Sheldon Solow seeks to boot Kosher delis for Billionaires’ Row project

Developer Sheldon Solow, the force behind 9 West 57 Street and other towers that have become ubiquitous with the city’s skyline, aims to boot a pair of longtime kosher delis likely to make way for another project on Billionaires’ Row, the New York Post reports.

In a Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit filed earlier this month, the owners of the Great American Health Bar and Café Classico argue that their landlord is trying to boot them from their home of 19 years at 35 West 57th Street in violation of their lease through 2040, according to court documents.

Now, sources tell the New York Post that the building is owned by the 35 West Realty Co., which is controlled by the 91-year-old self-made real estate mogul whose net worth is $5.2 Billion, according to Forbes.

The cafes reside in a five-story townhouse on the same block between Fifth and Sixth avenues where three other buildings have recently been razed. The eateries claim 35 West Realty Co. is trying to push them out over insufficient insurance coverage, arguing that the cafes are violating their leases because they have a $1 million liability policy instead of a $2 million policy, according to legal filings.

The move has fueled speculation that Solow has big plans for the property, which abuts a vacant lot, and could be ironing out a deal with the neighboring parcel’s owners. At the moment, that lot is controlled by Vornado Realty Trust and the LeFrak Organization.