As we know, large swaths of relatively affordable low-scale tenement buildings are being replaced by tall buildings at an alarming rate. But when small buildings are replaced by large ultra-luxury condos, historic fabric is not the only loss. These are 210+ foot buildings with fewer than 15 apartments each. The very same building envelopes could have accommodated many more reasonably-sized units, representing a significant loss in potential housing density. Beyond zoning loopholes which skirt the intent of zoning regulations to artificially inflate their height, sometimes it is the size of the units themselves which are growing, even on Madison Avenue within the existing height limit.

“Redevelopment tends toward the luxurious for the simple reason that once you’re building tall, the difference in construction price between a luxury apartment and a plain one is modest — but the difference in selling price is not.”

Economics dictate that new developments on the Upper East Side tend to be luxury buildings, and though most take advantage of the voluntary inclusionary housing bonus, the affordable units are rarely onsite. More housing does not equal affordable housing, and the issue persists even when there is a net positive number of residential units. Current residents are not only being priced out by increasing rents on existing buildings, they're also being displaced by the new developments targeting a wealthier demographic.

“It would be one thing if the extremely rich were simply adding their living spaces to the empty sky, so to speak, but increasingly they are swallowing up middle-class(-ish) spaces as they do it.”

Increasingly, this is happening all over the Upper East Side. In addition to the proposal at the corner of East 75th Street and Third Avenue, there are at least six other sites along First, Second and Third Avenues between East 71st and East 88th street where historic tenements buildings are being demolished for the construction of new buildings in the range of 200-300 feet. While those may represent a slightly increase increase in housing units, the community is losing both affordability, and the many local small business that add to the character and sense of place of the neighborhood.

And there are many more sites where taller towers will and have replaced existing low-scale buildings. While FRIENDS firmly believes that the city is in desperate need of more affordable housing, these new buildings are not it, and in most cases they are displacing relatively affordable units as well as the small businesses which thrive in the bases of these century-old structures.

There are many other sites that are also vulnerable, including the corner of East 86th Street and Third Avenue, home since 1932 to the beloved Papaya King, and the former Wankel's Hardware building, a local family store that closed recently after 125 years, and was recently sold to a real estate investor.

We do not expect to preserve a crystallized version of the neighborhood, yet increasingly, the vital elements that make up the historic fabric and vibrant character of the Upper East Side are being lost to bulky new buildings. FRIENDS urges that the time for a holistic approach to neighborhood planning, rather than one-off fixes to address specific issues, is now.