Piece by piece, Gary Barnett’s plans for the former Disney campus on the Upper West Side are becoming clearer. Extell Development has submitted plans for a 25-story building at 37 West 66th Street, according to a report from Crain’s. The proposed building would stand 355 feet tall and cover 231,000 square feet, featuring 58 residential units and ground-floor retail space. Demolition plans have also been filed for the current 14-story structure on the site.
The development is part of a larger project expected to include a total of 158 residential units, indicating that additional buildings may be planned for the area. Extell did not respond to requests for comment regarding these developments.
Extell acquired the campus from Silverstein Properties in a $930 million deal. Financing for the acquisition included at least $900 million provided by Guggenheim Partners and Aquarian Holdings.
In late 2024, Extell filed separate plans for two other buildings in the area. At 30 West 67th Street, they proposed a nine-story residential building with 50 units, including some designated as low-income housing. Another filing at 7 West 66th Street outlined plans for a seven-story building with 31 units, also including low-income housing; this project involves converting an existing office building.
Additionally, Barnett is seeking approval for a controversial supertall tower on Columbus Avenue between 66th and 67th streets. The proposed tower would reach approximately 1,200 feet—significantly taller than other neighborhood buildings such as Extell’s own ongoing condo project across the street at about 775 feet.
Beyond these projects on the Upper West Side, Barnett was recently identified as holding mezzanine debt on Worldwide Plaza in Midtown West. That property is scheduled to go up for auction under UCC foreclosure proceedings in two months.
