Donald Trump's branded buildings - once synonymous with opulence - can now evoke scorn for some amid a divisive U.S. presidential race between the real estate mogul and Hillary Clinton.
But Trump Parc resident Joe Hennessy said his building in downtown Stamford has avoided the controversy. After all, it wasn't Trump's name that sold Hennessy, an executive who worked at Purdue Pharma, on his 22nd-floor penthouse. " When I bought that condo it was all about the location. I also didn't want to have a house or to take care of a lawn or anything," he said. " I wanted to see what it would be like to have everything controlled and taken care of." Hennessy, 55, has lived with his 27-year-old daughter, Alice, in their two-bedroom penthouse at 1 Broad St. for four years. He recently started a new job in Phoenix, Ariz., and has listed his 1,530-square-foot penthouse for sale with as asking price of $699,000. The southern-facing unit with floor-to-ceiling windows and a balcony - is one of just a few in Trump Parc facing Long Island Sound and where, on clear days, Manhattan can be seen.
"The first time my daughter and I saw the views, we were taking photos and sending them to our family in the Midwest," said Hennessy, a native of St. Louis. "That was an exciting moment when we were just showing our family where we were going to be."
But last month, as ever-nastier tensions mounted between the Clinton and Trump campaigns, some 300 disgruntled Trump Place tenants and workers in New York City signed a petition called "Dump the TRUMP name." And earlier this year, members of Fairfield County's Muslim community asked Stamford developer Thomas Rich to remove the GOP candidate's name from the top of Trump Parc. Rich said he no longer controls the building, and that it was up to the condo owners to dump the Trump brand. However, no such tenant backlash has surfaced at Trump Parc, Hennessy said. "I haven't heard anything about getting rid of the name. It doesn't really matter to me either way,' Hennessy said.
The condo's listing agent, Joann Fiore of Newbridge realty, said the name on the building is one of the most valuable aspects of a Trump Parc residence. "I think the residents might revolt if they took the Trump name off this building. They paid the upcharge for a Trump-branded building," she said. On of the best things about living at Trump Parc, Hennessy said, is the 24-hour access to amenities like the gym, pool and roof-top deck. "I made a lot of use of the gym and the rooftop. All of the amenities and the concierge service was really nice," he said. Hennessy said its bitter-sweet to be leaving Stamford after only four years, and said he never expected his stay to be so short. "My job dictated the move, so I had to go," said Hennessy, who splits his time between Phoenix while he waits for his condo to sell. "Stamford is a great city. There's always something going on."
Stamford Advocate
nora.naughton@scni.com
