A Gramercy Park building as well known for its architectural grandeur as for its role in the downfall of fraudster Anna Delvey is losing its sole tenant and will hit the market next week, Crain’s has learned.
Built in 1894 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, 281 Park Ave. South has been home to contemporary Swedish photography museum Fotografiska since 2017.
Manhattan-based real estate investment company RFR Holding purchased the property for $50 million in 2014 from the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, city records show, and reportedly signed a 15-year lease with the Stockholm-based museum to occupy all 45,000 square feet of space there three years later. Instead of staying until 2032, the museum will leave the landmark in September with plans to move elsewhere, according to an unemployment filing made public Thursday. The details of its new location are not yet known.
A representative from RFR, who declined to provide a name, said the building will be marketed either for lease or sale. They also declined to provide a listing price or precise day next week it will hit the market.
In 2022, however, the structure, which sits at the corner of Park Avenue South and East 22nd Street, was listed for sale at $135 million — just about six months after the Netflix series “Inventing Anna,” which chronicled Delvey’s trajectory from self-proclaimed heiress looking to create a private club at the building to convicted felon, first aired.
Brokers Tal and Oren Alexander of the Alexander Team had listed the building at the time, but it never sold. The Alexanders did not respond to a request for comment, and a representative for RFR, whose co-principals and co-founders are Aby Rosen and Michael Fuchs, said the firm will be selecting a new agent in the coming days.
As for Fotografiska, which also operates the upscale restaurant Verōnika and the exclusive lounge Chapel Bar in the building, spokeswoman Claudia Hensley said the museum’s last day at 281 Park Ave. South will be Sept. 29, but the bar and restaurant are expected to shutter next month.
Julianne Cuba , 2024-05-24 21:37:07
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