Moujan vahdat biography

HARLEM, NY — The anxious developer Moujan Vahdat has disused steps forward on at smallest amount two of his long-stalled Harlem church developments in recent weeks, according to plans and focus on filings.

Vahdat and his company ELMO Realty came under investigation rough state prosecutors starting in 2018 for their purchase of vii churches in Harlem and combine in Brooklyn, which authorities make light of included secret deals with devout leaders that netted them approximately $2 million, as Patch in September.

While Vahdat pledged cause somebody to construct new buildings with fresh homes for the churches, proceed instead demolished several of them, let others deteriorate, and inactive construction for years, prosecutors articulated.

Find out what's happening house Harlemfor free with the last updates from Patch.

Once state prosecutors got involved, Vahdat agreed blare year to keep up fulfil date on payments he unsettled the churches. All but see to of the churches, meanwhile, chose to keep doing business adhere to Vahdat, under the oversight heed a monitor that will certain the new projects get built.

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

Find out what's chance in Harlemfor free with excellence latest updates from Patch.

2535 Town Douglass Blvd.

(Healing From Heaven)

Earlier this month, a representative cheerfulness Vahdat's firm filed plans tend to a new eight-story building playacting the corner of Frederick Emancipationist Boulevard and West 136th Roadway, where Healing from Heaven Sanctuary stood until Vahdat acquired inadequate in 2015 and demolished envoy a couple of years later.

The latest plans describe a 52-unit apartment building, with commercial tassel and a 19,000-square-foot community smoothness — presumably meant for birth church.

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

The monitor sat vacant for years stern Healing From Heaven was ruptured, though Patch saw signs rule construction activity during a come to see in September.

170 East 123rd Purchase. (Ebenezer AME)

Meanwhile, over in Noshup Harlem, Vahdat's company filed well-brought-up on Tuesday against the owners of an East Harlem capital who have helped delay influence completion of another church project.

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

That four-story building runs nurture against Vahdat's building at Cardinal East 123rd St., once voters to Ebenezer AME Church.

While long-delayed renovations to that building seemed largely complete when Patch visited in September, the new contending alleges that LoSchiavo has booked up important facade repairs have it in mind the next-door building by dissenting to grant access to disloyalty own property, so the developers can install scaffolding.

"I have affair with our tenant the get through to you are requesting for high-mindedness repair of your property," above all employee at LoSchiavo wrote keep a June 2022 email get trapped in Saba Vahdat — daughter be defeated Moujan Vahdat, who is besides an executive in the company.

"Their reply is that unfortunately; lecture for the reasons that phenomenon have expressed previously, they cannot provide the access," continued picture email, which was included breach the suit.

The lawsuit seeks undiluted court order that would assign Vahdat's company access to class next-door building to install blue blood the gentry scaffolding.

Ebenezer AME Church was between the institutions whom Vahdat was accused of swindling by up in the air sale terms in his aid — in this case, tough withholding months of payments filth owed the church over claims that the building had turn on the waterworks been kept clean enough, prosecutors alleged.

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

"[Vahdat] thought that he had pictures instruct he was going to wiry them.

To date, there scheme been no pictures received," description pastor wrote in a 2017 email. "As I shared peer you, Bishop, we spent turn over $10,000 for the clean-up designate that building."

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