Sorg Mansion

First, let me state right up front that I know nothing for certain about this property, and have not even been inside it since the late 1950s. Also, I have neither the inclination nor the time to either restore or redevelop the property, but I wish the best to anyone who does--assuming they also have the means to do so without using money confiscated from the taxpayers.

Since Mr. Walkin’ seems to think I have some insight into such a situation, I will take a shot, but this is pure speculation, based on past events and rumors!

We have heard rumors that the City wants this property.

We have heard that the City Manager’s “special friend” (who is also the past president of the Middletown Historical Society and the current Chairman of the powerful Commission on Landmarks and Historic Structures) really, really wants control of this property.

We can deduce that PRISM would like to have input into the future of this property to control the demographics and demeanor of “their” area.

We know that the owner of this property might be said to “owe one” to the city for taking the huge liability of the haz-mat abatement of the Studio Theater building off their hands.

We know that the City likes to play fast and loose with the rules and do a lot of “under the radar” wheeling and dealing.

With all of that in mind, here is one possible scenario:

As evidenced by some of the photos available in the public domain, this property had a multitude of violations of the International Property Maintenance Code. Any recent inspections by the City would’ve increased the number of official violations attached to the property, and probably nixed any possibility of federal government-backed loan possibility, (Too bad for the part-time waiter who “had a dream”!) or of any government-assisted multi-family housing on the property.

But wait!!! This property is a registered Historic Landmark!!!

Repairs to bring the property up to code must be done under the watchful (and Gestapo-like) eye of the Commissioner of Historic Structures and Landmarks, the very person who covets the property! So, these extensive repairs must not only be made, they must me made to the hyper-expensive Historically Accurate standards, which can only be afforded by the uber-rich or government entities using TAXPAYERS’ funds.

Good-bye private property! Gimme a dollar! Hello City ownership! But who can oversee the restoration of this magnificent new jewel in Middletown’s crown? Who has the expertise? The boy-toy gets a new toy!!!

Forget about roads! Forget about resolving the combined sewer problem. All of the CBDG and all other tax money “tucked away” anywhere must now go into this new “economic development” project!!!

Just think of all the new businesses, tourism, and prosperity it will “spawn”!!!

It was believed that the Sorg’s spared no expense in the construction and subsequent modification of their home and had the financial capacity to purchase only the best—which at the time would have been Tiffany windows.  However this investor did not want their name attached to the property.  Why?  The plan was to strip the home of the valuable windows saying they went out for repair, but they were never to be returned.  The same was going to happen with other potential valuable assets in the house. 

Somehow this investor teamed up with the individual who for so long “claimed” to be purchasing the house.  I won’t mention his name here to spare further public embarrassment, although his name has been mentioned before in this forum.  The investor was going to take out of the house what they wanted or deemed valuable and then sublease it to this individual “claiming” to be buying the Sorg.  The first story I heard was that this individual was going to “go green” with the home but realized there wasn’t a lot of grant money to do so.  Hence why the new plan was to make it a reception/meeting hall.

When it was discovered the windows were not Tiffany, the investor pulled out. However, the second individual still wanted to make a go of it and was seeking out new investors to fund his enterprise.  And without actually owning the property, he booked several weddings there and convinced the Finkelman’s that he could make a go of it and was granted an extension on the sales contract.  This individual created the Facebook group convincing everyone he owned the property, continued to solicit bookings and even was trying to raffle off a free wedding to raise funds.  All on a property he did not own.

The last I heard, there are no interested investors.  The Facebook page is gone.  The listing still says Pending.  Not sure what the true status is.

More recently, I was informed that someone local with the financial resources to do something with property has expressed an interest.  But I don’t know how much truth there is to that.  It’s not someone connected to PRISM, currently living in the district, or a city employee or someone connected to a city employee. 

When the Sorg property first went on the market, I do recall hearing/reading that there was a group of property owners that were trying to pull private funds together to collectively purchase the property so they could control its future.   It would not be the first time for something like this.  The homeowners on Gardner Place purchased the old Gardner Mansion when Miami sold it, and held it for several years until an appropriate buyer came along.  They wanted to make sure the home was not converted into apts or a restaurant or other non residential use.