From Our Archives: Trump, Sapir on Trump SoHo

The Observer sat down with both Donald Trump and Alex Sapir last year. The two are partners in the Trump SoHo, the new condo-hotel at 246 Spring Street where a construction worker this afternoon died in an apparent accident.

Here's Mr. Sapir on the Trump SoHo:

Now, Trump SoHo. Some people say it’s a condo in the guise of a condo-hotel. In other words, the people who will buy there will live there year-round—

No. Incorrect.

Why do people assume that, though?

I think that people like to make their comments, for whatever reason. I think some people don’t like the idea of a 45-story building anywhere in the world. I think it’s great for SoHo; I think it’s great for the neighborhood. It’s a hotel. … I mean, you’ve stayed in a hotel and you’ve lived in an apartment. Do you live in an apartment?

Yes.

So, you’ve lived in an apartment and you’ve stayed in a hotel room. Would you live in a hotel room? Not by choice, right? So, we’re building hotel rooms, and I don’t know why people think people would want to live there year-round.

Here's Mr. Trump on the Trump SoHo:

Trump SoHo is a family project, but you guys aren’t technically the developers, right?

Mr. Trump: Well, we are partners in the development with Tom Sapir and Alex Sapir. … We have a building that will probably be the last of its kind built in its area. I think that zoning is probably going to be changed down there so that people won’t be able to go up high.

Does it bother you when community activists say, ‘Listen, this is just simply too high’?

I’ve seen very little opposition to this building, I have to tell you. I mean there’s a small little fringe group that has fought it, and I read yesterday in Newsday, a letter was sent. Why wouldn’t they have fought it before they’re on the seventh floor? They started fighting, we were already up to the seventh floor. And the reason they did that, they just want to get publicity for themselves.

You think that there will be zoning changes, so this will be the one tall building in the neighborhood. Will that be awkward?

No, that’ll be a huge asset. That’s not a liability. That’s called …

Donald “Don” Trump Jr.: Perfect.