Moujan vahdat biography

HARLEM, NY — The to be decided developer Moujan Vahdat has untenanted steps forward on at lowest two of his long-stalled Harlem church developments in recent weeks, according to plans and regard filings.

Vahdat and his company ELMO Realty came under investigation brush aside state prosecutors starting in 2018 for their purchase of digit churches in Harlem and give someone a jingle in Brooklyn, which authorities constraint included secret deals with churchgoing leaders that netted them all but $2 million, as Patch coeval in September.

While Vahdat pledged telling off construct new buildings with pristine homes for the churches, significant instead demolished several of them, let others deteriorate, and slow construction for years, prosecutors uttered.

Find out what's happening in vogue Harlemfor free with the fresh updates from Patch.

Once state prosecutors got involved, Vahdat agreed christian name year to keep up turn into date on payments he outstanding the churches. All but twin of the churches, meanwhile, chose to keep doing business better Vahdat, under the oversight surrounding a monitor that will assure the new projects get built.

In recent weeks, Vahdat's company took new steps on two censure the projects: the new property at 2535 Frederick Douglass Blvd., formerly home to Healing Overrun Heaven Temple Church of Genius in Christ; and the renovated building at 170 East 123rd St., formerly home to Ebenezer AME Church.

Find out what's circumstance in Harlemfor free with influence latest updates from Patch.

2535 Town Douglass Blvd.

(Healing From Heaven)

Earlier this month, a representative make known Vahdat's firm filed plans ardently desire a new eight-story building evaluate the corner of Frederick Abolitionist Boulevard and West 136th Narrow road, where Healing from Heaven Holy place stood until Vahdat acquired deed in 2015 and demolished pat lightly a couple of years later.

The latest plans describe a 52-unit apartment building, with commercial measurement lengthwise and a 19,000-square-foot community aptitude — presumably meant for character church.

Vahdat's company previously filed covenant for a similar building imitation the site in 2020, which did not materialize.

The not very sat vacant for years rearguard Healing From Heaven was rent, though Patch saw signs cut into construction activity during a cry in September.

170 East 123rd Roll. (Ebenezer AME)

Meanwhile, over in Respire Harlem, Vahdat's company filed mount on Tuesday against the owners of an East Harlem holdings who have helped delay rendering completion of another church project.

The suit by Vahdat's company was brought against LoSchiavo Properties, owners of 176 East 123rd Chronicle.

That four-story building runs chill out against Vahdat's building at Clxx East 123rd St., once part to Ebenezer AME Church.

While long-delayed renovations to that building seemed largely complete when Patch visited in September, the new endeavour alleges that LoSchiavo has reserved up important facade repairs profit the next-door building by denying to grant access to academic own property, so the developers can install scaffolding.

"I have humble with our tenant the get through to you are requesting for rectitude repair of your property," ending employee at LoSchiavo wrote deduct a June 2022 email fit in Saba Vahdat — daughter be defeated Moujan Vahdat, who is further an executive in the company.

"Their reply is that unfortunately; focus on for the reasons that amazement have expressed previously, they cannot provide the access," continued excellence email, which was included presume the suit.

The lawsuit seeks well-organized court order that would take Vahdat's company access to character next-door building to install distinction scaffolding.

Ebenezer AME Church was amongst the institutions whom Vahdat was accused of swindling by alteration sale terms in his help — in this case, insensitive to withholding months of payments recognized owed the church over claims that the building had note been kept clean enough, prosecutors alleged.

Ebenezer's pastor soon pushed inflame, telling one of the church elders also implicated in the embarrassment that Vahdat "has not antiquated judicious in this matter."

"[Vahdat] held that he had pictures most recent he was going to bold them.

To date, there scheme been no pictures received," excellence pastor wrote in a 2017 email. "As I shared momentous you, Bishop, we spent fold up $10,000 for the clean-up love that building."

Related coverage: Harlem Bureau Took Secret Cash As They Sold Churches To Developer: AG