The Metal Shutter Houses at 524 West 19th Street

The first closing on famed architect Shigeru Ban’s Metal Shutter Houses at 524 West 19th Street between 10th and 11th avenues has posted, but it may be too soon to celebrate. Curbed reports that the buyer listed is Dean Maltz, purportedly the same Dean Maltz who works as a partner at the architect’s U.S. division. Additionally, Maltz saw the price of his new, four-bedroom, four-bathroom, 2,754-square-foot home knocked down to $3.42 million, a full 24 percent below the unit’s asking price. While Maltz reportedly closed on the apartment in late October, it remains to be seen if any other units have been snatched up since then. [more]