Ziel Feldman, Chairman and Founder of HFZ Capital Group, today announced that HFZ will collaborate with renowned
Robert A.M. Stern Architects to design and execute the long-planned transformation of the historic Belnord into luxury condominiums. The Belnord represents the first conversion of a historic full-block apartment house for the firm. The 14-story limestone-and-brick Italian Renaissance building, on a full square block on the east side of Broadway between West 86th and West 87th Streets, originally completed in 1908 and designed by Hiss & Weekes, offered over 200 elegant residences surrounding a beautifully landscaped garden entered through paired porte-cocheres. Designated a New York City landmark in 1966, the Belnord was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Together, HFZ and RAMSA will reimagine and complete the conversion of approximately 95 of the rental apartments at Belnord to condominium residences. The elements of the HFZ plan will be unveiled when the property is brought to the market in the third quarter of 2017. BP Architects is executive architect for the project.
HFZ, one of the most prolific developers in Manhattan, is currently managing or bringing to market over 6 million square feet of mixed use property to New York City offering 2,500 residential units, in addition to multiple endeavors nationwide.
“We have a long history of success with thoughtful conversions that preserve and enhance irreplaceable pre-war structures, especially the magnificent properties that are the very fabric of the Upper West Side,” said HFZ Chairman Ziel Feldman, noting the firm’s experience with properties such as the Chatsworth at 344 West 72nd Street and the Astor at 235 West 75th Street. “Working with Bob Stern and his team at the Belnord ensures we will truly enrich the property and the experience of living in an historic building, blending the gracious early 20th Century era of design and space with every modern, elegant touch.”
"It is a privilege to be able to be part of the reimagined Belnord, the grandest of New York's turn-of-the-twentieth-century full square block courtyard buildings and a building I've long admired," said Robert A.M. Stern, founder and Senior Partner of Robert A.M. Stern Architects. "The Belnord has great bones and we're giving it a top-drawer restoration, preserving its original charm, but with a few nips and tucks for security and accessibility already approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission; creating a new fitness center; and then transforming the apartments to suit 21st-century living."
RAMSA partners
Robert A.M. Stern,
Paul L. Whalen, and
Sargent C. Gardiner are leading the design effort.
HFZ Capital Group is a Manhattan-based real estate investment and development firm with expertise in a broad range of real estate disciplines including underwriting analytics, structured finance, investment, development, construction and asset management. HFZ capitalizes on development and investment opportunities both in the U.S. and abroad and has acquired, owned, developed and operated properties across many asset classes, including residential, hotel, retail, sports and entertainment. Ziel Feldman, HFZ's Founder and Managing Principal, has championed the development of mixed-use luxury properties for over 25 years across a broad range of Manhattan neighborhoods with over 13,000 residential units bought, sold and developed. Today HFZ is managing and developing over 6 million square feet of real estate and bringing nearly 2,500 residential units to market. The company has a stellar reputation for restoring and preserving historic buildings to their original grace and refinement, as well as ground up developments that deliver architecturally significant properties through collaboration with renowned architects and designers.
www.hfzcap.com
