Ivanka Trump expressed some interest in Rat Island, which will be put up for auction at the beginning of October, the Wall Street Journal reported. At the New Yorkers for Children Gala, she said that she had more time for other opportunities now that her first daughter is born. She had not heard of Rat Island, which is off the Bronx’s City Island, until a reporter inquired about it.

“Rat Island sounds really interesting,” she said, when she was asked whether she’d buy it and develop it under the Trump banner. “But there’s not a lot that’s undiscovered in the tri-state area. So when there is, there’s usually a reason why it’s undiscovered.” [more]

A 2.5-acre rocky islet just off City Island in the Bronx named Rat Island will hit the auction block Oct. 2, Rutenberg Realty’s Malcolm Carter reported on his eponymous blog.
The island, which offers views of Long Island Sound and nearby Hart Island, is owned by Red Brennan, a marine contractor who salvaged barges and stored equipment there. Brennan tried unsuccessfully to sell the island in 2009 for $300,000. The property has been on the market for $250,000, he said, and was assessed by the city to be worth $265,000. Bids will be subject to Brennan’s approval.
Brennan acquired the island by foreclosing on a tax lien that he had purchased in 1972, he told Carter, and has no regrets.
“I’ve made a lot of money with it,” he said, referring to the salvage operations. [more]