262 Fifth Avenue

262 Fifth Avenue is a residential skyscraper under construction in Manhattan, New York City. Five Points Development is developing the building, which is being designed by architectural firm Meganom. SLCE Architects is the executive architect.

Site history and development
Boris Kuzinez purchased the buildings at 260, 262, and 264 Fifth Avenue in 2015 and 2016 for a total of $101.8 million. Kuzinez also purchased air rights for $5.8 million. In September 2016, SLCE Architects applied to build a 54-story, 928 ft structure on the site at 262 Fifth Avenue designed by Russian firm Meganom. Before receiving the commission to design 262 Fifth Avenue, Meganom had not designed a building in the United States. Five Points JV, L.P. acted as the representative of the site's owner. Demolition of the structure at 262 Fifth Avenue was completed by September 2017. Nikolai Fedak, writing for New York YIMBY, compared plans to incorporate 260 Fifth Avenue into the new building's base to plans for 111 West 57th Street.

In January 2019, New York YIMBY reported that work on the building was apparently not progressing. Work had resumed by November 2021 with the start of excavation. In 2022, work began on the structure's foundation. Between August and December 2022, the planned height of the structure was reduced from 1,043 to 860 ft. The building topped out in April 2024.

Usage
The building will include 139,168 sqft of residential space, split over 26 apartments, and 10,850 sqft of retail space.

Controversy
The building has garnered significant public backlash during its construction for obstructing views of the Empire State Building from many viewpoints south of 28th street, including almost all of Madison Square Park, which had previously been a popular vantage point for tourists. Additional backlash targeted the building's design, an example of the pencil tower trend, as well as the fact that, despite rising to a planned 860 feet (262 meters), the building would feature only 26 ultra-luxury residential units. These criticisms raised questions about New York's zoning laws and the need to regulate the construction of such towers.