Rivington House Co-Owner Buys More Lower East Side Buildings

LOWER EAST SIDE, NY — The co-owner of Rivington House has purchased additional Lower East Side properties, according to city property records.

The buyer in the controversial deal that saw a nonprofit nursing home sold to luxury developers has added buildings at 151 and 153 Ludlow St. to its portfolio, neighborhood blog Bowery Boogie was first to report. Slate Property Group bought the Ludlow Street buildings while its work at 45 Rivington St. remains stalled amid the various inquiries into the opaque deal. (Want more local news? Subscribe here for free breaking news alerts, features, neighborhood updates and more from Patch.)

Last year, Rivington House, a protected nursing home on the Lower East Side, transferred hands multiple times, eventually purchased by Slate Property Group and two other luxury developers for $116 million. The land, which had previously been reserved for nonprofit residential use, was able to transfer hands thanks to a city agency that quietly approved a deed change on the property. Allure Group, the for-profit nursing home company that previously owned the property at 42 Rivington St., paid $16 million to get the land's deed restriction lifted, after which they flipped the real estate and sold it to developers for $116 million. The incident sparked outrage among community activists, who complained that the loss of housing for seniors in the neighborhood would accelerate gentrification in the already rapidly-changing neighborhood. The deal is under review by the state attorney general.

Now, the Slate group is expanding its reach on the Lower East Side. As reported by Bowery Boogie and confirmed by city property records, the group purchased both buildings in June for a combined $15.5 million. The property records show the apartment buildings were purchased by 151 Ludlow Owner LLC and 153 Ludlow Owner LLC, both or which have the Slate Property Group listed as the mailing address on property records and in a state database of LLCs.

Slate Property Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Patch.

Lead image courtesy of Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr.