Equality Charter School has purchased its three-story, 60,000-square-foot campus at 801 Bartholdi Street in the Williamsbridge section of the East Bronx for $54.5 million, transitioning from tenant to property owner at the site that now houses both its elementary and high school programs. The deal, signed by Azimuth Development Group president Guido Subotovsky, closed as the highest-priced commercial real estate transaction recorded in New York City during the 24-hour period ending Friday.
The sale was reported by Commercial Observer, which detailed the deed transfer and Azimuth's role in developing the building. According to The Real Deal, the $54.5 million price tag placed the transaction at the top of the city's commercial deal sheet for that day, underscoring how much capital is now flowing into purpose-built school facilities across the outer boroughs.
The purchase was financed largely through municipal debt. The Build NYC Resource Corporation issued $67.835 million in revenue bonds in August through a borrowing entity called ECS 801 Bartholdi, LLC, covering the acquisition, renovation, and equipping of the property, according to Bond Buyer. The facility is intended to hold both Equality Charter School's elementary and high school programs, while Commercial Observer's reporting put the building's accommodation at up to 900 students.
A Longtime Bronx Tenant Displaced Before The School Moved In
Before it became a charter school campus, 801 Bartholdi Street had a very different tenant. The Learning Tree Cultural Preparatory School occupied the site for more than 21 years before it was ordered to vacate in August 2022, after a new developer offered $90,000 a month for the property — triple the private school's existing $30,000 monthly rent, the Bronx Times reported at the time. That rent spike and the resulting displacement drew community concern.
Azimuth Development Group then developed the purpose-built facility, which includes two cafeterias and a gymnasium. Commercial Observer's reporting adds that the building also includes 6,000 square feet of rooftop recreational space. The building appears to have been completed in 2025, per Commercial Observer.
A School Built To Serve Underperforming Students
Equality Charter School opened in 2009 with two other educators, and Executive Director Caitlin Franco is identified as its founder, according to Stony Brook University News. The school was designed to support underperforming students and scholars with disabilities. It currently operates an elementary program at 3901 White Plains Road, a middle school at 4140 Hutchinson River Parkway East, and a high school at 2141 Seward Avenue, all in the Bronx, per Commercial Observer's reporting. It is a tuition-free public school. Whether the school plans to consolidate its existing facilities at the new Bartholdi Street site remains unclear, Commercial Observer noted, and Equality Charter School did not immediately respond to that outlet's request for comment.
Azimuth's Growing Footprint In Bronx School Real Estate
The Bartholdi Street sale is only the latest in a string of educational real estate moves by Azimuth Development Group, which has built a reputation as a specialized developer converting former institutional properties into charter school space across the Bronx. In March 2025, the company signed a $24 million contract to acquire the shuttered All Hallows Catholic High School campus at 1000 Walton Avenue, a site that closed after 116 years amid financial constraints, aging infrastructure and declining enrollment, as reported by News 12 Bronx.
The company also lists other projects, according to Azimuth's own project listings. Azimuth has said it specializes in projects benefiting local communities and has built more than 1 million square feet of mixed-use developments across New York City's five boroughs, per the company. Azimuth Development Group did not immediately respond to Commercial Observer's request for comment on the Bartholdi Street sale.
A Developer Active Well Beyond The Bronx
Azimuth's activity extends past school conversions. Azimuth also develops affordable and market-rate housing, as noted by Hoodline.
Commercial Observer's reporting also notes that Azimuth teamed up with Joy Construction on a $140 million mixed-income project at 2069 Bruckner Boulevard, which includes two buildings totaling 330 rental units. That property separately drew an educational tenant of its own: the Village School leased 12,000 square feet at the Bruckner Boulevard site in June 2025, according to the same reporting. Guido Subotovsky, who founded Azimuth Development Group in 2009 and serves as its president, signed the Bartholdi Street deed transfer himself, per Commercial Observer, whose report did not indicate that a broker was involved in the transaction.
