2222 Broadway

Complicated ownership structure, perhaps, based on a quick browse of deeds, thus no agreement as to what to do with it. Seems to be owned mostly by some people named Zabar.

@Aaron2 - Thanks. Where can you find that information? Zabar...they of the gourmet shop, I guess.

One would think they would be able to to come to some agreement as a family: 'Let's stop bickering and stop loosing money through lost opportunities'. Happy result: a stately old building gets to live a few more years.

Probably the disgruntled branch of the Zabar family from back then.

They probably sold the air rights.

@MTH: New York City ACRIS is your friend for much deed related info (back to a certain point): look up the address, get the lot/parcel number, then search the records.
https://a836-acris.nyc.gov/CP/
2222 B'way is Block 01227, Lot 0013

I think the owners of 2222 and Zabars are the same family members (lot used to be owned by Murray Klein, who was in with the Zabars). Maybe they had an idea that it would be come their main store? Maybe they still do?

@Aaron2 - Thanks! Really interesting. It even gives the assessed value of the property (from back when it was acquired) but not what they declared they paid for it. Those have got to be divergent.

Sometimes people just want to hold on to an asset.