37:
409:, the only other publicist in the small firm, for suggestions. Thorne said he'd call friends in the press to assess their attitudes. Thorne learned that there was deep skepticism that the project would ever be built. 20th did not have the money, which is why they brought in Zeckendorf, but apparently Zeckendorf was unable to deliver even the $ 53-million purchase price, let alone $ 400 million. The California papers had already given a lot of publicity to Century City and, for them, any more coverage would just be re-hash in which they were not interested.
1100:
334:, a borough of New York City. The park lasted just five years (1960–1964) and it was under various layers of management that included Zeckendorf and his son. According to Zeckendorf in a newspaper article that appeared during 1970, the theme park, unknown to the public at the time, served as a "placeholder" for the land to obtain variances that permitted the construction on the marshland of the world's largest co-operative housing project known as
1081:
755:
The brash Bill
Zeckendorf, a New Yorker, somehow managed the feat of erecting Montreal's inspiring Place Ville Marie as a collaboration between a Jew (himself); a tradition-bound Scottish skinflint lead tenant, James Muir, then-CEO of the Royal Bank of Canada; and a fiercely nationalistic Québécois
412:
Thorne reported to
Pomerantz his opinion that the only way to restore credibility to the project was to actually "begin" construction, and Pomerantz went for the plan. Thorne called Herrscher and asked if there was some small building they could demolish with a bulldozer, to begin to "break ground"
323:, who first helped build Disneyland as a Disney employee and then developed theme parks in Colorado, Massachusetts, New York (on Zeckendorf's property) and Texas under his own Marco Engineering company. Zeckendorf and his company enjoyed various connections to the Marco Engineering parks.
483:. From the start of his career Zeckendorf had been able to use his dealmaking skills to acquire or build projects for which he lacked the funds, but in time the under-funding caught up with him, and "his overextended company crashed in a spectacular bankruptcy."
194:, the son of a hardware store manager. His family moved to New York City when he was three years old. He attended New York University but dropped out to work at the real estate company of his uncle, Sam Borchard. He soon left his uncle's firm to work for
458:
to be the centerpiece. This joint-venture marked an increasing interest by large corporations with land "surplus" in order to create housing communities, industrial parks and office buildings; marking the first movement from traditional industry into
934:
386:
However, construction did not start as promised, and rumors, later confirmed, circulated that developer
Zeckendorf would take over the project by purchasing 20th's interest in the project for
454: (equivalent to $ 5,149,606,299 in 2023) project. The new owners embraced the studio's conception of Century City as "a city within a city" with the arc-shaped, 19-story
319:
The real estate tycoon and his company, Webb & Knapp, also were involved in theme park investment following the successful debut of
Disneyland. Zeckendorf came to know
429:
press. He and
Pomerantz would find a star to "launch" the project by breaking a bottle of champagne on the shack prior to its being demolished. Later, they secured
399:
433:
for that task. It was all purely symbolic, since construction did not actually begin, but no one stated that openly, it was dramatic, and very successful.
170:— for which he began working in 1938 and which he purchased in 1949 — he developed a significant portion of the New York City urban landscape. Architects
380:
504:
413:
for the Becket building. Herrscher said there was a tin shack that was expendable and he'd make it available, as well as the bulldozer. McCrary and
1125:
737:
1140:
383:, the studio's director of property development, had been announced the first week of 1958, with construction said to begin in July 1958.
471:
Before his company's bankruptcy in 1965, Zeckendorf became the embodiment of glamorous real-estate dealmaking, which included developing
1135:
1044:
900:
417:, vice-president of Webb & Knapp, also approved. Thorne said that it should be a large affair with the mayors of Los Angeles,
990:
1150:
1145:
1155:
1130:
1085:
585:
510:
On
September 30, 1976, William Zeckendorf died in his residence on 65th Street and Park Avenue after suffering a stroke.
