Extell Development is moving to plant a supertall right in the heart of the Upper West Side, filing plans for a skyscraper that would completely rework the block between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West and dwarf nearly everything around it.
What was filed
According to PincusCo, city records show an 86-story residential tower, roughly 1,198 feet tall, with about 430 apartments, multiple amenity floors and approximately 25,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. The application was submitted April 21, 2026, under Department of Buildings job number M01382130 and lists Stephen B. Jacobs Group as the architect of record.
How many units and who they'd serve
Extell's plan sets aside 20 percent of the units, about 121 apartments, as affordable housing, most of them slated as senior studios, a package community leaders say is too small, according to NY1. Council Member Gale Brewer and Manhattan Community Board 7 have pushed for more deeply affordable and family-sized units, with Brewer arguing for a 30 percent target. At a board meeting, Extell chief Gary Barnett bristled at that idea, saying, “If that’s the starting point, I’m not sitting down,” NY1 reported.
Neighbors mobilize
Opposition on the block is already loud. Actor Tony Danza has joined residents protesting the tower, warning it will throw long shadows over Central Park, according to Curbed. Extell bought the former ABC/Disney campus from Silverstein Properties in 2022 for roughly $931 million and controls air rights across the site, a position that helped pave the way for the current filing, per Commercial Observer.
Money and management
The financial backing behind the project is hefty. Extell has locked in a preferred-equity commitment of about $1.2 billion from an unnamed hedge fund that could help bankroll this tower and other developments in its pipeline, according to The Real Deal. In late March, the company also named Andrew Chung co-CEO, a move it framed as part of a shift toward more cash-flowing development strategies, according to a release shared via PR Newswire.
What’s next
Filing the paperwork is just the opening move. The application still has to clear Department of Buildings technical review and is likely to draw more community hearings and political pushback before any permits are issued, according to city records compiled by PincusCo. Extell did not respond to a request for comment on the filing, as reported by Bisnow.
