Carter's Review

In 2014 this 11-story garage building at 17 East 12^th Street between Fifth Avenue and University Place was converted into a luxury residential condominium building with only nine units in the very handsome Lower Fifth Avenue district.

The conversion was undertaken by Rigby Asset Management, which is headed by Peter Armstrong, who converted the former Trust House Forte Hotel on Madison Avenue between 69^th and 70^th streets into luxury condominiums, and 73 Wooster Street, which has never had a condo apartment resold.

Bromley/Caldari Architects designed the project and Richard Mishaan did the interiors.

Bottom Line

A very tasteful residential conversion in the very desirable Lower Fifth Avenue area with few units and large apartments and lots of amenities.

Description

The mid-block building is distinguished by its use of London stock brick for its façade that Mr. Armstrong is the first to import.

The building, which has two setbacks, has a revolving door entrance next to its garage entrance with deeded automated parking for its resident.

Amenities

The building has a 24-hour concierge and a full-time doorman and an automated parking garage.

Apartments

Apartments have 11-foot-high ceilings

Penthouse 2 on the 10^th and 11^th floors is a duplex unit with 4,743 square feet of interior space with 5 bedrooms, a 22-foot-wide arrival hall, a living room with wood-burning fireplace, an eat-in kitchen and 1,189 square feet on exterior space.

Penthouse 1 on the 9^th floor has 3,143 square feet of interior space with three bedrooms and 1,241 square feet of exterior space on three terraces, one of which is 48 feet long with three wide NanaWall folding glass doors and it has a glass railing and an outdoor fireplace.

Full-floor units on the 2^nd through the 8^th floors have 4,515 square feet of interior space and four bedrooms, an eat-in kitchen, a library and a family room. Kitchens are designed by Poliform Varenna of Italy with electric touch-controlled upper cabinets with underlit lower drawers, glacier white Corian countertops and backsplashes with Miele professional appliances including dual dishwashers.  The butler’s pantry includes a floor-to-ceiling Sub-Zero wine storage unit.  The master bathroom suites have ocean blue Italian travertine walls and chevron-patterned floors, a free-standing Waterworks tub, Rogerselle electric towel racks and radiant-heated floors.