William Zeckendorf facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Zeckendorf
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Zeckendorf in New York, 1952
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William Zeckendorf Sr.
June 30, 1905 Paris, Illinois, U.S.
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| Died | September 30, 1976 (aged 71) New York City, New York, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Real estate developer |
| Known for | Development of Place Ville Marie |
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| Children | with Levy:
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William Zeckendorf Sr. (born June 30, 1905 – died September 30, 1976) was a very important American real estate developer. He helped shape a big part of New York City through his company, Webb and Knapp. He started working there in 1938 and later bought the company in 1949. Famous architects like I. M. Pei and Le Corbusier even designed buildings for his projects.
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Early Life and Beginnings
William Zeckendorf was born into a Jewish family in Paris, Illinois. His father managed a hardware store. When William was three, his family moved to New York City. He went to New York University but left early to work for his uncle's real estate company. Soon after, he joined Webb & Knapp, a smaller company that managed buildings and helped buy and sell property in New York.
Major Projects and Developments
Zeckendorf was known for buying and developing many important properties.
The United Nations Headquarters
One of his most famous deals involved a large piece of land along the East River in New York City. This land was between 42nd and 48th Streets. In 1946, he sold this land for $8.5 million. Later, John D. Rockefeller Jr. donated this same land for the building of the United Nations Headquarters.
Famous Buildings He Owned
Zeckendorf also owned some very famous buildings in New York. These included the well-known Chrysler Building and the historic Hotel Astor in Times Square. In Chicago, he bought the famous Robie House in 1958, which he later gave to the University of Chicago.
Working with Architects
He worked with the famous architect I. M. Pei on two early skyscraper projects. These were the Mile High Center in downtown Denver (now part of Wells Fargo Center) and Place Ville Marie in downtown Montreal.
The Magnificent Mile
Zeckendorf also teamed up with another real estate expert, Arthur Rubloff, in Chicago. Together, they helped develop a section of Michigan Avenue into what Rubloff called the "Magnificent Mile." This area became a very popular place for shopping and businesses.
Theme Park Investments
After the success of Disneyland, Zeckendorf and his company also invested in theme parks. He worked with C.V. Wood, who had helped build Disneyland. Wood then created other theme parks, including one in New York on land Zeckendorf owned.
Freedomland U.S.A.
In New York, C.V. Wood built a theme park called Freedomland U.S.A. on marshland that Zeckendorf had owned since the 1950s. This park was located in The Bronx, a part of New York City. Freedomland U.S.A. was open for only five years, from 1960 to 1964. William Zeckendorf and his son were involved in managing the park.
Later, Zeckendorf explained that the theme park actually helped get permission to build a huge housing project on that marshland. This project became known as Co-op City, which is one of the world's largest co-operative housing communities.
The Century City Project
In 1958, Zeckendorf made a deal with Spyros Skouras, who was the head of 20th Century Fox. Zeckendorf planned to buy a large piece of land from the movie studio in Los Angeles, California. The studio wanted to develop this land into a huge new area called Century City. At the time, 20th Century Fox needed money because some of their movies, like Cleopatra, had not done well at the box office.
The plan was to start building in 1958, but it didn't happen. There were rumors that Zeckendorf would take over the project. He hired public relations experts to help make the project seem more real and exciting.
A Symbolic Start
To show that the project was moving forward, a symbolic "groundbreaking" event was planned. They found a small old building that could be torn down. They invited the mayors of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica, along with other important people and the press. The famous actress Mary Pickford was there to break a bottle of champagne on the old building before it was knocked down by a bulldozer.
This event was very dramatic and successful, even though real construction didn't actually begin right away. It helped convince people that Century City would be built.
Partnership with Alcoa
Zeckendorf still needed a lot of money to build Century City. In 1960, he solved this problem by partnering with a large company called Alcoa. Together, they finally started building Century City. The project was designed to be "a city within a city," with the large, curved Century Plaza Hotel as its main building. This partnership showed how big companies were starting to invest in real estate to create new communities and office buildings.
Financial Challenges
William Zeckendorf was known for his amazing ability to make deals. He could often buy or start projects even if he didn't have all the money upfront. For example, he helped develop Roosevelt Airfield, where Charles Lindbergh began his famous flight across the Atlantic Ocean. He also helped develop Long Island University.
However, over time, his company became too spread out and didn't have enough money to cover all its projects. In 1965, his company faced a huge bankruptcy.
Personal Life
William Zeckendorf was married four times. His first wife was Irma Levy, and they had two children, William Zeckendorf Jr. and Susan Zeckendorf Nicholson. After they divorced, he married Marion Griffin, who passed away in 1968. In 1972, he married Alice Odenheimer Bache, but they later divorced. His last wife was Louise Betterly Malcolm, whom he married in 1975.
