The Avonova condominium, located on 81st Street and Broadway

Overview

Continuing on our recent theme of conversions, we have the beautiful Avonova condominium. The building is being converted by Ed Gellert and Brad Cohen. According to a CityRealty report from last year, Gellert is executive director of U.S. commercial real estate investing of UBS AG. Avonova was originally built in 1912 and was designed by Sicilian architect Gaetano Ajello. Ajello was a prominent builder on the Upper West Side and this building exemplifies his style of work. The NY Times did a tribute to Ajello in 2006 when his Claremont Theatre project on 135th Street was designated a landmark. The interview, which was mostly information conveyed by his sister, reports that Ajello actually assigned Rosario Candela, a fellow Sicilian and uber-famous New York architect, his first job in the city. (more…)