It’s an attack on the Big Mac.
Residents of the most expensive condo in Harlem are turning their noses up at a planned McDonald’s in their midst.
Aghast at the potential grease stench, rodents, loitering and trash, not to mention plummeting property values, some say they would rather chip in and rent or buy the ground-floor space themselves than have the golden arches move in.
“There’s a stigma to . . . a luxury building having McDonald’s as a retail tenant,” said Gary Davis, condo board president at 111 Central Park North. He said residents were weighing whether to pony up for the property and turn it into storage space.
Davis said that in addition to a potential hit on home values, wafting odors were a major issue, especially since the apartments have terraces, a major selling point given the sweeping park views.
“There would be a concern that every time you’re out there, you would be kind of overwhelmed by a McDonald’s smell or any fried food,” Davis said.
Paul Ingram, who moved in last year, said the presence of McDonald’s in the gleaming glass tower would have made purchasing a condo there much less desirable.
“It’s a terribly expensive building to live in,” Ingram said.
The building opened in 2007 with the expectation it would help transform the northern edge of Central Park into a hot neighborhood.
One of the duplex penthouses sold last year for $8 million, a record for Harlem. Another four-bedroom penthouse, which sold for $4.9 million in 2007, is on the market for $6.4 million with monthly common charges of $3,466. A two-bedroom apartment is currently listed for rent for $5,400 a month.
The 19-story building has concierge service, a fitness center, party room and a private garage with parking spaces available for sale to residents.
The ground-floor commercial space has been unoccupied since the building opened.
Tom Shapiro, who owns the space, confirmed that he was in talks with McDonald’s and other fast-food outlets he would not name.
He said he wanted to respect the residents’ concerns and envisioned a more upscale version of McDonald’s similar to one in a Philippe Starck-designed condo on 23rd Street. That outlet has padded banquette seating, fancy light fixtures and a flat screen TV.
McDonald’s said it had not made a final decision on the site.
The McDonald’s would occupy space on the side of 111 Central Park North and not in the park-facing front, where Shapiro said he wants to bring in an upscale restaurant.