390:. The following March it was announced that construction would begin that month on the new headquarters for architect
535:
802:
833:
394:, chief architect on the project That did not occur either. Zeckendorf hired New York public relations executive
1023:
250:
274:
254:
231:
961:
495:
and Susan
Zeckendorf Nicholson. They later divorced and she remarried to the music critic and historian
398:
to lend new life and visibility to the project. McCrary, in turn contracted with Los
Angeles publicist
370:
297:
206:
Zeckendorf's most notable property acquisition, and potential development of a "dream city" to rival
939:
330:
on marshland that had been owned by
Zeckendorf since the early 1950s. The property was located in
414:
359:
227:
215:
676:
492:
480:
450:
in a joint-venture relationship to finally build
Century City, which by now had escalated to a
145:
20:
711:
373:. The studio had suffered a string of expensive flops, culminating in the box-office disaster
460:
435:
375:
266:
163:
95:
575:
338:. Zeckendorf's ownership of the land and his role in Freedomland are documented in the book
1120:
1115:
446:
per day penalty payments to Fox. In 1960, Zeckendorf solved his problem by partnering with
364:
358:, to purchase Fox's project to develop 176 acres (0.71 km) of its historic backlot in
309:
218:
and 48th Street. In a now celebrated transaction in December 1946, the prominent architect
8:
1028:
455:
426:
491:
Zeckendorf was married four times. His first wife was Irma Levy; they had two children:
1099:
838:
681:
472:
402:, well known in the entertainment industry, to come up with a campaign and execute it.
327:
313:
226:
bought the site from him for $ 8.5 million ($ 133 million in 2023) and Nelson's father
223:
207:
36:
1052:
998:
908:
861:
686:
646:
638:
590:
580:
549:
541:
531:
527:
476:
286:
282:
238:
106:
935:"William Zeckendorf Jr., 1929-2014: Developer, philanthropist left mark on Santa Fe"
379:(1963) and was in dire need of money. The project, conceived under the direction of
628:
355:
301:
219:
521:
557:
305:
278:
195:
191:
64:
500:
496:
351:
293:
167:
1109:
1091:
1056:
1002:
912:
690:
650:
642:
553:
507:. They subsequently divorced and he married Louise Betterly Malcolm in 1975.
430:
418:
406:
391:
258:
187:
83:
834:"U.S. Hotel on Ave. of the Americas, Toots' $ 1½ Mil Will Buy Out His Pards"
1095:
742:
616:
561:
499:. His second wife was Marion Griffin who died in 1968. In 1972, he married
422:
246:
175:
617:"William Zeckendorf, Place Ville-Marie, and the Making of Modern Montreal"
395:
262:
242:
829:
335:
211:
633:
425:, plus politicians and other dignitaries, invited, as well as all the
331:
320:
270:
171:
661:
479:
began his transatlantic flight, and helping to advance and develop
776:
807:
545:
1080:
738:"Paul Reichmann: The genius who reshaped the world's skylines"
442:
Still lacking sufficient money, Zeckendorf was forced to make
439:
devoted almost three full pages to its coverage of the event.
162:(June 30, 1905 – September 30, 1976) was a prominent American
523:
The autobiography of William Zeckendorf, with Edward McCreary
447:
178:
designed structures for Zeckendorf's development projects.
292:
Zeckendorf also partnered with Chicago real estate titan
273:'s early skyscrapers — the Mile High Center (now part of
777:"Zeckendorf: Revisiting the legacy of a master builder"
230:
subsequently donated this land for the building of the
1045:"William Zeckendorf, Real Estate Developer, 71 , Dies"
350:
In December 1958, Zeckendorf entered into a deal with
901:"William Zeckendorf, Real Estate Developer, 71, Dies"
261:
and the Chatham Hotel. He purchased Chicago's famous
19:
For his son, the American real estate developer, see
405:
Pomerantz turned to a young publicist he had hired,
198:, a small New York building manager and brokerage.
519:
668:
520:Zeckendorf, William; McCreary, Edward A. (1970).
