A luxury condominium at 80 Clarkson Street in Manhattan is setting new records for the downtown real estate market as several of its penthouse units have gone into contract for unprecedented sums. A duplex penthouse spanning 7,120 square feet of interior space and featuring four bedrooms and six bathrooms has entered into a contract at $80 million, equating to roughly $11,236 per square foot. This represents the highest price per square foot ever recorded for a residence in downtown Manhattan. The building, located at the edge of the West Village along the Hudson River, is also home to the tallest condominium ever built in the neighborhood, rising approximately 400 feet above street level.

The $80 million contract was secured just weeks before the City of New York implements a new pied-à-terre tax on July 1, allowing the buyer to avoid the newly imposed levy for this year. The buyer has not been publicly identified. Compass agents Christine Miller Martin and Kyle Blackmon represented the purchaser but declined to provide further details.

This transaction is the most expensive sale contracted in downtown Manhattan this year and the second-largest for a condominium in the city to date in 2026, surpassing a high-profile contract at 1122 Madison Avenue from earlier this year. The same building at 80 Clarkson has another residence pending sale for $129 million, which if it closes, would become the highest-priced transaction in downtown Manhattan history by total price. Additionally, a third unit listed at $75 million is also under contract.

The development, a joint effort between Zeckendorf Development, Atlas Capital Group, and The Baupost Group, has surpassed $1 billion in residential contracts since sales launched in 2025. Despite the coming pied-à-terre tax, market activity among luxury properties remains strong. Data from Olshan Realty indicate that in the past 14 weeks, nearly 25% of contracts signed on Manhattan properties priced above $4 million were for homes asking $10 million or more.

Downtown Manhattan continues to experience a surge of high-end sales, including a West Village townhouse that sold for $70 million earlier this year and the penthouse at 70 Vestry Street, which closed at $57 million. Another penthouse at 140 Jane Street has entered contract with an asking price of $87.5 million.

Designed by CookFox Architects with interiors by the late Thierry Despont, known for his work on 220 Central Park South, 80 Clarkson features 112 residences spread across two limestone towers reaching approximately 420 and 490 feet, respectively. Market observers note that the development team has maintained firm pricing throughout the sales process. Clayton Orrigo of Compass, who has played a significant role in sales at 80 Clarkson but was not involved in the recent contracts, described the developers as “incredibly tough on pricing and not budging.”