Mohamed Atta and Marwan Al-Shehhi lived in a second floor, walk-up unit in Hollywood, Fl. That building will soon be transformed into a parking lot and pool.
Atta and Al-Shehhi, pilots of the two planes that crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, occupied the corner apartment from May through June 2001.
"I feel like no one will be upset about that, considering who used to be a tenant there," said Bryan Grosman, the investor who recently bought the 13-unit apartment building.
"It is one of life's little treats to be able to demolish a property like that, where a monster used to reside," Grosman said.
The current occupant of apartment 3A is Madelyn Karpowicz, 65, knew of the unit's previous tenants when she moved in seven months ago. "At first it was a little disconcerting," she said. "There were times when I said, 'God, do I want to live in an apartment that was used by murderers?' "
Grosman bought the building in late December so he could put in a pool and parking for the new housing complex he owns next door. He notified tenants that the building would be demolished this month. If they agreed to leave by Jan. 31, they would be forgiven that month's rent. All accepted, Grosman said.
Former owner Frank LoRusso of New Jersey said he wouldn't have bought the building in 2005 had he known the Sept. 11 terrorists once lived there.
"We didn't want to have any part of that. We happened to have known a number of people who lost their lives on that day," he said.
"We had nothing but aggravation from the day we bought that place," LoRusso said. "It was like it was cursed."
Wallace S. Gibson, CPM * GIBSON MANAGEMENT GROUP, Ltd.
Central Virginia
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I'm sure no one will shed a tear when they knock it down.
Wallace,
Didn't realize the building still existed. Good riddance. This will not be missed and it sounds like the new use is needed. :)
Steve
The "poor people" living there are giving the new owner a hard time about their digs being destroyed for a pool.
The name of the complex is Tara Gardens and it is actually in Coral Springs Florida - I pass by it everyday - and it grieves me just to know Atta was in my city for just one day - let alone lived here for a year going to a mosque about a mile away from the apartment -
Nick * I thought they changed the same when the former owner had it and RE-BRANDED...I suspect the low-income residents who are unhappy were left-over from the prior owner and thought they would ALWAYS be entitled to their low rent
Knock that place down.
I agree * McDonalds and other restaurants that are sights of tragedy and they have become gardens and parks.
A parking lot is a good replacement for that place. Good riddance.