The city and local community board believe the site is more suited to unsubsidized market-rate apartments.

Plans call for 500 market-rate apartments, 170,000 square feet of retail space and a 900-space parking deck.

Monthly rents for the market-rate apartments have not been set.

Monthly rents are to be $1,500 to $4,000 for the market-rate apartments.

Rents for market-rate apartments during the same period dropped 10.4 percent.

Also under the new plan, there would be a limit on the total tax benefit any market-rate apartment could receive, regardless of its value.

The Riviera's market-rate apartments are intended for professionals who work in the city.

Certificates sales are currently said to be averaging about $18,000 per market-rate apartment.

Above the museum would be an 8- to 10-story residential structure, not dormitory space for the college but market-rate apartments.

To a visitor, it is hard to tell the difference between her apartment and the $150,000 market-rate apartments across the hall.