La Rochelle Apartments

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125-foot, 12-story Renaissance-revival residential building completed in 1898. Designed by Lamb & Rich, it is clad in buff-colored brick and terra-cotta above a 2-story, light-grey painted limestone base. The base is lined with double-height black metal-and-glass storefronts along the avenue, with thick, banded end piers and a central pier, and narrower, fluted and banded columns with Ionic capitals dividing the rest of the base into six bays. There is one double-height storefront bay at the west end of the south facade on 75th Street, with a paired window at the 2nd level immediately to its right. At the center is the grand, double-height entrance, spanning three bays. Projecting out is a portico formed by three large round-arches, the central one the largest. Four banded, fluted Ionic columns framed the three bays of the portico, standing on boxy stone plinths. Recessed below and behind the outer two arches (which have keystones) are windows with iron grilles, and there is low iron fencing in front, spanning the bases of these two arches. The larger center arch has a recessed set of metal-and-glass double-doors and fanlight. Crowning the arch is a roaring lion's head, and to either side are wreaths and fruit-laden cornucupiae. The four columns carry a large entablature, with "LA ROCHELLE" on the frieze, below a dentiled cornice surmounted by a rounded pediment at the center, featuring an escutcheon. The dentiled cornice extends out to both sides, capping the entire base. At the east end the base is divided into two floors, with two bays of single-windows at both floors, and low, slit basement windows at the sidewalk level.

The 3rd floor is transitional, clad in limestone, with seven bays of single-windows with blocky, banded surrounds; the end bays are spaced farther apart. There is also a small bathroom window inserted between the two western middle bays at each of the upper floors. The upper floors are brick, with regular brick quoins framing both end bays, where the windows have splayed brick lintels and stone sills. The five middle bays at the 4th floor have elaborately carved, beveled stone surrounds featuring seashell patterns. Above, an intricate band course crosses the middle bays, with a row of small cartouches and an egg-and-dart molding. The middle bays at the floors above have simple stone sills and splayed brick lintels with scrolled keystones. The 10th floor is set off by a string course and has beveled stone surrounds at the windows, and outlined panels at the piers. The main roof line is marked by a projecting stone cornice with brackets and large dentils.

The upper floors of the west facade have four center bays (with two small bathroom windows per floor inserted inward of the northern and southern of these bays, and end bays also with single-windows. The facade design and ornament matches that on the south facade.

The front bay of the east elevation also features the quoined brick and splayed lintels of the end bays, with a short return of the cornice at the top. The rest of is clad in plain reddish brick with five bays of windows, plus another small bathroom window bay next to the 4th bay. The northeast corner is notched, with another window bay. A black metal fire escape runs down the 3rd bay from the front.

There is a 2-story penthouse level set back above the roof cornice, with the lower level clad in grey stone and white stucco, and the top faced in dark-green painted stucco. There is a large light well at the center of the building. The building contains 91 apartment units. The ground floor along the avenue is occupied by ASSET restaurant.