New York City Developers Incorporating COVID-19 Incentives, Amenities

With the coronavirus pandemic upending lives, and in a real estate market with a glut of luxury apartments, developers in New York City are getting creative with special promotions and programming to respond to the needs of COVID-weary residents. 

At Charlie West, a new 123-unit luxury condominium in Hell’s Kitchen, developers El Ad Group and Mi&Co Development recently partnered with Andres Escobar of Lemay + Escobar Architects, who designed the building’s interiors, to create custom home offices for its residents.

Each resident will receive $10,000 from the developer to purchase office furnishings and decor, and technology such as a laptop, printer or monitor, and will be able to work with Escobar to create their custom home office. The offering plan for the building, where units range from $ 865,500 for a studio to $5,255,000 for a four-bedroom, is currently being changed to incorporate the partnership.

At One West End, a 246-unit luxury condo on the Upper West Side, the developers are responding to the complications with the school year, and have created a series of daily, outdoor, socially-distant classes in the arts, drama, physical education, music and science, working with a committee of parents to develop programming. 

On the opposite end of the age spectrum and other side of Manhattan, the 215-unit senior living community Inspir Carnegie Hill on the Upper East Side, will open with temi personal home robots to ease the discomfort of social distancing. The robots help divide up group activities and keep classes smaller, or can provide individual attention to the residents, by leading a fitness class or delivering packages from the mail room.

At the new Park Slope development Six Garfield, which just launched sales this month for 33 luxury condo residences, developer New Empire Corp. will build out organizational systems such as closets, bookshelves for the next five buyers with $10,000 in credit each through Avenue Home Corp.