Another ultra-luxe property in Manhattan with a historic pedigree is heading to the auction block after sitting on the market for several years.
The 19th Century Kleeberg Residence on the Upper West Side, an 18-room mansion with a French renaissance revival facade and views over the Hudson River, is hitting the auction block next month after going through a series of dramatic price cuts since 2012, according to Concierge Auctions, which listed the home on Friday.
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The current owner is New York real estate developer Regina Kislin, according to city property records. She first put the property on the market in late 2012 for $40 million. But a series of relistings since then have chopped the price by more than half. Kleeberg is now listed by Engel & Völkers for $18.5 million, and will likely change hands at auction for less.
The home is expected to sell for between $13 million and $16 million on Dec. 20 as part of Concierge Auctions’ winter portfolio sale, said Krystal Aeby, vice president of marketing.
Kleeberg, built in 1898, got its name from original owners Maria and Philip Kleeberg, who commissioned society architect Charles Pierrepont Henry Gilbert to design their townhouse on Riverside Drive, according to records from the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
The architect had a flair for the ornate and designed the Kleeberg home accordingly, with gargoyles and cherubs carved into the limestone facade, and a three-story bay that projects to the sidewalk.
The restored interior is just as grand. The entryway opens into a marble foyer leading to a marble staircase and topped with a golden, coffered ceiling, according to its most recent listing.
The mansion has eight bedrooms, nine full bathrooms, a modern kitchen with two Bosch dishwashers, a sauna, an elevator and an indoor resistance pool in the basement. The views from the west side of the townhouse look over the Eleanor Roosevelt Monument at the corner of 72nd Street and Riverside Drive.
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Ms. Kislin bought the home in the mid-1990s from long-time owners David and Nancie Brodhead, according to property records.
Ms. Aeby said she could not speak to Kleeberg’s seller directly, but said sellers generally turn to Concierge Auctions when they have a unique property and are uncertain of the appropriate market price.
"These are properties that are difficult to monetize," Ms. Aeby said.
The auction will be held live at the SoHi Room, an event space at the Trump SoHo hotel. Potential bidders must sign up by Dec. 17 and have to make a deposit of $100,000, said Paulina Kimbel, Concierge's director of business development, who can also arrange for viewings.
Since Concierge listed the property last week, there’s been "quite a bit of interest," she said.