The Belaire

524 East 72nd Street | also 525 East 71st Street | Lenox Hill | built 1989

Open on the map6 entries

Written with AI from the source each entry cites, then fact-checked.

  1. 1988

    The Zeckendorf Company builds the Belaire on a hospital's parking garage site

    The Belaire was completed in 1988 by the Zeckendorf Company on land where the Hospital for Special Surgery had owned a parking garage. The hospital kept the land and sold the development rights, and in return it received use of the lower floors for offices. Nurses and technicians who struggled to find affordable housing in the city were originally lodged there.

    “…in exchange for selling the development rights to Zeckendorf, it received use of the lower 12 floors for offices…”

    Source: Wikipedia

  2. 1988

    Frank Williams and Associates design a red-brick concrete tower on East 72nd Street

    Frank Williams and Associates designed the Belaire with a red brick facade over a reinforced concrete structure, which made it one of the tallest concrete buildings of its day. The 42-story, 512-foot building holds 183 condominium apartments, a health club and a swimming pool, with views over the East River.

    Source: Wikipedia

  3. 2006

    October 11

    A small plane carrying Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle crashes into the Belaire

    A Cirrus SR20 owned by Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle left Teterboro Airport at 2:29 p.m. and struck the north side of the Belaire at about 2:42 p.m. Lidle and his flight instructor, Tyler Stanger, were killed. The fire in several apartments was out within two hours, and 21 people were injured, including 11 firefighters.

    Source: Wikipedia

  4. 2006

    October 11

    Fighter jets and a flight restriction follow the Belaire crash

    Officials said NORAD sent fighter jets up over many American and Canadian cities as a precaution, and the FBI soon said it had no reason to suspect terrorism. The FAA first set a temporary flight restriction within one nautical mile of the scene, up to 1,500 feet. On October 13 it banned fixed-wing aircraft from the East River corridor unless they were in contact with air traffic control.

    Source: Wikipedia

  5. 2006

    October

    A developer, a publisher, a novelist and a future president live in the Belaire

    When the plane struck the Belaire in October 2006, its residents included the novelist Carol Higgins Clark on the 38th floor and the developer Arthur W. Zeckendorf on the 42nd. Others living there were former Bloomingdale's chief Marvin S. Traub, Ivan Boesky, Wine Spectator and Cigar Aficionado publisher Marvin R. Shanken, baseball manager Manny Acta, and Asif Ali Zardari, who later became president of Pakistan.

    “In October 2006 residents included novelist Carol Higgins Clark (38th floor); developer Arthur W. Zeckendorf (42nd floor)…”

    Source: Wikipedia

  6. 2007

    May 1

    The NTSB blames the pilots' planning and judgment in the Belaire crash

    In its final report, the National Transportation Safety Board blamed the pilots' inadequate planning, judgment and airmanship in attempting a 180-degree turn above the East River's narrow channel. It found no mechanical failure and could not say which man was at the controls. It urged the FAA to ban visual-flight-rules flying by fixed-wing planes in the East River exclusion area unless air traffic control directs it.

    Source: aviationpros.com

Further reading

Nearby

All 31 buildings with stories in Lenox Hill