects to create a structure which unifies this luxury condominium with the future home of the Museum for African Art, located in the building’s base.

The video above features an exclusive interview with Stern, who touches on Upper Fifth Avenue’s history and attractions, which influenced the design of One Museum Mile. Referencing his approach to “make an icon out of the museum and a very important neighbor out of the apartment building,” Stern has brought a quality of detail and charm that many new residential developments lack.

In a neighborhood rich with architectural gems, One Museum Mile compliments Fifth Avenue rather than competing with it. One Museum Mile offers a 24-hour full-service concierge, on-site parking, a landscaped roof terrace with outdoor pool, residents’ lounge with fireplace, fitness center with terrace, media lounge, children’s playroom, bicycle room and more.

For further information on this luxury development and its residences, please visit onemuseummile.com.

The main exhibition space. Photo by Bonnie Burke.

Tuesday night marked the celebratory opening of Ralph Walker: Architect of the Century, the first exhibit honoring the work of the influential architect Ralph Walker, who helped shape New York’s skyline in the 1920’s and ’30s. That name should ring familiar thanks to all the attention surrounding Walker Tower, the conversion of one of Walker’s classic buildings at 212 West 18th Street in Chelsea into 53 luxury condominiums. CORE will launch sales in the building later this spring, and the ground floor of Walker Tower is currently housing the exhibit, which is open to the public, by appointment only, through May 1. Go to the exhibition website for information on making a reservation.

The event also doubled as a book signing to benefit the Museum of the City of New York by Kathryn Holliday, whose book on Walker, also called Ralph Walker: Architect of the Century, will be published by Rizzoli in September. For more on Walker’s contributions and the exhibition, check out the fantastic coverage by Dwell and New York magazine, and to see photos from the event — including notable faces in the crowd, and the impressive model of what Walker Tower will look like when the restoration and conversion is finished — see the gallery on CORE’s Facebook page.

As Curbed points out today, some signage has just gone up at Walker Tower, where CORE will be launching sales of the 53 luxury condominiums in this grand pre-war Art Deco building later this spring. The press has been following the project closely, but the new signs reveal an exciting facet of the project that hasn’t yet been mentioned. Beginning next week, the building will host Ralph Walker: Architect of the Century, the first exhibit exploring the life and career of the influential architect Ralph Walker, whom Frank Lloyd Wright called “the only other honest architect in America.” This exhibit on Walker, designer of the Barclay-Vesey Building, Irving Trust Building (aka One Wall Street) and of course Walker Tower, will be open to the public, by appointment only. It will feature large models of Walker’s masterpieces, along with archival drawings and plans, and interactive digital displays guiding visitors through Walker’s landmark career. For a taste of what to expect, and to make a reservation, visit the exhibit website.

A sampling of last week’s press coverage of CORE and CORE properties.

“Dial C for Condos”
New York Times
CORE’s Walker Tower project, the conversion of a classic pre-war Art Deco telephone building into 53 luxurious residences, made a splashy debut in the New York Times over the weekend. The paper wrote: “The developers say they are sparing no expense in the furnishings and finishes. The 12- to 15-foot-high ceilings will be coffered. Radiant heat will course through French-oak herringbone floors.” Curbed and the New York Observer also weighed in on the initial Walker Tower details, and The Real Deal added that CORE’s Emily Beare and Vickey Barron will head up the sales team.

“Stalled LIC condo set to hit market in April”
The Real Deal
Walker Tower wasn’t CORE’s only big reveal last week. Long Island City’s One Murray Park was also unveiled on the CORE Blog, and The Real Deal spoke with CORE’s Doron Zwickel about the launch of sales. Curbed also shared the initial details about the project, which is the first new LIC development in over a year.

“House of the Day”
Wall Street Journal
Adrian Noriega’s colorful loft listing at 15 West 20th Street was spotlighted by the Wall Street Journal, which explains that the design is inspired by an Indian color palette. Click through for an excellent slideshow.

Photo by Michael Toolan

Given today’s big news about Walker Tower, we thought we’d share another photo taken at the building last fall–a deleted scene from the November unveiling. Above is a north-facing view from one of the lower floors at Walker Tower, and though this shot is taken through an old window (they’re all being replaced with bigger and better versions), we just love how the iconic Midtown skyline is framed like a painting.

JDS Development's Michael Stern and CORE CEO Shaun Osher in a Walker Tower penthouse. Photo by Fred R. Conrad/New York Times.

We’ve received an incredible amount of interest in Walker Tower ever since we pulled back the curtain on this beautiful pre-war building last November. Today we can finally say more. As the New York Times reports in its Sunday edition — the story is online right now — the ultra-luxury condominium conversion of this Ralph Walker-designed Art Deco skyscraper in downtown Manhattan will soon be hitting the market through CORE at prices of around $3,000 per square foot, with penthouses approaching up to $10,000 per square foot. The average size of these massive homes, there are 53 in total, will be approximately 3,000 square feet. The building, located at 212 West 18th Street in Chelsea, is being developed by JDS Development and Property Markets Group, and the process of turning a 1929 telephone building into a 21st century residential icon is intricate and complicated. The Times‘ C.J. Hughes touches on the transformation:

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