Orsid New York welcomes The Whitehall

Posted

Orsid Realty has taken over as managing agent of The Whitehall as of Feb. 1. The gleaming 23-story luxury rental and co-op building has been managed by Allied Partners since 2018.

It fell into Allied’s hands when the firm acquired it along with others in the Rose Associates management portfolio.

The Whitehall Tenants Corp.’s board of directors decided unanimously to embark on a change in management in order “to maintain The Whitehall’s market-leading position in Riverdale,” board president Jeffrey Moerdler said in a press statement last week.

The Whitehall is one of Riverdale’s premier high-rise addresses.

It was erected in 1970 at 3333 Henry Hudson Parkway and boasts commanding views of the Hudson River and the 500-foot sheer cliffs of the Palisades. It contains 440 apartments, including both rental units and co-ops leased to shareholders. The building’s owners restructured its debt in 2017 to build a $6.5 million garden on its roof, replete with a tree-lined walking path and covered pergola.

There were 12 co-op sales at The Whitehall last year with an average sales price of $540,000, according to city property records.

Whitehall’s new management company oversees a portfolio of 190 residential buildings across the city, with a cluster of Riverdale properties that also includes 3299 Cambridge Ave. and The Winston Churchill located at 2500 Johnson Ave.

“One of the things that initially drew us to Orsid is the fact that they manage a number of top-flight properties right here in our Riverdale community,” said Moerdler.

The firm’s executive vice president and director of compliance Dennis DePaola is himself a longtime Riverdale resident and the current account supervisor of The Winston Churchill.

His personal connection to Whitehall dates back to his teens, he said in a statement, when he swam in the building’s pool with his friends.

DePaola said he hopes to bring stability and “a luxury level of service” to Whitehall and its residents.

In its 68-year history, Orsid has witnessed the transformation of property management in New York City from the 1980s, when the boom in co-op conversions took off, to today’s array of local laws and city and state regulations.

Safety compliance measures introduced in recent years have included new façade inspection rules, natural gas safety laws, energy pricing, fire safety, and the Climate Mobilization Act. In co-ops, the cost is borne by shareholders.

“New York was a very different place in 1955 when Orsid was founded,” said president Neil Davidowitz in a webinar on the state of the industry last March. Davidowitz came to Orsid in 1986 after a former career as a prosecutor in Manhattan district attorney Robert Morgenthau’s office.

Orsid is currently putting together a management team that will support Whitehall’s on-site staff, including a new full-time general manager.

Under Allied Partners’ management, the building has had a dedicated, full-time general manager and assistant manager, plus a staff numbering more than 25, according to Whitehall’s website. The building’s superintendent and assistant superintendent are full-time residents. Other employees include security guards, concierge workers, doormen, and porters.

Baseball hall-of-famer Willie Mays and former Yankees star Ron Blomberg are among the most notable people who have lived at The Whitehall. The list also includes the late television personality Ed Sullivan, actress Yvonne DeCarlo, and U.S. Rep. Mario Biaggi.

Orsid New York, The Whitehall, Jeffrey Moerdler, Rose Associates, Allied Parnters

Comments