Sunday, December 22, 2019

A Long Island City homeowner persisted...


Brownstonehttps://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/benito-barba.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=915

NY Post

They made him many offers he could only refuse.

A Long Island City man rebuffed what could have been a multi-million dollar payout for his home, and now a 45-story condo tower will be built surrounding his property.

Benito Barba’s brick rowhouse with its red trim will be all that’s left on a stretch of 23rd Street next to the elevated 7 subway tracks and a block from the Citigroup tower.

Tavros Capital snatched up seven similar surrounding homes on 23rd Street and on 45th Avenue for prices that ranged from $3.75 million to $6.8 million. Demolition permits were recently filed with the city.

But Barba didn’t budge. He didn’t even want to entertain the offers for his valuable corner property, which is more than 100 years old. The home still has Ely Avenue — the original name for 23rd Street — etched in stone on its front facade.

“This house is very precious to him,” explained his grandson, Omar Aboelneil, 24, who lives with Barba.

He said his 86-year-old grandfather was a retired baker who bought the house with a cousin decades ago.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I admire his principled stance but this is a dumb move that he and his family will come to regret

Anonymous said...

You hit the nail on it's head.

Anonymous said...

You must be a real estate broker. Who are you to say what’s good for him?

Anonymous said...

No pictures of his home? Its like the lady who refused to sell for the now Target mall on queens blvd.

Anonymous said...

no worries, de Blasio will send someone to vandalize his house..

Anonymous said...

its a shame that his photo was taken against his will.

Anonymous said...

sentimental moron, take the money, its over Johnny, ITS OVER!

Anonymous said...

The target homeowner was offered 2 million and eventually sold for $200,000.

Anonymous said...

"sentimental moron, take the money, its over Johnny, ITS OVER!"
Blockhead you do what you do and he the "Home Owner" will do what he wants !

Anonymous said...

Good for him I guess. Enjoy your construction noise.

rikki said...

Let him lay out in the sun nude everyday, and they will quickly double the price they offered.

Anonymous said...

Good for him to sticking to his guns. Some people do have sentimental feelings towards the houses that THEY worked hard to get. I admire him for this. I know alot of crap might happen to his house with all the construction going on around him but atleast he has balls unlike alot of others who just want to sell out then complain about the changes.

Anonymous said...

there are no fools like old fools....queens is a dump!

Anonymous said...

I would see the damned thing and move to another state.