NEW YORK | 4 W. 43rd St | FT | FLOORS

[NYguy]

https://therealdeal.com/new-york/2026/04/20/new-empire-targets-midtown-church-office-for-project/

New Empire snaps up controversial church’s Midtown HQ for likely resi project
Bentley Zhao’s firm in contract to buy 4 West 43rd from Unification Church for $51M


APR 20, 2026

Bentley Zhao is eyeing a property owned by a controversial church for a project he likely hopes will be less controversial.

New Empire is in contract to purchase the property at 4 West 43rd Street in Midtown Manhattan for $51 million, Crain’s reported. The deal is not yet finalized and requires approval from either a judge or the attorney general because the seller, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, is a religious nonprofit.

The deal for the seven-story, 73,000-square-foot office and events property breaks down to about $699 per square foot. The contract was disclosed in filings with the Manhattan state Supreme Court.

Zhao’s plans for the property are unclear and he did not respond to a request for comment from the publication. But his firm is known for its condo developments all over New York City, so a conversion seems likely.
A replacement for the property could span as much as 180,000 square feet for a residential building, contingent on achieving zoning bonuses likely tied to affordable housing.

The Unification Church, also called the Moonies in reference to its founder, tasked an Avison Young team with selling its one-time headquarters space two years ago. The building sits close to Bryant Park, not an area known for its residential high-rises, but pitched as a conversion candidate anyways.

The building was constructed in the late 1890s and sold to Columbia University to use as the Columbia University Club. In 1975, the Unification Church bought the property for $1.8 million.