In terms of lightning-rod new developments, few have drawn as much community ire as the Sunset Park condo at 420 42nd Street did a few years ago. The building was supposed to rise to 12 stories, but after tons of bad press (particularly regarding whether its architect flouted building code requirements), in early 2007 the condo's developer agreed to cap its height at 6 stories. The capitulation was a win for residents pushing for contextuality but it also gave teeth to community members who had long pushed for a rezoning of the neighborhood—a rezoning that is now more or less a given. The photo above shows 420 42nd Street as it is today, all grown up. It has 31 units, according to DOB records, and it got its full certificate of occupancy early this year. Property Shark shows there have been 11 closings in the condo, most in the $300,000- to $350,000-range.
420 42nd Street: This One Could Get Ugly [Brownstoner] GMAP
420 42nd Street and the Rule of Law [Brownstoner]
420 42nd Street Building Gets Cut in Half [Brownstoner]
