Duke 5th Ave. manse goes on block
By JENNIFER GOULD KEIL and LUKAS I. ALPERT Last Updated: 6:43 AM, January 11, 2010
Posted: 2:06 AM, January 9, 2010
The real estate bubble hasn't burst for everyone.<p> </p><br> A palatial and historic Fifth Avenue townhouse that was sold to a Russian oil tycoon by the family of Doris Duke four years ago for $40 million is back on the market -- this time with an asking price of $50 million!<p> </p><br> The eight-level Beaux-Arts-style Duke-Semans mansion commands the corner of Fifth Avenue and 82nd Street.<p> </p><br> The stunning home was built in 1901 by Duke's ancestors, and had remained in the tobacco-growing family's hands until 2006, when it was snatched up by billionaire Tamir Sapir for $40 million -- which was $10 million less than the original asking price.<p> </p><br> At the time, it was a spectacular jewel in Sapir's decades-long climb from being a cab driver to one of the world's 500 richest men.<p> </p><br> Topping it off, Sapir, 62, said he didn't plan to move into the house, but instead intended to use it as a museum for his unusual collection of ivory carvings and other works of art.<p> </p><br> But that never materialized, and the house remained vacant for four years.<p> </p><br> The building would be a steal for anyone with the cash, as it is one of the only three private residences that exist along the hallowed avenue -- and the only one to hit the market in years.<p> </p><br> The property is currently split into a penthouse duplex apartment on top of a five-story spread and doctor's office in the basement. It features 12 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms, and has 11 wood-burning fireplaces.<p> </p><br> On the upper floors, it has views in all four directions, with rooms bathed in sunlight. There are three separate entranceways, with a Gothic-themed marquee overlooking the main door.<p> </p><br> Sapir did not return a call for comment. The listing broker -- Paula Del Nunzio of Brown Harris Stevens -- could not be reached for comment.<p> </p><br> Sapir's vast fortune has been battered in the current economic downswing. He was once among the world's 500 richest people, according to Forbes magazine, but slipped to 785th in the past year, when his fortune dwindled to $1.5 billion.<p> </p><br> The Georgian-born tycoon began his climb to extravagant wealth when he moved to the United States in the 1970s and, after a stint as a cab driver, went into business exporting electronics to the Soviet Union. When the Communist empire collapsed, Sapir greatly expanded his riches in the oil industry.<p> </p><br> He then turned his hand toward Big Apple real estate, buying office towers around town.<p> </p><br> Earlier this year, Sapir's company pleaded guilty to illegally bringing ivory carvings and the pelts of endangered species into the United States aboard a yacht he owns.<p> </p><br> $50 million house’s palatial history:<p> </p><br>* Sold in 2006 to Tamir Sapir for $40 million<p> </p><br>* Built by the family of Doris Duke in 1901<p> </p><br>* The eight-level, 19,500- square-foot Beaux-Arts home overlooks Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street<p> </p><br>* Made a landmark in 1974<p> </p><br>* Features 12 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms<p> </p><br> The real estate bubble hasn't burst for everyone.
A palatial and historic Fifth Avenue townhouse that was sold to a Russian oil tycoon by the family of Doris Duke four years ago for $40 million is back on the market -- this time with an asking price of $50 million!
The eight-level Beaux-Arts-style Duke-Semans mansion commands the corner of Fifth Avenue and 82nd Street.
The stunning home was built in 1901 by Duke's ancestors, and had remained in the tobacco-growing family's hands until 2006, when it was snatched up by billionaire Tamir Sapir for $40 million -- which was $10 million less than the original asking price.
Robert miller
At the time, it was a spectacular jewel in Sapir's decades-long climb from being a cab driver to one of the world's 500 richest men.
Topping it off, Sapir, 62, said he didn't plan to move into the house, but instead intended to use it as a museum for his unusual collection of ivory carvings and other works of art.
But that never materialized, and the house remained vacant for four years.
The building would be a steal for anyone with the cash, as it is one of the only three private residences that exist along the hallowed avenue -- and the only one to hit the market in years.
The property is currently split into a penthouse duplex apartment on top of a five-story spread and doctor's office in the basement. It features 12 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms, and has 11 wood-burning fireplaces.
On the upper floors, it has views in all four directions, with rooms bathed in sunlight. There are three separate entranceways, with a Gothic-themed marquee overlooking the main door.
Sapir did not return a call for comment. The listing broker -- Paula Del Nunzio of Brown Harris Stevens -- could not be reached for comment.
Sapir's vast fortune has been battered in the current economic downswing. He was once among the world's 500 richest people, according to Forbes magazine, but slipped to 785th in the past year, when his fortune dwindled to $1.5 billion.
The Georgian-born tycoon began his climb to extravagant wealth when he moved to the United States in the 1970s and, after a stint as a cab driver, went into business exporting electronics to the Soviet Union. When the Communist empire collapsed, Sapir greatly expanded his riches in the oil industry.
He then turned his hand toward Big Apple real estate, buying office towers around town.
Earlier this year, Sapir's company pleaded guilty to illegally bringing ivory carvings and the pelts of endangered species into the United States aboard a yacht he owns.
$50 million house’s palatial history:
* Sold in 2006 to Tamir Sapir for $40 million
* Built by the family of Doris Duke in 1901
* The eight-level, 19,500- square-foot Beaux-Arts home overlooks Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street
* Made a landmark in 1974
* Features 12 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/m...#ixzz0cJDWRzs2
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