Projects › Upper West Side › 303 West 66th Street
Completed project · Upper West Side, New York, NY
A Lincoln Square co-op where the building’s conditions of approval shaped the build as much as the design did. No channels could be cut in the ceiling or floor for wiring. The original floor tiles contain asbestos and had to stay where they were. Four separate inspections had to be passed, one of them before a single tile could go on.
Job record
- Location
- Lincoln Square, New York, NY 10023
- Building
- 303 West 66th Street
- Scope
- Kitchen, bathroom, wood flooring and base molding throughout
- Approval
- Conditional co-op approval, October 2021
- New flooring
- 850 sq ft, every room except the bathroom
- Completed
- 2022
The wall that came down, and the half that stayed up
The kitchen was a closed galley with a wall between it and the living room and a doorway at each end. The scope does something more careful than knocking it through. It takes the wall out from countertop height to the ceiling, leaving the lower half standing, and removes the two side walls at the entrances entirely, bringing them flush with the back kitchen wall.
What that leaves is a counter-height plinth across the opening rather than a hole in a wall. The stone worktop runs over it and projects eleven inches on the living-room side, which turns the remains of the partition into a breakfast bar with room for stools underneath. The wall is non-load-bearing, so none of this needed structural work, but the half that stays up is what gives the counter something to sit on.
Why there is a pillar four inches fatter than it was
Condition two of the co-op’s approval reads: channels may not be made in the ceiling or floor for the running of electrical wires or any other purpose. That single sentence rules out the normal way of moving a light switch in an apartment, which is to chase a channel and bury the cable.
The scope answers it in one line: build out the structural pillar about four inches so that the new light switches can be installed in this location. The switches for the kitchen ceiling light and the dining room light both moved onto the pillar, and the cable runs inside the new build-out rather than inside the building’s structure. It is the clearest example on this page of a board condition turning directly into something you can see.
The rest of the electrical work stayed inside the same rule. The two ceiling lights went back at their existing positions. The GFCI backsplash outlet stayed exactly where it was and one new backsplash outlet was added. A new 120V outlet was run for the wine cooler, and two pendants were dropped over the new bar.
The floor that had to stay under the floor
The alteration package includes a sworn affidavit about flooring, and it is worth reading carefully if you live in a building of this age. The original floor tiles in these apartments contain asbestos. They may only be removed through a licensed abatement, and the affidavit commits the shareholder to installing new flooring over them without disturbing them at all, to reporting any accidental damage immediately, to stopping work until permission to continue is given, and to scheduling an inspection after demolition and before any new floor goes down.
So the scope removes the existing wood flooring, which is a later layer, and then installs a plywood subfloor on top of what remains. Eight hundred and fifty square feet of pre-finished engineered or solid wood was laid over that, glued or nailed, through every room except the bathroom. A waterproof membrane went under the kitchen floor only. New base molding was run throughout, concealing wiring where it needed to.
This is the ordinary situation in mid-century New York co-ops rather than an unusual one. The cost difference between building up over the original tile and abating it is large, and the decision is usually made for you by the building.
What the crew did, in order
Submit a letter of intent and let the building set the paperwork
The application opened with a letter of intent naming the work: kitchen and bathroom renovation, new flooring and base molding, and painting the bathroom. The co-op then issues the list of forms it wants back, which here ran to affidavits on flooring and asbestos, on electrical work and on bathtub removal, certificates of insurance for the general contractor and the electrical subcontractor, licensed-trade filings, a signed alteration agreement and a set of drawings.
Answer every condition of approval in writing before starting
Approval came back conditional, with ten numbered conditions and a set of reminders. Rather than accepting it in general terms, the contractor replied point by point in the same numbered format, confirming each one. That document is the reason there was no argument later about whether a condition had been read.
Post the deposit and book building access
A refundable security deposit had to be lodged with the managing agent before work began, and initial building access for the crew was arranged only once a start date existed. Work hours were fixed at 9:00 to 4:30, Monday to Friday, holidays excluded.
Strip out the kitchen and bathroom, then stop for inspection
Out came the wall and base cabinets, countertops, backsplash, flooring, appliances, sink hardware and two ceiling fixtures in the kitchen; and all floor and wall tile, the shower body, toilet, faucets, vanity, medicine cabinet, light fixture and shower enclosure in the bathroom. The first of four required inspections falls here, on completion of demolition.
