Azure crane collapse
In testimony today in the manslaughter trial of James Lomma, owner of the crane that collapsed in May 2008 during construction of the Azure, deceased construction worker Donald Leo Jr.’s father took the stand, the New York Daily News reported.
Leo held back tears as he recounted his trip uptown to see his son after he was told about the accident, at 333 East 91st Street, at First Avenue, which killed two people. [more]
Plum Island and Rep. Tim Bishop
The federal government has put the kibosh on a plan to close the recently renovated Plum Island Laboratory on the East End of Long Island and sell off the island to the highest bidder, giving hope to a group of advocates which has fought to keep the facility open for the last year.
The plan halted earlier this month because funding was not made available for a replacement facility in Manhattan, Kan. [more]
Rentenna's new star map
New apartment search site Rentenna.com, which launched in September, has unveiled a New York City star map to rival the ones available on Hollywood Boulevard. The map gives the position on the block, but not the address, for where stars from Jennifer Aniston, to Christopher Walken, to Bill Murray live on the island of Manhattan, EV Grieve reported.
According to Rentenna, Aniston lives in the West Village, Walken on the Upper East Side, and Murray looks to be located at 96th Street on the Upper East Side. [more]
What’s up with LLCs buying in the Hamptons? Midtown building where ad exec was killed in December freak elevator accident fully reopened. Songwriter Toby Gad sells his UWS penthouse for $1.9M. Trump disses David Letterman. And Sagaponack is America’s priciest small town. Read these stories and more after the jump.
From left: Christopher Schlank and Nicholas Bienstock of Savanna, David Von Spreckelsen of Toll Brothers, Drew Anderman of Walker & Dunlop and Shimon Shkury of Ariel Property Advisors
From the February issue: Membership at the industry’s leading trade group, the Real Estate Board of New York, is at an all-time high, but outside of public view there is a constant turnover of its ranks.
This month, The Real Deal did a first-ever analysis of REBNY membership, comparing the Class of 2012 to the Class of 2011 to see who joined — and who dropped out — this year. [more]
Citigroup has been accused by a whistle-blower of violating regulations for home loans sold to government mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, according to Blooomberg News.
Citigroup allegedly “defrauded, falsified information or misled federal government entities” in selling and securing insurance for mortgages which had not been properly appraised, according to the complaint, which was filed in Manhattan federal courts in August by Sherry Hunt, a Citigroup quality-assurance vice president, and unsealed yesterday. [more]
An expected national trend toward smaller homes to avoid spending has not come to fruition despite the economic downturn, the Urban Land Institute reported. And according to recent figures released by the National Association of Home Builders, it’s not likely to happen any time soon. [more]
From left: Landlord James Harmon, Manhattan Sen. Liz Krueger, and Assembly member Linda Rosenthal
The U.S. Supreme Court’s interest in hearing a Manhattan-based civil case could tweak New York City rent-stabilization laws, NY1 reported.
The case of James Harmon, an Upper West Side landlord who owns a five-story townhouse on West 76th Street near Central Park, will challenge the constitutionality of these laws as he sees it: of having him subsidize tenants to live in his own home. Harmon told the New York Daily News in December it’s unfair for him to subsidize his long-time tenants when they can afford to pay market rates. [more]
Esprit's New York flagship on 34th Street
Clothing retailer Esprit is reducing its U.S. presence in order to focus on sales in Asia following reports that it endured heavy losses in the last few years.
The closing of its New York stores however, will allow its landlords to bring in new retail tenants at increased rents, the New York Post reported, including at its 14,000-square-foot store at 600 Fifth Avenue in Rockefeller Center, at 21 West 34th Street and at 583 Broadway in Soho. [more]
Rana Williams
Longtime Trump sales executive Rana Williams finalized her move to Keller Williams NYC this week to launch a new luxury homes division, the brokerage announced today.
Williams established and for 19 years managed Trump Sales and Leasing, the Trump Organization’s residential brokerage division at 108 Central Park South. She brought three Trump agents with her, Haley Rutherford, Meredith Kutner and Ginger Shukrun, who have formed the Rana Williams Group. [more]
