William Zeckendorf, Jr., whose father developed Century City to become what it is today, has passed away at his Santa Fe, N.M. home, it was announced Feb. 13. He was 84.
According to his family, Zeckendorf, Jr., died from complications wit respiratory failure, it was reported in the New York Times.
A real estate developer who followed in his father’s footsteps and developed many projects in New York City, it was the senior Zeckendorf who is credited as the grand architect of Century City.
In 1959, Fox was financially struggling and sold a six-month, $5 million option for its Century City property to Zeckendorf. When the option vested, Zeckendorf attempted to sell the property he described as “an oasis in the midst of a great city” for $56 million. When he had no buyers, Zeckendorf purchased the Fox property, leased a 75-acre portion of it to the studio, and developed the rest of Century City as a commercial center.
The less than one square mile area is now home to several high rises and the Fox studio lot thanks to Zeckendorf.
His son, Zeckendorf, Jr., also had quite the resume. He built the Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan, Worldwide Plaza at the old Madison Square Garden, and the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C.
