Developers go extra mile to attract tenants, buyers.

As more families and young professionals choose to make longer-term commitments to the city, resisting the lure of the suburbs, developers have been encouraged to go the extra mile to both retain and attract tenants and buyers. From baths adorned with limestone and marble as opposed to tile, and premium appliances such as Subzero refrigerators and Viking stoves replacing more standard appliances in the kitchen, New York City's residences are offering tenants better quality materials, state-of-the art amenities and a higher level of service than ever before.

For the architect, this presents both new opportunities and challenges. Doors have been opened that welcome more creativity and originality in building design, but at the same time, remaining within the developer's budget is still a top priority.

Increased amenities create unique design solutions. As building owners increase the services provided to residents, even doorman stations have changed. We now design concierge desks and stations to house state-of-the-art security, filing systems for the latest information on restaurants and Broadway shows, and dry-cleaning drop-off rooms and refrigerated package rooms to accept grocery deliveries. Cetra/Ruddy is renovating a 558-unit residential project on West 57th Street which will accommodate all of these features.

In the case of 45 Wall Street, Cetra/Ruddy served as design architect for one of the first major office buildings to be convened to residential use under the Lower Manhattan Plan. Responsible for the building's new facade, lobby, club lounge, executive conference center, fitness center and all common areas, Cetra/Ruddy worked with the property's owner/developer, a partnership consisting of the principals of Rockrose Development Corp. and Whitehall Street Limited Partnership, an affiliate of Goldman Sachs, to provide prospective tenants with the ultimate live/work/play environment.

Cetra/Ruddy's greatest challenge was to create a warm and gracious residential ambiance from a somewhat plain 1950's office building. A new entrance facade of limestone and granite, a glass and metal canopy and custom-designed lighting fixtures accomplished the marketing goals of the owner.

The 24-hour attended lobby made use of existing materials saved from the property's past as the headquarters of a prominent bank. By incorporating the original marble walls and terrazzo flooring into the new design plans and adding intricate wood detailing and paneling, a beautiful coffered ceiling and soft residential lighting, 45 Wall Street exudes old world charm. Cetra/Ruddy also preserved the elegant cast bronze elevator doors and bronze facade graphics.

45 Wall Street also offers its tenants a private club outfitted by Cetra/Ruddy with wood paneling and the finest interior design elements. Cetra/Ruddy envisioned "Club 45" as an extension of the renter's home.

An elegant social setting to complement the building's corporate amenities, the Club contains a large screen television and a billiards room, which are made available for parties or just socializing.

As life in the big city continues to entice renters and owners and the supply and demand equation remains unbalanced, the most successful new development projects will be ones such as 45 Wall Street, where Rockrose and its partners had a well-honed eye on the marketplace, and their architect, Cetra/Ruddy, developed designs that met the developer's goals.