Richard Coles and Gary Tischler

While Vanbarton Group operates in many different sectors of the commercial real estate landscape, its attention has been largely focused on conversions for over a decade now — and it increasingly seems like the firm couldn’t have picked better projects at a better time.

In July 2025, Vanbarton Group purchased the nearly 400,000-square-foot 1011 First Avenue, the former headquarters of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, from the archdiocese for $103 million in order to invest $400 million in converting it into a 550,000-square-foot, 600-unit residential rental building.

In September, the company acquired the office building at 6 East 43rd Street from Emigrant Savings Bank for $135 million for another conversion, this to a 400,000-square-foot residential tower to be designed by Gensler and featuring 441 units. The company secured a $300 million loan from Brookfield to finance the purchase and redevelopment. 

The company also owns what it refers to as the largest development site in the Midtown South rezoning district, at 29th Street and Fifth Avenue, on which it plans to create a two-building residential development with around 1,100 luxury rental units. Vanbarton expects work on the project to begin early next year. (The city last summer rezoned a swath of Midtown South to encourage residential conversions.)

But not all of the company’s office-based activity is with an eye toward residential. Vanbarton Group had acquired the 750,000-square-foot office building at 425 Lexington Avenue in 2018. It is now repositioning it with a new lobby, elevators and exterior, among other additions. 

These New York projects fit neatly into Vanbarton’s longtime conversion strategy. The company previously converted 180 Water Street with Metro Loft — before Vanbarton sold its share to Metro Loft in 2017 for $450 million — followed by 160 Water Street. Vanbarton also acquired 77 Water Street in September 2024 for $95 million. Company partner Joey Chilelli told Commercial Observer in February 2026 that the plan is to convert the building into 647 apartments, and that Vanbarton hopes to have its first temporary certificate of occupancy there later this year.