Sales Underway at The Leonard in Northeast Tribeca

By Jeffrey Steele, Contributing Writer

New York—Sales have begun at The Leonard, a boutique condominium in a 109-year-old neoclassical building in New York City’s Tribeca. Offering 66 units and an assortment of upscale amenities, The Leonard is being developed by Bizzi & Partners Development, and will be complete in fall 2014. Douglas Elliman Development Marketing is the exclusive sales and marketing agency.

The Leonard will feature interiors from the award-winning Mitchell Freedland Design, as well as a mix of contemporary one- to three-bedroom residences ranging in size from 835 to 1,963 square feet. Among the residences will be three first-floor lofts with ceilings of more than 15 feet, and several sprawling three- and four-bedroom penthouses, two offering private terraces.

“With the residences at 400 Fifth Avenue nearly sold out, we were ready to start our second New York City project, and The Leonard was the right opportunity,” Steven Della Salla, managing principal, Bizzi & Partners Development, tells MHN. “It’s an architecturally significant building in an ideal location, from both an investment and lifestyle standpoint. It’s exactly what Bizzi & Partners Development looks for. Northeast Tribeca is evolving, and we are proud to contribute to that.”

Among the many high-end features of the condominium residences will be Appalachian hardwood oak flooring, custom kitchen cabinetry in polished wood and lush lacquer finishes, generous quartzite countertops, deep basin sinks, professional quality Miele cook tops, multi-purpose islands, Grohe fixtures and top-of-the-line Energy Star appliances, including Miele and Liebherr.

When Bizzi & Partners purchased the property, it had nearly 60 existing residents. The company launched a very personal mission to ensure a smooth transition.

“That was a challenge, but I’m proud to say we successfully surmounted it,” Della Salla explains. “We relocated many of them, helped navigate the move, and even transported one tenant’s furniture out to Long Island, and built a new office for another. In the end, we negotiated in good faith and were able to vacate the building without any real objections.”

The structure’s façade restoration is a noteworthy feature of the work. Designed by immortal architect Frederick C. Browne, The Leonard was built at the turn of the last century with a magnificent limestone, brick and terra cotta façade.

“We are returning it to its original grandeur,” Della Salla reports.

What will The Leonard mean to this area of Manhattan?

“Northeast Tribeca is evolving, specifically along Broadway, and The Leonard is a key contributor to that story,” Della Salla says. “Not only will the development introduce 66 high-end residences, but there is also a retail component on the first level, and we aim to be very selective about what goes in there. Of course, the restorative work immediately impacts the look and feel of the area as well.”