Arthur Zeckendorf

New York's newest Best Buy is scheduled to open tomorrow in the unlikeliest of places: the base of uber-luxurious condo Fifteen Central Park West. The store will unfold over at least 46,000 square feet, and Best Buy reportedly paid $75 million for a 15-year lease.

As The New York Times noted late last year, the store marks another sign of Columbus Circle's transformation:

Brokers said the retail space at 15 Central Park West, scheduled for occupancy a year from now, was the final slice that would complete a radical transformation of Columbus Circle over the last decade.

“This is definitely the last piece of the urban streetscape puzzle in that area,” said Gene Spiegelman, an executive director at Cushman & Wakefield, which is marketing the space. “It’s just so alive now. Think back 15 years ago — this was a dust bowl.”

The store, of course, will front on Broadway and not on Central Park West. The building's condo owners--including Denzel Washington, Sandy Weill and Norman Lear, as well as 15CPW's developers, William and Arthur Zeckendorf--will not have to mix with the shoppers below.

The Observer's Chris Shott will have more on the opening on Friday.

At The Plaza, record-breaking deals but no big names yet; 15 Central Park West, on the other hand ...  read more »

The first sale at Fifteen Central Park West is official.

Unit 7C has closed for $9.67 million, according to city records. The buyer, listed as Carolina Real Property LLC, took its time closing. The deal went to contract back in September 2005 and did not close until just a few weeks ago. The true identity of the buyer could not immediately be determined, but we're guessing it may be NASCAR star Jeff Gordon, who has lived in North Carolina and who is known to have been an early buyer at the condo.

Fifteen Central Park West is one of the most anticipated new developments in recent city history. Developed by Arthur and William Lie Zeckendorf, the two-tower spread with 201 condos should record nearly $2 billion in sales when all is said and done.

Over the past two years, several notables besides Mr. Gordon have gone to contract for the spreads that average over $3,000 a square foot, including hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb, who went to contract on a penthouse in November 2005 for a then-record $45 million. Other buyers in the Robert A.M. Stern-designed condo include musician Sting and his wife Trudie Styler, sportscaster Bob Costas, director Norman Lear, and actor Denzel Washington.  read more »

To be born a Zeckendorf is to try to avoid the fate of your father.  read more »

When the New York Times profiled the burgeoning trend of ultra-lush, real estate bashes--complete with pop stars and haute cuisine--developer Arthur Zeckendorf seemed unimpressed. "I cannot say that we've had to do that," he told Motoko Rich. "It's probably a lot of hype for not much return except to get some press articles."

Nevertheless, brothers Arthur and William Lie Zeckendorf were on hand Tuesday night, throwing a lavish party at Jazz at Lincoln Center to show off their latest development, 15 Central Park West. (The location was just two blocks from where the 202-unit, luxury building is being built).

Certainly, the Zeckendorf brothers can claim bragging rights, for not only breaking the billion dollar sales barrier--in what we're told is a "North American sales record"--but for also enticing high-profile buyers like Denzel Washington, Daniel Loeb, and, most recently, Sting.

Perhaps too busy with Jivamukti postures, Sting did not perform: instead, saxophonist Francesco Cafiso played for the future residents of 15 C.P.W. Indeed, the party was for only for brokers and those individuals who already scooped up apartments. Prospective buyers, or Manhattanites just looking for free cocktails, were not welcome.  read more »

"Last night, I went dancing for the first time in 60 days," said Bill May, the co-chairman of the 13  read more »