Earlier this year, word came down the pipe that Alan Rosen, the owner of Junior’s, was going to sell the iconic building and move somewhere else for a little while to allow a giant high rise to be constructed in its place. Everyone freaked out and became very sad, but hey, good news everyone: Rosen has reversed course and isn’t selling anymore. Cheescake for everyone (is how we wish he’d celebrate)!
Rosen backed out of a plan to sell his building for $45 million, which is a ton of money to walk away from, and the kind of nostalgia stewardship you wouldn’t expect when faced with a dump truck full of money. Rosen told the New York Times that he couldn’t see a different Junior’s replacing the one that’s been in the family since 1950. “This is Junior’s identity, is this building,” he told the paper.
As for the real estate broker handling what would have been a record-setting property sale? Well, he sounds like he’s gonna land on his feet, since he’s got a couple places in mind that should “probably” sell for more than $500 per square foot. So, everyone wins, but especially the cheescake.