It’s about time!
After more than a century of keeping time, this Tribeca clocktower has a new job: keeping house.
Following years of swirling speculation and a near-mythic presence, the Clocktower Penthouse at 108 Leonard — a penthouse that’s crowned by the building’s stunning clocktower — has found its very first buyer, The Post has learned.
The palatial triplex officially entered contract earlier this month, according to its representatives.
The final sale price has not been disclosed, though it was last listed for $19.25 million. The identity of the forthcoming owner also isn’t yet known.
The storied Clocktower Penthouse at 108 Leonard has officially entered contract. Evan Joseph Studios
The unique residence listed in April for $19.25 million. Evan Joseph Studios
Spanning 8,770 square feet indoors and more than 3,000 square feet of terraces — including a rare wraparound at the base of the clock itself — this sky-high residence blends Gilded Age grandeur with modern architectural finesse.
For years, the penthouse captivated buyers with the singular chance to inhabit a literal piece of New York City’s skyline, but it was not on the market.
The residence spans nearly 9,000 square feet indoors. Evan Joseph Studios
The penthouse has more than 3,000 square feet of private terraces that wrap around the building’s iconic clocktower. Evan Joseph Studios
It was originally designed by McKim, Mead & White in the late 19th century as the New York Life Insurance headquarters. Evan Joseph Studios
“This is a significant moment in Elad Group’s evolving legacy,” Elyse Leff, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Elad Group, which developed the project, told The Post.
“With 108 Leonard, we have achieved one of the city’s most remarkable and successful conversions. Selling the Clocktower Penthouse is a testament to our vision of preserving Manhattan’s architectural heritage by thoughtfully reimagining landmarks for contemporary living,” she said.
The penthouse’s long-awaited contract comes seven years after Elad Group launched sales at 108 Leonard — formerly 346 Broadway, the old New York Life Insurance Company headquarters.
Designed by McKim, Mead & White in the late 1800s, the Italian Renaissance Revival structure became a designated landmark in 1987.
The clocktower had been operating until the building’s conversion. Angel Chevrestt
The residence blends 15-foot ceilings, massive arched windows and historically preserved architecture with bespoke modern interiors. Evan Joseph Studios
The living room boasts a woodburning fireplace. Evan Joseph Studios
After acquiring the property in 2013 with the Peebles Corporation for $160 million, Elad spent six years transforming it into 152 luxury condominiums — without compromising the architectural bones that once defined the Gilded Age.
But the Clocktower Penthouse stood apart from the rest. Occupying the building’s north, west and south corners, the five-bedroom, five-bath residence has long been treated like a holy grail of Downtown real estate. Until its market debut this April, it had never been listed.
“I can say unequivocally that selling the Clocktower Penthouse at 108 Leonard is a career achievement,” Elena Sarkissian, Director of Sales at 108 Leonard with Douglas Elliman Development Marketing, told The Post.
“This apartment is a treasured piece of the Downtown skyline and of New York City history, reimagined with exquisite contemporary craftsmanship. There are so few trophy penthouses and this one is the ultimate.”
The sleek kitchen. Evan Joseph Studios
The dining area. Evan Joseph Studios
A view of the open floor plan with wall-to-wall windows. Evan Joseph Studios
Inside, the space is a study in old-meets-new opulence.
A grand double-height corner salon anchors the main floor, lined with dramatic arched windows and anchored by a dual-sided fireplace. The 1,000-square-foot primary suite boasts a midnight bar, a dressing room with southern exposure, and a marble-clad bathroom with 15-foot ceilings and a 6-foot freestanding tub.
A circular staircase — alongside a private internal elevator — leads upstairs to a flexible layout ideal for a wellness retreat, a wine cellar or a home theater.
But the real showstopper lies above: the lower portion of the historic clock tower, transformed into a 16-foot-high art salon ringed by a 2,000-square-foot terrace.
One of five bedrooms. Evan Joseph Studios
An ensuite bathroom. Evan Joseph Studios
The terrace boasts a series of historic hand-carved eagles and gargoyles. Evan Joseph Studios
Hand-carved eagles, gargoyles, and ornate balustrades frame panoramic views that stretch from the Empire State Building to the bridges of the East River.
“When you’re on the terrace, you pick up the rivers on both sides. I mean it’s really spectacular,” Sarkissian said.
A patinated spiral staircase leads to the base of the clock itself — still viewable inside, though not large enough to be a habitable space. The clock was once entirely mechanical and manually wound; it was electrified in 2023 as part of the building’s modernization.
“My first time in the clocktower itself, inside the actual space, was magical,” Tim Rooney, a partner at Jeffrey Beers International, which oversaw much of the interior design, said. “It is like being transported back in time.”
That’s by design. As Rooney explained, the goal was “to take something historical and modernize it so it felt that it would be space that was handed down from generation to generation.”
“And really, this was sort of the current generation’s imprint on the space,” Rooney said.