1107:
621:Urban History Review / Revue d'histoire urbaine
210:, was a 17-acre (69,000 m) site along the
803:"Legacy: William Zeckendorf: Planner, Dreamer"
265:in 1958, before transferring ownership to the
991:"Mrs. Bache Is Married To William Zeckendorf"
677:"The U.N.: One Among Many Ideas for the Site"
369: (equivalent to $ 4,224,221,453 in 2023)
704:
610:
608:
606:
985:
983:
345:
1098:
1024:"Harold Bache, Stockbroker, is Dead at 73"
770:
768:
766:
764:
340:Freedomland U.S.A.: The Definitive History
312:and subsequently has become a division of
35:
632:
603:
980:
932:
237:Zeckendorf also owned New York's famous
954:
926:
761:
1126:American businesspeople in real estate
1108:
1042:
933:Houghton, Howard (February 12, 2014).
898:
794:
774:
614:
828:
735:
1141:20th-century American businesspeople
800:
675:Gray, Christopher (April 22, 2010).
674:
326:In New York, Wood created and built
899:Sterne, Michael (October 2, 1976).
775:Gregor, Alison (November 4, 2007).
13:
166:. Through his development company
128:Louise Betterly Malcolm, his widow
14:
1167:
1136:Businesspeople from New York City
1073:
997:. December 22, 1972. p. 27.
736:Olive, David (October 26, 2013).
1079:
486:
1036:
1016:
892:
880:
513:
1043:Sterne, Michael (1976-10-02).
868:
854:
822:
729:
16:American real estate developer
1:
596:
586:Roosevelt Field shopping mall
466:
300:into what Rubloff dubbed the
181:
1151:Businesspeople from Illinois
801:Amon, Rhoda (May 26, 1998).
122:Marion Griffin (until death)
41:Zeckendorf in New York, 1952
7:
1146:People from Paris, Illinois
1092:Works by William Zeckendorf
962:"Obituary: Susan Nicholson"
818:– via newspapers.com.
569:
308:was eventually acquired by
232:United Nations Headquarters
10:
1172:
1156:New York University alumni
1131:20th-century American Jews
528:Holt, Rinehart and Winston
526:(1st ed.). New York:
342:(Theme Park Press, 2019).
150:Susan Zeckendorf Nicholson
18:
201:
186:Zeckendorf was born to a
135:
112:
101:
91:
72:
46:
34:
27:
346:Deal with Spyros Skouras
296:to develop a stretch of
415:William Zeckendorf, Jr.
360:Los Angeles, California
228:John D. Rockefeller Jr.
832:(September 17, 1958).
781:The Real Deal New York
501:Alice Odenheimer Bache
493:William Zeckendorf Jr.
481:Long Island University
269:. He developed two of
160:William Zeckendorf Sr.
146:William Zeckendorf Jr.
125:Alice Odenheimer Bache
51:William Zeckendorf Sr.
21:William Zeckendorf Jr.
461:real estate investing
436:The Los Angeles Times
267:University of Chicago
164:real estate developer
96:Real estate developer
1088:at Wikimedia Commons
756:mayor, Jean Drapeau.
615:Nerbas, Don (2015).
400:Charles A. Pomerantz
119:Irma Levy (divorced)
1029:New York Daily News
456:Century Plaza Hotel
427:Southern California
1086:William Zeckendorf
1049:The New York Times
995:The New York Times
968:. October 24, 2014
905:The New York Times
682:The New York Times
473:Roosevelt Airfield
362:, into a proposed
328:Freedomland U.S.A.
314:Berkshire Hathaway
275:Wells Fargo Center
241:and the venerable
224:Nelson Rockefeller
208:Rockefeller Center
76:September 30, 1976
29:William Zeckendorf
1084:Media related to
1032:. March 16, 1968.
