Destined for a high spot in the dirtbag developer hall of fame, Mendel Brach (aided and abetted by his trusty yes-man, architect Henry Radusky) knows how to manipulate the buildings system in New York like few others. In recent months, though, some of his short-cuts have been coming back to haunt him. Last week the Daily News reported that Brach is being forced to cut back his Finger Building in Williamsburg from 16 to 10 stories; this weekend, the paper followed up on a story that’s been out there for a while about Brach’s Bed Stuy development, The Spencer. Using a loophole that allows developers to build well beyond standard code limitations for educational and religious purposes, Brach built his project to twice the legal height, only to turn around and sell the building as condos on the open market. The DOB caught on too late to protect buyers and is only now approaching a resolution. In the meantime, the new owners have been the ones getting screwed. This guy should go to jail. End of story. Where’s Eliot Spitzer when we really need him?
Condo Nightmare [NY Daily News]
Bottom Line on Developer Abuses [Brownstoner]
The Spencer [Developers Group]