What the corner of East Broadway & Clinton got instead of $50 million

Last time, we told the story behind the battle for Seward Park Housing Co-op’s air rights and how the shareholders turned down $52.7M so that some of their residents could see out of their windows .

No, that’s not entirely how it went down or turned out. (I just wrote that sentence to sound like clickbait . Here’s the real story.)

Eventually, what happened was this: The initial proposal was scaled back, and a 28-story building — 222 LES — was erected on East Broadway, keeping the landmarked Bialystoker building in place, without additional towers popping up.

Today, 222 East Broadway is a mixed-use residential condominium consisting of a residential structure — the graphite-colored building shown on this website welcome page — paired with an Art Deco twin, the renovated and landmarked Bialystoker building . Optimum Asset Management is credited as the project developer, with tower massing and planning by SLCE Architects , façade design by S4 Architecture , and interiors by Paris Forino Studio . The building is organized into two discreet components: the tower, alongside a low-rise loft within the preserved historic structure. Together, they function as a single offering that spans separate building forms, eras, and circulation.

The tower portion is characterized by vertical massing and outward-facing residences with views toward Manhattan, Brooklyn, the East River , and the Williamsburg and Manhattan Bridges. The loft portion occupies the landmarked structure (re: Bialystoker) and retains pre-war proportions adapted for residential use. Interior finishes across both components include custom cabinetry, stone countertops, integrated appliances from Bosch, Miele, and Wolf — the “Other” BMW . There are also marble and tiled bathrooms with custom vanities and Waterworks fixtures, white oak flooring (herringbone in the lofts and wide-plank in the tower) , multi-zone HVAC systems , and in-unit washer/dryers — not features you’ll find natively in area co-ops, some of which prohibit them in-unit .

Residential units range from one-bedroom apartments of approximately 560–700 sq ft, two-bedroom units of approximately 1,100–1,230 sq ft, and larger three-bedroom and loft residences of roughly 1,470–1,760 sq ft, some with private outdoor space . While co-ops don’t rely on square footage as marketing metrics, in comparison to East River — which was built in the 1950s — these are uniquely sized.

Here’s what I mean:

• One-bedroom units at East River measure approximately 771 sq ft, whereas one-bedroom residences at 222 East Broadway are roughly 18% smaller.

• Two-bedroom units at East River measure approximately 1,031 sq ft, whereas two-bedroom residences at 222 East Broadway are roughly 13% larger.

• Three-bedroom units at East River measure approximately 1,296 sq ft, whereas three-bedroom residences at 222 East Broadway are roughly 25% larger.

Taken together, the comparison highlights a clear tradeoff: smaller one-bedrooms at the newer development, offset by significantly more generous two- and three-bedroom layouts .

Recent pricing has generally ranged from the high $900,000s for one-bedroom units to over $3 million for larger residences, depending on size, layout, and exposure.

Again, if we compare to East River Co-op — which is a 70+ year-old co-op, not a new condo (which has direct implications on pricing, given the type ownership structure) — the differences are stark:

• One-bedroom units at East River trade at approximately $575,000, whereas one-bedroom residences at 222 East Broadway are priced roughly 108% higher .

• Two-bedroom units at East River trade at approximately $925,000, whereas two-bedroom residences at 222 East Broadway are priced roughly 99% higher .

• Three-bedroom units at East River trade at approximately $1.1 million, whereas three-bedroom residences at 222 East Broadway are priced roughly 178% higher .

Note: This is purely based on available listings for both complexes, irrespective of apartment conditions.

In terms of common space, 222 East Broadway includes approximately 14,000 sq ft of shared amenities, including a 24-hour attended lobby , indoor lounge and co-working spaces , a private landscaped outdoor park , a 35-foot indoor swimming pool , fitness and yoga facilities , bicycle storage , cold storage, and optional private storage units available for purchase .

Next, we’ll go inside, as I took an actual tour of the space and I’ll share some of my observations .