Townhouse home to UES animal hospital asking $19.9M

An Upper East Side townhouse at 52 East 64th Street that is home to the Park East Animal Hospital formally hit the market today asking $19.9 million, per StreetEasy.

The five-story, 8,740-square-foot home is currently partially occupied by the owner, veterinarian Lewis Berman, who operates the animal clinic in the limestone abode, which dates to 1920. Berman bought the stately home, between Park and Madison avenues, in 1970, according to city records, though the purchase price was unavailable because the sale predates the city’s electronic records system.

Berman recently merged with another practice and, together, they are building out another facility, prompting the sale, listing broker Carol Sacks of ABS Partners, who is marketing the mixed-use building with colleague Jay Caseley, told The Real Deal.

With the zoning as is, the commercial section of the house can only be occupied by a medical practice, a not-for-profit organization or a foreign government, Sacks said.

Sacks said she and Casely had been marketing the building quietly for about a month before the property hit StreetEasy and that foreign governments had inquired with the marketing team. She would not disclose which governments, however.

In the event a commercial user bought the property, they would have the option to convert the bottom portion to a condominium, Sacks said. Currently the building’s top floors are three floor-through rental apartments, the listing shows.

Of course, the townhouse could also be gutted and made into a single-family home, which seems most likely, Sacks said, given the posh location.