Take the partition down to counter height
Half the non-load-bearing wall between kitchen and living room came out, from countertop height to the ceiling, and both side entrance walls were removed flush to the back kitchen wall. The pillar was then built out about four inches to receive the relocated switches.
Rough in the plumbing to the building’s specification, then stop again
In-wall shut-off valves for the bathroom water supply were required by the board, as was replacement of the ball valves at the sink and toilet. Replacement of the branch piping back to the risers was held open as a possibility depending on what the superintendent found after demo. The second inspection falls on completion of plumbing rough-in.
Waterproof, and pass the inspection that comes before tile
A new lead shower pan, a new two-inch drain, and a liquid waterproofing membrane through the entire shower surround up to the ceiling, which the board required explicitly. Laticrete 9235 membrane went across the whole bathroom floor. The third inspection is on completion of the shower pan and membrane, prior to tile installation, and it is the one that cannot be worked around afterwards.
Tile, hang cabinets and set the counters
Wall tile to the ceiling inside the shower and to four feet elsewhere, with a twelve-by-twenty-four-inch niche. Hexagonal floor tile over the membrane with a new curb and saddle, grouted and sealed. In the kitchen, plywood substrate to anchor the wall cabinets, then the cabinet run, the pantry cabinets in the dining area, the stone counters with their eleven-inch overhang, and the stacked backsplash tile.
Lay the new floor over the old one
Plywood subfloor, then 850 square feet of pre-finished wood flooring through the apartment, bathroom excepted, and new base molding throughout. The apartment was empty for this, which is what makes a continuous floor across every room practical.
Reconnect, then call the final inspection
Range back on the existing gas line, refrigerator and dishwasher into their new positions, wine cooler onto its new circuit, fittings and hardware installed, silicone and touch-ups. A request for inspection goes to the office, the superintendent schedules the final walk-through, and the deposit is refunded after it passes.
The bathroom, shower to shower
The bathroom scope is described as shower to shower, and the phrase carries a decision: keep it as a standing shower only. Everything else was replaced, but the room does not change shape and no fixture moves. The shower body goes back in the same place, the vanity and sink go back in the same place, and the comfort-height toilet goes back on the same rough-in.
Where the board went further than the scope was waterproofing. The scope called for a lead pan, a new drain and the Laticrete membrane across the floor. The conditions of approval added a liquid waterproofing membrane through the entire shower surround up to the ceiling, and then made it inspectable by requiring a visit before any tile went on. Wall tile runs to the ceiling inside the enclosure and stops at forty-eight inches elsewhere, so the tiled height and the waterproofed height end up matching in the one part of the room that gets wet.
Materials and finishes
Kitchen
| Element | Specification |
|---|---|
| Cabinets | Grey-blue shaker wall and base cabinets, on a plywood substrate installed to anchor the wall runs |
| Pantry | Full-height pantry cabinets along the dining-area wall |
| Countertops | White stone, templated to the run, with an 11 in overhang on the living-room side |
| Backsplash | Stacked linear white tile, grouted |
| Sink and faucet | Undermount sink and faucet in the existing location, on new hot and cold shut-off valves |
| Range | Gas range at the existing location, on the existing gas line and outlet |
| Dishwasher | Relocated to the design position, on a new water line |
| Refrigerator | Relocated to the design position, on the existing outlet |
| Wine cooler | New, on a new 120V circuit |
| Lighting | Two ceiling lights at the existing positions, two pendants over the breakfast bar |
| Outlets | GFCI backsplash outlet kept in position, one further backsplash outlet added |
Structure and wall work
| Element | Specification |
|---|---|
| Partition wall | Non-load-bearing; upper half removed from countertop height to ceiling |
| Entrance walls | Both side walls removed, brought flush to the back kitchen wall |
| Pillar | Built out approximately 4 in to carry the relocated light switches |
| Kitchen floor | Laticrete waterproof membrane, kitchen only |
Bathroom
| Element | Specification |
|---|---|
| Configuration | Standing shower only, shower to shower |
| Shower | New shower body with handheld, new 2 in drain, new lead shower pan |
| Shower waterproofing | Liquid membrane through the entire surround to ceiling height |
| Niche | 12 x 24 in, set into the shower wall |
| Wall tile | To ceiling height inside the shower, 48 in up the walls elsewhere |
| Floor | Hexagonal tile over Laticrete 9235 membrane, with a new curb and saddle |
| Vanity | Wall-mounted vanity, sink and faucet in the existing location |
| Toilet | Comfort height, on the existing rough-in |
| Valves | New in-wall shut-offs; ball valves replaced at the sink and toilet |
| Medicine cabinet | Installed to the design, in the existing location |
| Enclosure and lighting | New shower enclosure and a new vanity light fixture |
| Sealing | Sealant applied to all marble and stone tile |
Throughout the apartment
| Element | Specification |
|---|---|
| Flooring | 850 sq ft of pre-finished engineered or solid wood, glue-down or nail-down, every room but the bathroom |
| Subfloor | New plywood, laid over the original floor tile, which stays undisturbed |
| Base molding | Removed and replaced throughout, concealing wiring where required |
| Painting | Bathroom only, primer and two coats, no skim coating |
Conditions of approval are quoted from the co-op’s conditional approval letter and the contractor’s written response to it. Dimensions and materials are taken from the signed scope of work.
