From left: the Lufkins’ unit at 455 Central Park West and Dan and Cynthia Lufkin

Dan Lufkin — the prominent banker who rose from humble beginnings — initially set the price for his five-bedroom spread at 455 Central Park West at an unhumble $17.5 million. But that ask, in 2008, was halved in the end. The apartment went for about $8.5 million, to a buyer identified only as “455 CPW APT LLC,” according to city records filed today. [more]

Representatives from Central Park’s Boathouse restaurant and the New York Hotel Trades Council are still negotiating in a “Hail Mary” attempt to solve a unionization dispute before a federal labor board instigates a legal complaint, the Wall Street Journal reported.

“Any decision by the [National Labor Relations Board] has been put off until at least next Wednesday while we continue to negotiate,” a spokesperson for the Boathouse said in a statement.

The meeting with NLRB was requested by the Boathouse after management heard of the labor board’s inclination to progress with a complaint, the Journal said. NLRB’s complaint will allege that the restaurant illegally threatened workers and punished more than 15 of them for supporting the union, an NLRB spokesperson said. [WSJ]

Donald Trump and Tavern on the Green

Shuttered Central Park landmark Tavern on the Green may reopen under the direction of New York real estate mogul Donald Trump, who wants to turn it into “the highest-grossing restaurant on the planet,” Trump said yesterday. According to the New York Times, Trump has reached an agreement with Peter Ward, head of the union that represented the workers there, to revive the restaurant, which closed at the end of 2009 after the LeRoy family that operated it declared bankruptcy. The city had granted Central Park Boathouse operator Dean Poll the operating license, but Poll was never able to come to terms with the union. … [more]

The Department of Parks and Recreation is no longer counting on a fundraising plan that would have sold off the naming rights to city-owned properties like the McCarren Park pool and the Central Park tennis center. According to the Post, the agency removed the plan from the budget last week because of a dearth of prospective bidders. “It’s not a viable idea in this economic climate,” Benepe said. “We don’t budget for what we can’t attain.” … [more]

The lights may be out at Tavern on the Green, but the city is making sure visitors to the legendary Central Park restaurant don’t go hungry. Beginning next week, four gourmet food vendors are moving into the courtyard of the shuttered restaurant and will serve seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., the Post. The new Tavern vendors are Ladle of Love, Pera Mediterranean Brasserie, Rickshaw Dumpling Truck and Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream. Each paid between $50,000 and $100,000 for the year, beginning Oct. 15, in the courtyard. The 75-year-old restaurant closed on Dec. 31 last year after the city declined to renew a contract for former operator Jennifer LeRoy, choosing to award it to Central Park Boathouse operator Dean Poll instead. The deal with Poll subsequently fell through, and the city is now planning to seek new bids. [Post]

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While Central Park West might be better known for its condominiums and pre-war, multi-unit buildings, this single-family home featured by New York Magazine has managed to carve out a niche at 247 Central Park West near 85th Street. The seven-floor, 12,000-square-foot mansion is on the market for $32 million. The townhouse features a basement-level freshwater pool, a private terrace off the master bedroom and a state-of-the-art screening room. Sotheby’s International Realty agent Mara Flash Blum has the listing. As The Real Deal previously reported, the home is owned by a former Coach handbags exec.

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The Frederick Douglass Circle

Might you wonder what the result of seven long years of construction and delay looks like in the Big Apple — the answer is the vastly underwhelming Frederick Douglass Circle at the northwest… [more]

The Frederick Douglass Circle

Might you wonder what the result of seven long years of construction and delay looks like in the Big Apple — the answer is the vastly underwhelming Frederick Douglass Circle at the northwest… [more]

The Central Park Le Pain Quotidien

Properly understood, the opening of Le Pain Quotidien, deep in the heart of Central Park, represents one of the most momentous changes to the park in half a century. This highly respected Belgian purveyor of fine breads, salads and soups now has 21 stores in the city, but none of them is as d… [more]

Central Park’s Police Department precinct, the Gothic cottage that lies equidistant from the East and West sides at 86th Street, is getting a $50 million makeover, according to the Wall Street Journal. But because of firearms and contraband, police officials said, the restored stationhouse will be off-limits to the public once it is completed this fall.
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