New Empire snaps up controversial church’s Midtown HQ for likely resi project

Bentley Zhao is eyeing a property owned by a controversial church for a project he likely hopes will be less controversial. New Empire is in contract to purchase the property at 4 West 43rd Street in Midtown Manhattan for $51 million, Crain’s reported. The deal is not yet finalized and requires approval from either a judge or the attorney general because the seller, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, is a religious nonprofit. The deal for the seven-story, 73,000-square-foot office and events property breaks down to about $699 per square foot. The contract was disclosed in filings with […] This article originally appeared on The Real Deal. Click here to read the full story.