Preeminent Developer Recently Passed
According to a New York Times article, a pioneering developer in the Soho district passed away at the age of 68 last week. Tony Goldman, helped revitalize what had become a down trodden manufacturing neighborhood inhabited by cast iron buildings and diaspora of immigrants from the surrounding enclaves in the late 60's. He saw potential for elevating the charm that lurked behind the run down appearance of buildings no longer occupied as they once were. A hundred years before, the streets of Mulberry, Elizabeth and Lafayette were hot beds of activity for booming industry and socialization. The movie Gangs of New York and recently the TV show Copper portray glimpses of the neighborhood with territorial claims and street riots erupting around the time of New York's gritty becomings. The overflow of immigrant population emerged given the melting pot personality of the nearby neighborhoods like Little Italy, Chinatown and the Bowery,which underwent it's own demise form lack of security and investment. 
The visionary Goldman foresaw the potential for a turn around. He was the wealthy son of adopted parents from the Upper West Side of Manhattan who owned a coat factory where Tony worked in his teenage years. Real Estate captured his interest as did urban revitalization after he graduated from Emerson college in Boston and began working at an Uncle's Real Estate Company in New York. His initial neighborhood development included several projects including the Soho Building that sits in the district's heart at the southeastern corner of Lafayette and Spring St. Today, it serves as the largest mix use building including high end loft and studio apartments atop a stretch of restaurants and bars. The total of building redevelopments he helped commission were eighteen of which artistic trendsetters, affluent professionals and the local proprietors coalesced to elevate the area's character.
Soon the area was attracting not only the emerging artists who found appreciation in the spacious work studios of unused buildings but the club scene quickly took hold. Locations like the Limelight, The Mudd Club, and Bond's all became places to be seen. Adding to the neighborhood's allure the fashioned, trendsetting publication The Soho Daily with photographer Allan Tannenbauem archived much of the excitement during the late 70's and 80's.
Today the chic redoubt is a manifestation of old architecture with fire escapes along the facade of some buildings amidst the high dollar renovations of ornate stucco modernist architecture. The area possess a charm that has called fashionistas and high end furniture designers to set up shop here. Access is easy along the the local 6 subway where emerging from the platform, one is likely to find swarms of people casually perusing the streets on weekends to amble the shops and small eateries.
Additionally, Tony Goldman was influential in carrying Miami South Beach forward. In the mid eighties, upon a trip to a developer's conference, the aesthetics of art Deco Hotel interiors set alongside the ocean surroundings provoked an inspiration that led him to make several purchases that became significant landmarks.
Through the years, he resided predominately South of Houston, "Soho," since 1968 and where he had his own management office named Goldman Properties Group which his daughter will now run. He is also survived by a son, brother, and wife of over thrity years.
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