Soccer legends Paolo Maldini and Christian Vieri score big in Tribeca

Italian athletes, in partnership with local developer, sell hotel site for $13.2M

From left: Paolo Maldini, rendering of 219 Hudson Street and Christian Vieri
From left: Paolo Maldini, rendering of 219 Hudson Street and Christian Vieri

For years, Paolo Maldini, sporting the red of A.C. Milan, and Christian Vieri, donning royal blue for Inter Milan, battled each other at the San Siro. The two were stars of one of global soccer’s most intense rivalries.

But they suited up together for the Italian national team, and went on to become good friends and business partners. They even forayed into New York real estate, and have just pulled off a sizable deal in Tribeca. 

The duo, in partnership with developer Rafi Gibly, just sold a hotel development site to Brooklyn-based developer Joel Braver for $13.2 million, property records filed with the city Tuesday show. The site at 219 Hudson Street, which the partners paid just $2.5 million for in 2013, is located on the corner of Hudson and Canal streets in Tribeca.

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Plans surfaced in August 2014 for the 56-key hotel, which was dubbed Hudson Square Hotel. However, those permit filings were later disapproved by the Department of Buildings and no revised plans have been filed.

Braver is also the developer behind a Karl-Fischer designed mixed-use building at 46 Cook Street in Williamsburg. The Brooklyn property will span 60,109 square feet and include 45 apartments, according to the June permit applications.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly described the location of the property.