(NEW YORK, NY) — “I have no idea if anyone will ever live there, but Abramovich is putting the townhouses together. Construction is underway,” a rest estate source tells the Post.
Three adjacent buildings on East 75th street purchased by Roman Abramovich just got the green-light to be converted into a Manhattan mansion by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The behemoth is a 19,400-square-foot, one of a kind 21st century Manhattan living experience.
The Russian oligarch’s plan will cost $180 million for the biggest home in New York City. This development is bigger than Gracie Mansion or the Governor’s Mansion in Albany. Renovation costs are estimated to be $100 million, on top of the $74 million investment in the four buildings, Nos. 9, 11, 13, and 15.
The Landmarks and Preservation Commission denied Abramovich’s first plans for the combination of 11-15 East 75th Street in March of 2016. Abramovich has since reconfigured and added a fourth townhouse on the block, No. 9, planning to include Nos. 9, 11, 13 and 15. In November 2017, Stephen Wang + Associates redesigned and won the approval of the landmark district’s governing body, now only including Nos. 9, 11 and 13.
The approved plan for the “urban castle” includes removing the facade of townhouse No. 9 and replace it with one that matches No. 11. The exterior is being restored to an updated version of its original Neo-Federal style. No. 9 will also include window frames and a front door to match No. 11. Meenakshi Srinivasan, former Landmarks Preservation Commission Chair praised the new exterior design as “very respectful to the district overall.” The rear facade will unify the three townhouses with a glass and bronze curtain wall.
Other amenities will include a pool, an art room, a landscaped backyard, and the like.
Roman Abramovich is a Russian oligarch and one of the country’s best known billionaires. He is a steel magnate and owner of the Chelsea Football Club. The Russian billionaire is not new to mega homes, he has also combined two London townhouses. He was denied a visa application to Switzerland after the country called him “a security threat.” In Britain, the tycoon has also been denied after the crackdown on wealth Russians with ties to the Kremlin.
