It wasn’t personal, it was strictly business.
Actor Al Pacino checked out – but ultimately didn’t rent – a $35,000-a-month penthouse at 640 Broadway in Noho, industry sources told The Real Deal.
The Academy and Tony award winner is returning to Broadway this fall to perform in David Mamet’s “China Doll,” which opens Nov. 19.
The penthouse, a 2,200-square-foot corner unit, has 12-foot ceilings and a 1,000-square-foot private roof deck. The two-bedroom pad is accessible via a new private entrance at 172 Crosby Street.
Developer Winhaven Group paid $32.5 million for 640 Broadway in 2012 and converted the units into luxury rentals. Constructed in 1896, the building was designed by Macy’s Herald Square architects De Lemos & Cordes.
In January, the Landmarks Preservation Commission gave the prewar building permission to etch the name “Empire State Building” above its entryway in a nod to the building’s original tenant: Empire State Bank.
Staircase leading to Private Terrace
Will Smith checked out the penthouse last year, but reportedly passed because the Broadway entrance lacked privacy. Winhaven subsequently added the private entrance, with elevator access to six private apartments, including the penthouse.
The six units are currently being upgraded. The penthouse that Pacino considered isn’t currently on the market — unrenovated, it was listed for $16,000 last year, according to StreetEasy — but two smaller units are asking $15,500 and $25,000. Industry sources speculated the penthouse could go for $35,000 to $40,000.
Town Residential’s Rory Nichols, who represents the building, declined to comment.