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Florida Highrise Has 32 Stories, But Just One Tenant
FORT MYERS, Fla. – In 2005, during the height of the real estate boom
Victor Vangelakos of Weehawken, N.J paid $435,000 for his Florida
dream home. The Vangelakos' southwest Florida condominium has marble
floors, a large pool overlooking a river and modern furnishings that
speak of affluence and luxury. What they don't have in the 32-story,
200 unit building, is a single neighbor.
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A large, circular fountain in front of the building is dry. The
automatic glass doors that lead to the front lobby are locked. On the
front desk is a guest sign-in sheet. The last entry: Feb. 13, 2009.
"It's like time froze here six months ago," Victor said.
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The Only Tenant
"Being from the city, it's very eerie," Vangelakos said. "It's almost
like a scary movie."
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The Penthouse
The building's lawyer, Edith
McCoy, said some of the interested buyers who put down deposits lost
their jobs, others were unable to get mortgages and some were just
nervous when the financial collapse came.
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Who Owns The Building?
'The Related Group' is a Florida real estate corporation. Matthew
Jacob Allen is the Chief Officer.
3 The corporation was
started in 1979, and it appears to be a South American Jewish
consortium.
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