Westgate House Apartments

 apartment building, 1968_construction

A complex of three 155-foot, 14-story modernist residential buildings completed in 1968. Designed by Ballard Todd Associates, there is a very long building along 97th Street that is divided into two halves with separate entrances even though it presents a unified facade. A narrower building to the south on 96th Street is separated by a courtyard with a covered walkway and a playground. At the west end of the north building is a 2-story commercial extension that stretches to Amsterdam Avenue.

The main facades are clad in brown brick above grey granite at the ground floor, alternating with recessed bays dark-grey stone. There are eight recessed, dark-grey bays along 97th Street. Each of these bays has band of six windows in aluminum framing, and are fronted by projecting concrete balconies with metal railings beginning at the 4th floor. The brick bays have also have aluminum-framed windows. The east end bay has two triple-windows, with the same dark-grey stone panels around them at the ground floor, which is recessed; the ground floor at the other bays also have the dark-grey panels around the windows which match those on the upper floors - except for at the two entrances. The next brick bays, from east to west, have a triple-window and a 6-window bay; four triple-windows (with the entrance to 120 West 97th); a 6-window band and two triple-windows; four triple-window bays (with the dividing point between the two buildings in the middle); two triple-windows and a 6-window band; four triple-windows (with the entrance to 160 West 97th); a 6-window band and a triple-window; and two triple-windows in the west end bay. The two main entrances have glass double-doors set in glass surrounds, and are covered by stainless-steel canopies. There are metal air-conditioning vents below most of the window bays.

A narrow, recessed, 2-story bay of dark-grey stone panels connects to the 2-story commercial extension at the west end; it has a service entrance at the ground floor and two large plate-glass windows on the 2nd floor. The commercial wing is clad in the same brick, and its north facade has two metal service doors, with a long band of windows and one single-window on the 2nd floor. The west facade facing the avenue is faced in tan-painted stone with brick along the top. It is divided into six storefront bays by stone thin piers, which is faced in grey granite at the 2nd floor. This space is occupied by Key Food grocery store.

The west and east elevations of the long tower behind are clad in the same brick, and has two triple-windows in the center, with narrow double-window end bays. There is a metal railing above the roof line. The rear, south-facing facade matches the north facade.

The smaller third building on 96th Street has the same materials and design. There are two recessed, dark-grey stone bays with balconies, both with two bands of four windows. The western one has the entrance at the ground floor, with glass double-doors below a peaked, black canvas canopy. The three brick bays have two bays of double-windows, much narrower in the center bay. There is a metal railing above the roof line. The rear, north-facing facade of the south building has two center bays of double-windows. To the west are two sets of projecting balconies, and to the east are two triple-windows alternating with two balconies.

There are a total of 418 apartment units within the three buildings.

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