5 Notable New Developments on Tap for 2021

Luxury residential developers have had to rethink their strategies as the Covid-19 pandemic continues.

For many, that’s meant going back to the drawing board to adjust floor plans to include office space, expand outdoor areas and add amenities like air filtration systems and touchless technology. That has meant delays.

“There’s been a slight shift in developer behavior,” according to Liam Bailey, the global head of research department at the London-based real estate company Knight Frank. “A lot of them have slowed down delivery in order to redesign facilities, maximize private space and create separate areas for working from home.”

But projects that are taking the time to rejigger design plans are attracting attention.

“Sales are quite healthy in those developments that offer the facilities people are looking for,” Mr. Bailey explained.

Luxury buyers are not shying away from investments, but they are looking for the highest level of design, finishes and execution.

“They absolutely want the best, though not necessarily the most expensive,” Mr. Bailey noted.

After a year of staying close to home, some buyers are looking for a lifestyle change that will give them more access to nature and outdoor activities. That’s meant increased interest for projects outside cities, ideally with water or mountain views.

Urban areas such as New York City are suffering from a surplus in inventory, which could create buying opportunities. But it won’t last forever.

“I think we might be surprised by the return of the city next year,” Mr. Bailey said. “Once there's a vaccine in place, people will start to go back to the office, back to the city, at least one or two days a week.”

Here are five international projects launching sales in 2021.

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150 East 78th St., New York City

This new addition to Manhattan’s Upper East Side helmed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects features a limestone facade accented with classic metal work—such as railings to Juliet balconies and conservatories—and arched windows.

Interior designer Robert Couturier has combined clean lines and classic details in the residences, which include oak flooring, casement windows and kitchens created in collaboration with custom cabinet designer Christopher Peacock. A rooftop terrace with views of Central Park is available for all residents, and limestone arches have been added to create separate entertaining areas.

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Other amenities include a lounge with a catering kitchen, a children’s art room, a squash court with a retractable basketball hoop, a multi-sport simulator and a fitness center with a private training room. The 17-story building will have 22 three- to five-bedroom residences, and the penthouses feature private terraces. Units are half-floor, full-floor, and duplex homes, each with direct elevator access to its private entry vestibule. There are also three accessory apartments available to owners. Midwood Investment & Development and EJS Group are the developers on the project. Sales are set to launch in January, with prices ranging from $5.2 million to $20 million.

_{Photos: Hayes Davidson}

_{Photos: Hayes Davidson}

Charlotte of the Upper West Side, New York City

On the other side of Central Park, Charlotte of the Upper West Side is taking green living seriously. The project, developed by Roe Corp., is being built to standards that exceed those of the Passive House Institute, a research facility in Germany with strict requirements for energy usage and ventilation.

For example, BKSK Architects designed a red-brick facade punctuated with Italian-made terracotta louvers over the windows that assist with heating and cooling. The project also features individual high-performance ventilation systems and high-efficiency filtration in each unit, as well as the common areas. Sustainable materials are also part of the package, from locally sourced Imperial Danby marble to white oak floors certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

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Located on Columbus Avenue and West 83rd Street, there are seven full-floor residences planned, including a garden residence with a paved courtyard and a duplex penthouse with a rooftop terrace complete with a glass-enclosed room with views of the city. A fitness room with Peloton bikes and TechnoGym equipment, a golf simulator, a pet washing room and private storage are part of the amenities package. Prices range from $11 million to $18 million, and sales will launch in January.

_{Photo: Depict}

_{Photo: Depict}

_{Photo: Depict}

_{The Residences at the St. Regis Los Cabos.}

_{Photo: The Residences at the St. Regis Los Cabos}

The Residences at the St. Regis Los Cabos, Los Cabos Mexico

The luxury hotel brand St. Regis is bringing 74 homes to the community of Quivira in Cabo San Lucas on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula.

A Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course with views of the Pacific Ocean is at the heart of the community, and the new residences will be located between the course’s fifth and 18th holes. Owners will have access to the course and the Quivira Golf Club, as well as all of the amenities and services of the new 120-room St. Regis hotel. Those include the resort pool and lounge, a wellness center and spa, concierge services, a beach club and the resort’s bars and restaurants.

_{Photo: The Residences at the St. Regis Los Cabos}

Residences will include three- and four- bedroom oceanfront condominiums, ranging in size from 3,326 to 3,893 square feet. Villas, also facing the water, will feature five bedrooms and between 6,845 and 7,276 square feet.

Developers Olarena Hospitality and Ernesto Coppel brought on San Francisco-based SB Architects for the project, the firm that also designed the St. Regis is Longboat Key, Florida. Hirsch Bedner Associates, also based in California, is behind the interior design. Sales are set to launch in January, and construction is expected to be complete in fall 2022. Prices start at $2.8 million for condominiums and $9 million for oceanfront villas.

The Strand, Turks and Caicos, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

Located on Cooper Jack Bay, the Strand will offer 46 luxury waterfront villas, custom residences and homesites in Turks and Caicos. In addition to its 2,230 feet of beachfront property on the Caribbean Sea, the site also boasts 1,400 feet of canal and marina frontage. That’s allowed developers to create a private marina for owners, as well as several yacht slips for visitors.

At the center of the project is a laguna-inspired pool, spa and lounge area surrounded by local limestone and protected by palm trees. The community will also have a beach and tennis club, a water’s edge restaurant and bar, two pickleball courts, a gym with a secluded yoga deck and a club boat helmed by a private captain, plus catamarans, kayaks and paddleboards for residents’ use.

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Owners will have access to catering by a private chef, in-home spa treatments, housekeeping and other services, as well as 24-hour concierge services. Miami-based RAD Architecture will design the bespoke residences with Florida-based firm Modus Operandi, in charge of interior design. Sales are set to launch in the first quarter, with prices ranging from $2.2 million to $10 million.

_{Photo: Prompt Collective}

_{Photo: Prompt Collective}

Setsu Niseko, Niseko, Japan

With views of Mount Yotei and access to the slopes of Mount Annupuri, Setsu Niseko aims to bring snow lovers to Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. The rugged landscape is known for its ski areas, and the development is just a short walk from the Hirafu Gondola Station. Set on two-and-a-half acres, it will offer 190 residences, each with far-reaching views of the mountains or interior courtyard.

Each unit will feature radiant-floor heating, custom built-ins, including a ski closet, kitchens with Miele appliances and bedroom retreats with soaking tubs and dual vanities. Amenities include the courtyard with terraced landscaping, several on-site eateries, concierge services and a wellness center with an onsen spa featuring hot tubs filled with mineral-rich water.

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Singapore architect Mok Wei Wei of W Architects and Japanese architects Field Four Design Office and Kume Sekkei collaborated on the architecture of the project, which is backed by Singapore-based SC Global Developments.

Sales are expected to officially launch in March, with prices ranging from $1 million for a one- bedroom to $2.1 million for a three-bedroom. Setsu Niseko is set to open in December 2021.