The model unit's dining room.

It does not number among the most gracious edifices that line Park Avenue, but now that its conversion to luxury condos is almost complete 530 Park Avenue is trying to command the same lofty prices as its more elegant neighbors.

A three-bedroom, four-bath duplex, No. 15B, has made its market debut asking $9.85 million. (A four-bedroom on a lower floor was listed for the same price in late October.) From the listing description—all baths are marble, there's a library, a formal dining room and Park Avenue views—it seems to be doing a pretty good job of aping its more elite neighbors. Although the building's new deep-pocketed residents will have to share their common space with the remaining renters protected by rent-stabilization laws.

Prestigious, but it's no 740 Park.

As of this summer, 36 renter-occupied units remained in the 116-unit building. Bianca Jagger, who recently lost her years-long battle to retain her rent controlled unit (and was ordered to pay $708, 600 in back rent and legal fees), is no longer among them. On the bright side, buyers need's placate a fussy co-op board in order to enjoy herringbone wood floors or the building's billiard table-endowed library.

No. 15B has 2,700 square feet loaded with fancy gadgets and finishes: a Subzero refrigerator, Bertazzoni oven, Wolf microwave and oven, Bosch dishwasher, Italian porcelain, crema marfil walls and "views onto Park Avenue from every window" which sounds alluring at first, but probably means that there is only one exposure. We have yet to hear back from the building's sales director Kuyomi Yamada.

We expect more units to hit the market in the coming days; according to the building's website the cheapest unit is an alcove studio just over 600 square feet that is trying to get $1.6 million and the most expensive is a sprawling spread on the third floor (it looks to be the building's largest at 3,405 square-feet) asking $11.7 million. No units are yet in contract, according to Streeteasy.com. White brick is not as looked down upon as it once was, or at least, it has good company if, as Paul Goldberger says, glass is the new white brick. Nearby Manhattan House is also counting on the construction material's renaissance.

kvelsey@observer.com