THERE are only four res idences left out of 23 Ian Schrager is developing at his first residential property at 50 Gramercy Park North, with partners Aby Rosen and Michael Fuchs of RFR Holdings.
“I like to hit home runs,” he confessed to us. “I like to do a project and make it a big success and that’s my motto. I’m not interested in buying and selling and trading.”
Schrager is still keeping his reinvention of the adjacent original Gramercy Park Hotel under wraps, however, lest “everyone” copy his creation.
Schrager was happy to show us a partial model residence that includes a sleek cherrywood kitchen, opening into a “great room” with a wood burning fireplace, and then into a gracious “outdoor room.”
After seeing the Kimball Museum in Fort Worth, Tex., designed by the late Louis Kahn, Schrager says he “had to have” white travertine marble, which he picked out himself at a Texas quarry.
British designer John Pawson used the marble for the fireplace, surrounding wall and bench, shower floors, and he carved a double sink out of it for the master baths.
Remaining units range from $6.1 million to nearly $12 million and have monthly maintenance of $8,400 to more than $11,000 – but come with a coveted key to Gramercy Park.
“The prices we are getting here, it’s the park, it’s the services, the details, the finishes and the layout,” Schrager said. “These are much more than hotel or concierge services: This is like having a full-time staff, 24 hours a day, and not worrying about walking around nude so that you will bump into them.”
Of course, that’s why we don’t have any servants. Schrager is also starting work on a 32-unit project at 40 Bond St., also with Rosen and Fuchs of RFR Holdings.
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Schrager may end up having a hand in the conversion of 160 Fifth Ave., which is under contract to RFR for just more than $70 million.
A spokesperson said Schrager is evaluating the 101,000-square-foot building but is presented with a lot of opportunities.
Rosen did not return a call by press time, while broker-team leader, Earle Altman of Murray Hill Properties, declined comment citing a confidentiality clause.
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Across 21st Street, however, Jeffrey Sutton is on track to buy his fourth property on the fancy thoroughfare.
Sources tell us Sutton and investor Joseph Cayre have signed a contract to buy 141 Fifth Ave. on the southeast corner of 21st Street for $60 million.
This is an extraordinary, beautiful 1894 Beaux Arts building that was designed by architect Robert Maynicke, a Cooper Union grad who worked for George B. Post before founding Maynicke & Franke in 1895.
Roger Lang of the Landmarks Conservancy advised that while not an individual landmark, this is a contributing building to both the Ladies Mile Historic District and the National Register of Historic Places.
It is no surprise that the Conservancy is one of the tenants in the 98,000 square-footer, which has Bath & Body Works and Valley National Bank as the retailers.
Ike Chehebar of Murray Hill Properties is the sole broker. The property is being purchased from Fred Gould and the Georgetown Company and should be closed by the end of the summer. Sutton did not return calls either.
Sutton also owns the retail at 717 Fifth Ave., 720 Fifth, and the American Girl Place’s 609 Fifth, and recently bought 21 W. 34th St. along with the Times Square Howard Johnson site, as Post colleague Steve Cuozzo reported.
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Earle Altman of Murray Hill Partners was happy to talk about 8 W. 30th St., which adjoins the rear of Marble Collegiate Church at 29th Street and is being placed on the market this week.
The 12-story, 120,000-foot brick building is filled with Foremost Furniture and a plethora of Oriental carpet dealers. Altman said there is no asking price because the market keeps going up.
“It continues to surprise me,” Altman added. Steve Hornstock, Gregg Schenker, Randy Modell and Rick Weisfich are also working on the deal. lweis s@nypost.com