Eichner proposed CitySpire in 1984, acquiring unused air rights above City Center and making improvements to the theater to almost double the tower's area.

[6] By the 21st century, the artistic hub had largely been replaced with Billionaires' Row, a series of luxury skyscrapers around the southern end of Central Park.

[13] The setbacks at the 46th and 62nd floors were designed with parapets of steel and concrete, which were reduced in size as part of a 1988 lawsuit settlement concerning the building's height.

[23] When the dome was constructed, wind created a loud whistling sound when passing through the louvers; this was remedied in 1992 with the removal of alternating panels.

[13][17][18] Because of CitySpire's mixed-use spaces, it contains nine different structural systems, since a unified grid of columns was infeasible for apartment layouts.

[14] While the lower stories are largely composed of grids of columns, there are also sections of rectangular concrete panels, which are staggered across several levels to create a diagonal wind brace.

On top of this, Eichner was allowed to increase the building's floor area ratio by 20 percent in exchange for renovating City Center.

[49] The penthouse also has a classical-columned foyer, a large dining room with a chandelier, a wine closet with space for 1,000 bottles, and a private elevator.

[53] It was also advertised with a media room containing a large-screen TV; a lounge with bar; and a business center with stock quote and telex machines.

[59][61] The proposed air-rights sale received criticism both for its relatively low price[63] and for the fact that it would allow an excessively large building.

[77] He described the tower as a "quintessential New York skyscraper", compared to the "undistinguished" glass-clad office buildings on Madison and Park Avenues.

[29][79] Both Eichner and his lawyer Howard Horenstein donated several thousand dollars to Mayor Ed Koch, who had voted in favor of the tower.

The Buildings Department subsequently received four additional complaints of falling objects, including one instance in which a portion of the facade fell from the roof.

[84] Marketing for the residential units started in March 1987, with TV advertisements that featured celebrities such as Dick Cavett, Carol Channing, Lauren Hutton, Robert Joffrey, Lynn Redgrave, and Tommy Tune.

[46] The advertisements also received complaints for including only white people; the director of the building's marketing team claimed they were just targeting the demographic who was most likely to buy apartments there.

[93] Deutsch called the agreement "reasonable";[25][99] however, community groups thought it would set a precedent for developers who built past their height limits,[25] and some LPC members specifically opposed the design.

City Center sought an injunction to forbid the DOB from issuing CitySpire a certificate of occupancy for the top twenty stories until the renovations were performed.

[102][103] A New York Supreme Court justice declined to issue the injunction,[75][102] and the city allowed Eichner to open the 51st through 63rd floors.

[74] The removal of the dome was temporary pending the approval of a zoning variance through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, which was granted in January 1989.

[90][105] The height agreement received opposition from city comptroller Harrison J. Goldin, who charged that Eichner was violating the law, and from critics who believed the dance studios, at 21 by 60 feet (6.4 by 18.3 m), were too small.

[109][110] Shortly after CitySpire's completion, Eichner was concurrently negotiating construction loans with his lenders,[109][111] which included Citibank and European American Bank.

[14][114][115] Monroe Price opined that "the community should attempt to understand what the building is trying to say",[25][116] while Progressive Architecture said: "In a less restrictive era, we might look forward to developers' plans for 'The Wind Chime Centre' or 'One Kazoo Plaza'.

"[117] At a hearing in February 1991, Judge Gerald Denaro of New York City's Environmental Control Board ordered a study on the noise coming from the dome.

[119] The bankruptcy proceeding absolved Eichner from paying $11 million in unpaid taxes,[121] but the building's residential sales office had to shut down that year.

[126] Euram, a subsidiary of European American Bank's parent ABN AMRO, took over the residential section and renovated 75 vacant units.

The arcade was strewn with litter and blocked off with razor wire and wooden panels, and CitySpire's owners planned to renovate it for use.

[137] The same year, Douglas Elliman marketed the penthouse apartment for $100 million, which would have made it the most expensive residence in New York City had it been sold at that price.

[35] As of 2021[update], CitySpire's commercial occupants include New York Road Runners, Windels Marx, and Brown Shoe Company.

[143] Paul M. Sachner wrote for Architectural Record that the plans "exemplify the 'high-tech historicist' quality" of Murphy/Jahn's work, but he said "many question the appropriateness of a 70-story building" on such a narrow site.

[145] John McPhee of The New Yorker wrote in 2003 that the buildings "look like three chopsticks incongruously holding a cocktail blini", as they surrounded the small Russian Tea Room.