887:Los Angeles Times
875:Los Angeles Times
862:Los Angeles Times
634:10.7202/1031287ar
591:Zeckendorf Towers
581:Place Ville Marie
477:Charles Lindbergh
287:downtown Montreal
283:Place Ville Marie
239:Chrysler Building
157:
156:
107:Place Ville Marie
1163:
1102:
1083:
1067:
1066:
1064:
1063:
1040:
1034:
1033:
1020:
1014:
1013:
1011:
1009:
987:
978:
977:
975:
973:
958:
952:
951:
949:
947:
930:
924:
923:
921:
919:
896:
890:
884:
878:
872:
866:
858:
852:
851:
849:
847:
826:
820:
819:
817:
815:
798:
792:
791:
789:
787:
772:
759:
758:
752:
750:
733:
727:
726:
724:
722:
712:"UN Secretariat"
708:
702:
701:
699:
697:
672:
666:
665:
659:
657:
636:
612:
565:
453:
445:
389:
381:Edmund Herrscher
368:
356:20th Century-Fox
302:Magnificent Mile
220:Wallace Harrison
196:Webb & Knapp
79:
60:
58:
39:
25:
24:
1171:
1170:
1166:
1165:
1164:
1162:
1161:
1160:
1106:
1105:
1076:
1071:
1070:
1061:
1059:
1041:
1037:
1022:
1021:
1017:
1007:
1005:
989:
988:
981:
971:
969:
960:
959:
955:
945:
943:
940:The New Mexican
931:
927:
917:
915:
897:
893:
885:
881:
873:
869:
859:
855:
845:
843:
827:
823:
813:
811:
799:
795:
785:
783:
773:
762:
748:
746:
734:
730:
720:
718:
710:
709:
705:
695:
693:
673:
669:
655:
653:
613:
604:
599:
572:
538:
516:
505:Harold L. Bache
489:
469:
452:US$ 500,000,000
451:
443:
387:
363:
348:
306:Rubloff Company
298:Michigan Avenue
279:downtown Denver
259:Hotel Manhattan
251:Commodore Hotel
249:as well as the
204:
192:Paris, Illinois
184:
153:
131:
105:Development of
87:
81:
77:
68:
65:Paris, Illinois
62:
56:
54:
53:
52:
42:
30:
23:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1169:
1159:
1158:
1153:
1148:
1143:
1138:
1133:
1128:
1123:
1118:
1104:
1103:
1089:
1075:
1074:External links
1072:
1069:
1068:
1035:
1015:
979:
953:
925:
891:
879:
867:
853:
821:
793:
760:
728:
716:SkyScraper.org
703:
667:
601:
600:
598:
595:
594:
593:
588:
583:
578:
576:L'Enfant Plaza
571:
568:
567:
566:
536:
515:
512:
497:Irving Kolodin
488:
485:
468:
465:
388:US$ 53 million
352:Spyros Skouras
347:
344:
294:Arthur Rubloff
203:
200:
183:
180:
168:Webb and Knapp
155:
154:
152:
151:
148:
142:
137:
133:
132:
130:
129:
126:
123:
120:
116:
114:
110:
109:
103:
102:Known for
99:
98:
93:
89:
88:
82:
80:(aged 71)
74:
70:
69:
63:
50:
48:
44:
43:
40:
32:
31:
28:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1168:
1157:
1154:
1152:
1149:
1147:
1144:
1142:
1139:
1137:
1134:
1132:
1129:
1127:
1124:
1122:
1119:
1117:
1114:
1113:
1111:
1101:
1097:
1093:
1090:
1087:
1082:
1078:
1077:
1058:
1054:
1050:
1046:
1039:
1031:
1030:
1025:
1019:
1004:
1000:
996:
992:
986:
984:
967:
963:
957:
942:
941:
936:
929:
914:
910:
906:
902:
895:
888:
883:
876:
871:
864:
863:
857:
841:
840:
835:
831:
825:
810:
809:
804:
797:
782:
778:
771:
769:
767:
765:
757:
745:
744:
739:
732:
717:
713:
707:
692:
688:
684:
683:
678:
671:
663:
652:
648:
644:
640:
635:
630:
626:
622:
618:
611:
609:
607:
602:
592:
589:
587:
584:
582:
579:
577:
574:
573:
563:
559:
555:
551:
547:
543:
539:
537:0-030-84494-0
533:
