Lawmakers and workplace denizens have been rallying in help of Jimmy’s Nook, a widely known Instances Sq. dive bar going through eviction.
Now, an affiliate of the Durst Group has closed on a sale of the positioning and others to Ben-Josef Holdings for $20.1 million, The Actual Deal has discovered.
The customer, Ronen Ben-Josef’s Ben-Josef Holdings, seems to be creating an assemblage on the block. An entity of the corporate bought each 136 West forty fourth Road, a growth web site, and 140 West forty fourth Road, a three-story constructing that’s the web site of the bar, together with growth air rights from 142 West forty fourth Road final month.
Ben-Josef already owns the bottom lease for the next-door parcel, 128-130 West forty fourth Road, which he purchased in 2025. That web site is at present residence to the Chatwal Resort and Lamb’s Membership restaurant. Brokerage BKREA had marketed the websites, with Bob Knakal, Jas Saini and Ryan Candel as brokers. Knakal couldn’t be reached for remark.
The deal factors to Ben-Josef having huge plans for the block. Whether or not or not these plans embody area for a dive bar is unclear.
Jimmy’s Nook is going through an eviction case from Durst, however that go well with was paused after the bar individually sued.
Within the go well with, attorneys for Jimmy’s Nook argued that an entity of Durst misrepresented the contents of a lease extension and that the termination of the lease was racially motivated.
In a December criticism, the plaintiffs stated members of Durst had talked to the bar administration about black males congregating and smoking exterior the institution. In 2023 the corporate allegedly requested administration to start out extra safety measures below risk of eviction. The bar is known as after late proprietor Jimmy Glenn, a black man, and now operated by his son Adam Glenn, in response to information studies.
In court docket paperwork, attorneys for Durst referred to as the discrimination claims “legally unsupportable.”
Neither attorneys for Durst in that case nor for the bar instantly responded to a request for remark. The Durst Group and Ronen Ben-Josef additionally didn’t instantly reply to requests.
The bar’s potential eviction acquired significant attention when it got here to gentle. The institution attracts a various clientele and is understood for serving low-cost drinks in Instances Sq..
Simply weeks in the past, State Sen. Julia Salazar and Meeting member Emily Gallagher rallied in support of the bar, saying the case was emblematic of small companies being pushed out of the town.
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