Like many of Manhattan's now-coveted downtown neighborhoods, the Lower East Side was not long ago an artist's refuge offering far lower rents, quirky eateries, and lots of mom and pops. While the classic artist-as-an-unwilling-gentrifier trajectory yielded some considerable changes over the past decade-plus — both good and bad — the introduction of Essex Crossing has fully floored the pedal, driving an even more dramatic transformation of the neighborhood. 

Luxury developments in the area are no longer scarce, and among the handful of pipeline projects ready to rise is 89 Ludlow Street, a new 12-story building designed by Raymond Chan Architect PC (h/t CityRealty).

Raymond Chan

Located between Broome and Delancy, directly across the street from the International Center of Photography, as well as tony new condos at 242 Broome designed by SHoP Architects, the new construction will see a three-story commercial building replaced with a 135-foot glassy tower partially framed in stone.

Inside will be about 3,300 square feet of ground-floor retail space and 41 new apartments (28,650 square feet) with several apartments made affordable via Mandatory Inclusionary Housing.

The FAR bonus yielded from the affordable units has allowed the tower's developer (91 Ludlow Street LLC) to max out at just over 40,500 square feet.

Per Bowery Boogie, the 89-91 Ludlow hit the market in 2017 for $18 million. Building permits were filed in March 2020, while demolition permits were filed in June 2017 in anticipation of a sale.