The result
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Questions this project answers
How long does co-op board approval take for an apartment renovation in NYC?
On this job, seven and a half weeks from application to approval. The letter of intent is dated 10 August 2021 and the conditional approval came back on 2 October 2021. The contractor answered the conditions in writing on 22 October and the labor agreement was signed on 11 October, so a little over two months passed between asking and being in a position to start. Treat that as a reasonable planning figure rather than a promise: the package the building asked for here ran to a signed alteration agreement, three sworn affidavits, insurance certificates for both the general contractor and the electrical subcontractor, licensed-trade filings and drawings, and nothing moves until all of it is in.
My building says the original floor tiles contain asbestos. Can I still replace my floors?
Usually yes, by building over them rather than taking them out. That is exactly what happened here. The co-op required a sworn affidavit committing to install the new flooring over the original tiles without removing or disturbing them, to report any accidental damage immediately and stop work, and to schedule an inspection after demolition and before the new floor goes down. So the later wood layer came out, a plywood subfloor went over what remained, and 850 square feet of pre-finished wood was laid on top. Removing the original tile would have meant a licensed asbestos abatement of the whole apartment, which is a different job at a different price. Ask your managing agent this question before you price a floor, not after.
Can I take down the wall between my kitchen and living room in a co-op?
If it is non-load-bearing and your board approves it, yes, and you do not have to take all of it. This apartment removed the upper half only, from countertop height to the ceiling, and took out the two side walls at the kitchen entrances completely. The lower half that stayed became the support for a stone counter with an eleven-inch overhang on the living-room side, so the wall turned into a breakfast bar instead of disappearing. That approach keeps the sight lines and the light while giving you seating and worktop you would otherwise have to find room for.
What does a co-op actually require during a renovation, day to day?
More than most people expect, and it is all written down before you start. On this project: every worker checked in at the front desk each morning with a state ID and wore a visitor badge; work was permitted only between 9:00 and 4:30, Monday to Friday, holidays excluded; all tools and materials were stored inside the apartment; deliveries and water shut-downs were scheduled with the building in advance and the elevator was unavailable on tenant move days; debris went into sealed bags and straight to a waiting truck, with no staging in the lobby, elevator bank or sidewalk; Masonite was laid from the elevator to the apartment door and lifted at the end of every day; existing exhaust vents were sealed for the duration; and no music was played on site. Those rules set the pace of the job, so they belong in the schedule you are quoted.
What is a pre-tile waterproofing inspection and why does it matter?
It is a building inspection of the shower pan and the waterproof membrane before any tile is installed, and this co-op made it one of four required inspections, alongside one after demolition, one after plumbing rough-in and one at completion. The reason it is scheduled where it is is simple: once tile is on, nobody can see whether the membrane was done properly without taking the tile off again. Here the board also went beyond the contractor’s scope, requiring a liquid waterproofing membrane through the entire shower surround up to the ceiling rather than just the pan and the lower walls. If your building does not require this inspection, it is still worth asking to see the membrane yourself before the tiler arrives.
