Longevity Efforts Become Newest Amenity for the Rich

“The newest luxury condominium amenity for wealthy New Yorkers isn't a rooftop pool, private dining room or celebrity-chef restaurant. It is a whole-body MRI.

 

One High Line, the mixed-use development that emerged from one of New York real estate's biggest blowups, has leased its five-story commercial space to Atria Health and Research Institute, a high-end longevity company.

 

Atria offers advanced diagnostics -- including MRIs, genetic screening and advanced heart imaging -- to members paying roughly $20,000 to $75,000 a year.

 

The institute won't have to look far for customers. With sweeping Hudson River views, One High Line has sold most of its 236 condominiums for prices in the $3 million to $50 million range. Its two towers, which opened in 2023, are anchored by a Faena luxury hotel and include a pool, spa, restaurant and other luxury hospitality services.

 

One High Line's developers -- Witkoff Group and billionaire Len Blavatnik -- see the clinic as another high-end feature they can sell to the well-heeled as part of a broader luxury ecosystem. "It could have been someone's office space," said Jonah Sonnenborn, head of Access Real Estate, part of Blavatnik's empire. "But then it obviously is not going to offer a great amenity for all the people staying in the hotel or the residences."

 

The deal reflects the latest turn in luxury amenities: Developers are increasingly chasing affluent consumers by offering them longer lives through medical technology.

 

Atria opened its first clinic in 2022 at 432 Park Ave., one of the first condominiums on Manhattan's Billionaires' Row.

 

The company has since opened or announced facilities in Palm Beach, Fla.; Beverly Hills, Calif.; Miami's Design District; and Menlo Park, Calif. "You have enough restaurants and coffee shops in New York," said Alan Tisch, Atria's chief executive and co-founder. "Having a leading health, wellness and longevity center really is a unique differentiator today."

 

The wealthy, of course, have always spent heavily to stay healthy. The elite used to travel to "take the waters" at European resorts. More recently, they have extended their lives through spas, trainers and "concierge" doctors, who offer rich patients more time and access.

 

What is changing is the rise of a technology-heavy longevity industry that combines diagnostics, interventions and continuous tracking into a new kind of premium health business.

 

There are roughly 350 longevity clinics worldwide that package whole-body scans, genetic testing, biomarker monitoring and personalized medicine, according to Philip Newman, founder of Longevity.Technology, a research and media company.

 

Fewer than 20 of these have been combined with residential projects. But the model is spreading across multiple sectors, including gyms, private medical groups, telehealth companies and luxury real-estate projects.

 

"There is obviously money to be made in helping to keep people healthy and have longer lives," Newman said.

 

The longevity theme carries a certain irony at One High Line itself. An earlier project didn't survive. The current development emerged only after new owners stepped in to remake a stalled and financially troubled venture.

 

The group whose project failed -- led by HFZ Capital Group -- purchased the site in 2015 for a startling $870 million, one of the highest amounts ever paid for a Manhattan parcel. Rising costs, delays, turmoil within HFZ and funding shortfalls pushed the development into distress. By 2021 the project had flatlined.

 

In late 2021, the Witkoff and Blavatnik group became the project's new owners through a negotiated agreement with HFZ involving the purchase of project debt and foreclosure proceedings. The takeover came at an uneasy time. New York was still emerging from the pandemic, wealthy residents had fled and few developers wanted to gamble on a half-built luxury condominium project.

 

But the new owners saw value. They were acquiring a rare full-block site beside the High Line park, nearly completed towers and little competing luxury supply in the pipeline.

 

The group paid $900 million -- about one-third of the prior owner's investment -- while taking over a development that was already nearing completion. That gave the new owners flexibility on pricing and a cushion against market swings.

 

"The upside was much, much higher than any downside of the project," said Alex Witkoff, CEO of Witkoff Group and son of founder Steve Witkoff, who is now an adviser to President Trump.

 

The owners are betting that new amenities will help keep wealthy buyers interested. Atria is scheduled to open its 52,000-square-foot facility connecting the two towers in the fall of 2027 with MRI and imaging suites, movement studios, patient rooms and a "longevity cafe" offering healthy food, teas and juices overlooking the Hudson.

 

"To layer in longevity creates the perfect mix," said Tisch.” [1]

 

1. Longevity Efforts Become Newest Amenity for the Rich. Grant, Peter.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 03 June 2026: B6.