Michael Bolla isn’t just expecting his new Lower East Side condominium will sell units, he’s also hoping it will revive the neighborhood’s historic Jewish community. According to the New York Times, the Prudential Douglas Elliman managing director, who developed the Madison Jackson at 371 Madison Street with the Sung family, has added certain features meant to lure Orthodox Jews.
The 110-unit building developed out of public school left vacant since the 1980s will have 24-hour kosher and vegan food service and a pool with designated single-gender swimming hours. The kosher food will come from the Sixth Street Community Synagogue in the East Village.
“We’re really looking forward to participating in the revitalization of this neighborhood, and bringing back some of the neighborhood’s Jewish character — and actually, we’d like to use the building as a catalyst for that,” Bolla said.
However, Bolla is careful not to advertise specifically to Jews, eschewing any mention of its religious-friendly amenities, and to emphasize that the condo is open to buyers of all backgrounds in order to comply with the Fair Housing Act. The loft-style units range from 746 square feet to 1,672 square feet and are priced between $435,000 and than $1 million. [NYT]