529:
525:
524:
518:
517:
511:
508:
506:
502:
498:
494:
487:Personal life
484:
482:
478:
474:
464:
462:
457:
449:
440:
438:
437:
432:
431:Mary Pickford
428:
424:
420:
419:Beverly Hills
416:
410:
408:
407:Worley Thorne
403:
401:
397:
393:
392:Welton Becket
384:
382:
378:
377:
372:
366:
361:
357:
353:
343:
341:
337:
333:
329:
324:
322:
317:
315:
311:
307:
303:
299:
295:
290:
288:
284:
280:
276:
272:
268:
264:
260:
256:
252:
248:
244:
240:
235:
233:
229:
225:
221:
217:
213:
209:
199:
197:
193:
189:
179:
177:
173:
169:
165:
161:
149:
147:
144:
143:
141:
138:
134:
127:
124:
121:
118:
117:
115:
111:
108:
104:
100:
97:
94:
90:
85:
84:New York City
75:
71:
66:
61:June 30, 1905
49:
45:
38:
33:
26:
22:
1096:Open Library
1060:. Retrieved
1048:
1038:
1027:
1018:
1008:December 11,
1006:. Retrieved
994:
972:December 11,
970:. Retrieved
965:
956:
946:December 11,
944:. Retrieved
938:
928:
916:. Retrieved
904:
894:
889:May 26, 1959
886:
882:
874:
870:
865:Jan. 8, 1958
860:
856:
844:. Retrieved
837:
824:
812:. Retrieved
806:
796:
786:December 11,
784:. Retrieved
780:
754:
749:December 11,
747:. Retrieved
743:Toronto Star
741:
731:
721:December 11,
719:. Retrieved
715:
706:
696:December 11,
694:. Retrieved
680:
670:
660:– via
656:December 11,
654:. Retrieved
624:
620:
522:
514:Bibliography
509:
490:
470:
441:
434:
423:Santa Monica
411:
404:
385:
374:
371:Century City
349:
339:
325:
318:
291:
247:Times Square
236:
205:
185:
176:Le Corbusier
159:
158:
139:
78:(1976-09-30)
1121:1976 deaths
1116:1905 births
877:Mar 5, 1959
842:. p. 1
830:Green, Abel
627:(2): 5–25.
503:, widow of
396:Tex McCrary
367:400,000,000
263:Robie House
255:Drake Hotel
243:Hotel Astor
216:42nd Street
1110:Categories
1062:2021-09-16
966:Legacy.com
597:References
467:Bankruptcy
354:, head of
336:Co-op City
310:Prudential
212:East River
190:family in
182:Early life
140:with Levy:
92:Occupation
57:1905-06-30
1057:0362-4331
1003:0362-4331
913:0362-4331
691:0362-4331
651:962766032
643:1918-5138
554:749022917
444:US$ 1,000
376:Cleopatra
332:The Bronx
321:C.V. Wood
271:I. M. Pei
172:I. M. Pei
570:See also
562:5697773M
546:70103560
475:, where
214:between
136:Children
918:May 22,
846:May 25,
839:Variety
808:Newsday
113:Spouses
1055:
1001:
911:
814:May 6,
689:
662:Érudit
649:
641:
560:
552:
544:
534:
421:, and
304:. The
281:, and
253:, the
202:Career
188:Jewish
86:, U.S.
67:, U.S.
448:Alcoa
277:) in
1053:ISSN
1010:2019
999:ISSN
974:2019
948:2019
920:2018
909:ISSN
848:2023
816:2023
788:2019
751:2019
723:2019
698:2019
687:ISSN
658:2019
647:OCLC
639:ISSN
550:OCLC
542:LCCN
532:ISBN
365:US$
222:and
174:and
73:Died
47:Born
1094:at
629:doi
285:in
245:in
1112::
1051:.
1047:.
1026:.
993:.
982:^
964:.
937:.
907:.
903:.
836:.
805:.
779:.
763:^
753:.
740:.
714:.
685:.
679:.
645:.
637:.
625:43
623:.
619:.
605:^
558:OL
556:.
548:.
540:.
530:.
463:.
316:.
289:.
257:,
234:.
1065:.
1012:.
976:.
950:.
922:.
850:.
790:.
725:.
700:.
664:.
631::
564:.
59:)
55:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
