Tony Goldman

{{Infobox person

| name = Tony Goldman

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name = Richard Anthony Goldman (at adoption)

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1943|12|6}}

| birth_place = Wilmington, Delaware, United States

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2012|9|11|1943|12|6}}

| death_place = New York City, New York, United States

| alma_mater = Emerson College

| occupation = Real estate developer

| spouse = Janet Ehrlich (divorced)

| children = Jessica Goldman Srebnick
Joey Goldman

| parents = Tillie and Charles Goldman

}}

Tony Goldman (December 6, 1943 – September 11, 2012) was an American real estate developer.

Early life and education

Goldman was born to a single mother in Wilmington, Delaware (Goldman's biological father was overseas in the military during World War II). He was adopted at birth by Tillie and Charles Goldman, who named him Richard Anthony Goldman and raised him on the Upper East Side of New York City in the Jewish faith.{{cite news|author1=Brecher, Elinor J. |author2=Hanks, Douglas |author3=Smiley, David | title=South Beach, Wynwood Developer Tony Goldman Dies at 68|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/12/2998456/art-deco-and-wynwood-developer.html|access-date= June 15, 2015|work= Miami Herald |date= September 12, 2012}} He has two step-siblings, a brother and a sister. In 1965, he graduated with a B.A. in drama from Emerson College, located in Boston, Massachusetts.{{cite news|last1=Rao|first1=Tejal|title=Tony Goldman, Developer and Restaurateur, Dies at 68|url=http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/2012/09/tony_goldman_dies_at_68.php|access-date= July 28, 2014|work= The Village Voice |date=September 12, 2012}}

Career

Goldman was instrumental in the refurbishment of the architecturally significant vicinity of Miami Beach, Florida; the Wynwood district of Miami, Florida; the New York City, New York, neighborhood of SoHo; and 13th Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/16/nyregion/tony-goldman-real-estate-visionary-dies-at-68.html?amp|title=Tony Goldman Real Estate Visionary Dies at 68|last=Kaufman|first=Leslie|date=September 15, 2012|work=The New York Times|access-date=October 17, 2012}}

After school, he worked for his uncle who had a real estate business. In 1968, he started his own real estate company, Goldman Properties.{{cite news|last1=Hill|first1=Miriam|title=Tony Goldman, 68, Visionary Who Revitalized Philadelphia's 13th Street|url=http://articles.philly.com/2012-09-14/news/33818511_1_historic-preservation-historic-buildings-tax-incentives|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812040018/http://articles.philly.com/2012-09-14/news/33818511_1_historic-preservation-historic-buildings-tax-incentives|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 12, 2014|access-date= July 28, 2014|work= The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=September 14, 2012}}

In 1976, Goldman was attracted to the historic cast-iron architecture of Manhattan neighborhood SoHo and decided to invest and rehabilitate buildings in the area. He bought and renovated 18 buildings in the area and opened restaurants to attract young people to the neighborhood.

While attending a conference in Miami in 1985, Goldman toured the neglected art deco buildings of Miami Beach with historic preservationists. Seeing the potential of the city, he began buying one building a month for 18 months. Although other properties in the area were already being rehabilitated, it has been said that "Tony was the central person in getting South Beach going."

By the mid-2000s, Goldman began buying buildings in Miami's Wynwood neighborhood, another neglected area where he saw potential. He worked with art dealer Jeffrey Deitch to launch Wynwood Walls, a large permanent collection of outdoor murals. He was also built the Wynwood Garage, a mixed-used building.{{cite news |last1=Echikson |first1=Julia |title=Goldman Properties To Build Class A Office Building in Miami's Wynwood |url=https://commercialobserver.com/2022/02/goldman-properties-core-wynwood/ |work=Commercial Observer |date=14 February 2022}} He also opened a restaurant and performance studio to help generate interest in the area.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/realestate/commercial/31goldman.html|title=A SoHo Visionary Makes an Artsy Bet in Miami|last=Pristin|first=Terry|date=2010-03-30|work=New York Times|access-date=2018-10-05|language=en}} By August 2011, Goldman Properties had offices in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Miami Beach with 250 employees. The then revenue of the company was approximately $75 million.{{cite news |last1=Staff |first1=T. R. D. |title=Q & A with developer Tony Goldman |url=https://therealdeal.com/miami/2011/08/09/q-a-with-developer-tony-goldman-owner-of-the-wynwood-building/ |work=The Real Deal |date=9 August 2011 |language=en}}

Goldman was also responsible for the launching of the Bowery Mural, an outdoor exhibition space in New York City on a wall located on the corner of Houston Street and the Bowery.{{cite news |title=A History of the Bowery Wall [Icons Preview] |url=https://upmag.com/bowery-wall/ |work=UP MAGAZINE}}

Award

Goldman was awarded the Louise du Pont Crowninshield Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2010 for lifetime achievement.

Personal life and death

In 1966, Goldman married Janet Ehrlich, a schoolteacher; they had two children: Jessica Goldman Srebnick and Joey Goldman. The couple divorced in 1977 but later remarried in 1986. Goldman died from heart failure on September 11, 2012, at age 68, in New York City. Services were held at Temple Emanu-El in Miami Beach, Florida. His daughter succeeded him as CEO of Goldman properties.{{cite news |last1=Benowitz |first1=Shayne |title=Jessica Goldman Srebnick on Art, Wynwood and the Goldman Legacy |url=https://commercialobserver.com/2021/08/jessica-goldman-srebnick-on-art-wynwood-and-being-her-fathers-daughter/ |work=Commercial Observer |date=17 August 2021}}

When he was in his 50s, he reunited with his biological parents, Shirley and Ray Meyers, who had married after Ray's deployment during World War II. He has two biological brothers and one sister.