Earthwork has begun at 200 West 88th Street, the site of an 18-story residential tower on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Designed by Robert A. M. Stern Architects and developed by Nortco Development, the 215-foot-tall structure will span 114,000 square feet and yield 37 condominium units. The building will also contain ground-floor retail space and enclosed parking spaces on the second level. The property is alternately addressed as 568-574 Amsterdam Avenue and located at the corner of West 88th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.

A team of excavators has begun to unearth the lot while a piling machine is working to prepare the ground for the upcoming foundations, which could begin formation sometime this summer. Crews are also installing a new sidewalk fence around the perimeter.

Photo by Michael Young

Photo by Michael Young

Photo by Michael Young

Photo by Michael Young

Photo by Michael Young

Photo by Michael Young

Photo by Michael Young

The below diagram was posted on the construction board showing the northeast corner of the tower. The parking entrance will be located on the northern side along West 88th Street.

Photo by Michael Young

The renderings, although outdated, depict a magnificently ornate prewar-style design with a warm brick and stone façade. Numerous setbacks are positioned around the upper floors, creating space for private terraces. The fenestration includes arched openings on multiple levels and the windows are enclosed in ornamental black frames and mullions. The building culminates in a roof terrace with a pergola and a mechanical bulkhead adorned with arched reliefs featuring a geometric pattern of concentric circles.

200 West 88th Street. Designed by Isaac & Stern Architects.

The first two stories are clad in stone with dark marble at the base along the sidewalks. The ground-floor windows and entrance doors feature bronze-hued metal gates.

200 West 88th Street. Designed by Isaac & Stern Architects.

Nortco Development purchased the four abutting lots in 2018 for $46 million, and demolition permits were first filed last summer. Among the former occupants of the property was the Upper West Side Mermaid Inn, which is expected to reopen at 335 Columbus Avenue near the end of the summer.

Some of the announced residential amenities include bicycle storage, a fitness room, a yoga studio, and a music room. The nearest subway from the development is the 1 train at the 86th Street station to the west along Broadway.

200 West 88th Street’s anticipated completion date is slated for spring 2027, as noted on site.