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| What’s in a Name? When It’s ‘Trump Place,’ It’s a Revolt | What’s in a Name? When It’s ‘Trump Place,’ It’s a Revolt |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| At three large rental buildings emblazoned with gold letters spelling out T-R-U-M-P P-L-A-C-E on the Upper West Side, the lobby rain mats embossed with the same name are being replaced, tenants say. The new versions, they have been told, will proclaim the buildings’ addresses, 140, 160 or 180 Riverside Boulevard. | At three large rental buildings emblazoned with gold letters spelling out T-R-U-M-P P-L-A-C-E on the Upper West Side, the lobby rain mats embossed with the same name are being replaced, tenants say. The new versions, they have been told, will proclaim the buildings’ addresses, 140, 160 or 180 Riverside Boulevard. |
| At the same buildings, they say, the doormen and concierges have been measured for new uniforms that will no longer carry the Trump name. | At the same buildings, they say, the doormen and concierges have been measured for new uniforms that will no longer carry the Trump name. |
| And 300 people, most of them tenants, have signed an online petition titled “Dump the TRUMP Name” in less than 10 days. | And 300 people, most of them tenants, have signed an online petition titled “Dump the TRUMP Name” in less than 10 days. |
| Marjorie Jacobs, a retired teacher who lives at 180 Riverside Boulevard, is one of them. “It’s embarrassing to tell people where you live,” Ms. Jacobs said. “His name does not need to be on the front of the building.” | Marjorie Jacobs, a retired teacher who lives at 180 Riverside Boulevard, is one of them. “It’s embarrassing to tell people where you live,” Ms. Jacobs said. “His name does not need to be on the front of the building.” |
| Throughout his career, Donald J. Trump has bragged that his name increases the value of a property by “25 percent” and that apartments in his buildings command higher prices. He may be the only developer in the world whom rival developers will pay to put his name on their buildings. | Throughout his career, Donald J. Trump has bragged that his name increases the value of a property by “25 percent” and that apartments in his buildings command higher prices. He may be the only developer in the world whom rival developers will pay to put his name on their buildings. |
| But in a city where that name is splashed across Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, Trump International Hotel at Columbus Circle, Trump Soho, Trump World Tower, Trump Parc, Trump Plaza, Trump Wollman Rink in Central Park and the Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point in the Bronx, a backlash may be taking hold against the Republican presidential nominee. | But in a city where that name is splashed across Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, Trump International Hotel at Columbus Circle, Trump Soho, Trump World Tower, Trump Parc, Trump Plaza, Trump Wollman Rink in Central Park and the Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point in the Bronx, a backlash may be taking hold against the Republican presidential nominee. |
| It has gained special momentum on Riverside Boulevard, where a string of buildings carries Trump Place branding. There, Linda Gottlieb, a television and film producer who lives in a $9,700-a-month apartment at 140 Riverside Boulevard, created the petition to get rid of Mr. Trump’s name. | It has gained special momentum on Riverside Boulevard, where a string of buildings carries Trump Place branding. There, Linda Gottlieb, a television and film producer who lives in a $9,700-a-month apartment at 140 Riverside Boulevard, created the petition to get rid of Mr. Trump’s name. |
| A Democrat and a supporter of Hillary Clinton, Ms. Gottlieb had grown increasingly despondent about having the Trump name over her front door as the presidential race unfolded. | A Democrat and a supporter of Hillary Clinton, Ms. Gottlieb had grown increasingly despondent about having the Trump name over her front door as the presidential race unfolded. |
| “For me,” she said, “watching Trump talk about groping women and then seeing his name above my home was the breaking point. It was time to declare that we don’t want to live in a building bearing his name, or a country suffering his presidency.” | “For me,” she said, “watching Trump talk about groping women and then seeing his name above my home was the breaking point. It was time to declare that we don’t want to live in a building bearing his name, or a country suffering his presidency.” |
| Her building is part of a parcel between 72nd and 59th Streets along the Hudson River that Mr. Trump developed with a group of Hong Kong billionaires starting in the 1990s. Seven of the buildings in the area were emblazoned with his name. But while some of the condominium towers in the development are still managed by the Trump Organization, the three rental buildings now belong to a company called Equity Residential, which also manages them. | Her building is part of a parcel between 72nd and 59th Streets along the Hudson River that Mr. Trump developed with a group of Hong Kong billionaires starting in the 1990s. Seven of the buildings in the area were emblazoned with his name. But while some of the condominium towers in the development are still managed by the Trump Organization, the three rental buildings now belong to a company called Equity Residential, which also manages them. |
| Martin McKenna, Equity Residential’s vice president in charge of investor and public relations in Chicago, said the company had “a contractual obligation on the use of the name.” He declined to say how much longer the contract had to run, but added that, “we’re going to assess this when the obligation expires, taking into account concerns by the residents in their petition.” | Martin McKenna, Equity Residential’s vice president in charge of investor and public relations in Chicago, said the company had “a contractual obligation on the use of the name.” He declined to say how much longer the contract had to run, but added that, “we’re going to assess this when the obligation expires, taking into account concerns by the residents in their petition.” |
| Erin Kelly, also a resident of 140 Riverside Boulevard, and a signatory to the petition, said that as her son and nanny were leaving the building on Sept. 26, the day of the first presidential debate, they noticed workmen measuring the rain mats and asked what was going on. A staff member told them new, Trumpless mats were being ordered. | |
| “I haven’t had a single interaction with a neighbor or an employee who wasn’t interested in having the name removed,” Ms. Kelly said. “It used to be that we were embarrassed because he was tacky. Now he’s shown himself to be despicable on every level.” | “I haven’t had a single interaction with a neighbor or an employee who wasn’t interested in having the name removed,” Ms. Kelly said. “It used to be that we were embarrassed because he was tacky. Now he’s shown himself to be despicable on every level.” |
| Ms. Jacobs, of 180 Riverside, said one of the doormen and a concierge had told her uniforms without the Trump name were in the offing. | Ms. Jacobs, of 180 Riverside, said one of the doormen and a concierge had told her uniforms without the Trump name were in the offing. |
| Mr. McKenna, of Equity Residential, said, “We don’t have a comment on that.” | Mr. McKenna, of Equity Residential, said, “We don’t have a comment on that.” |
| Mr. Trump’s press secretary, Hope Hicks, said that the candidate had not heard of the petition, but that it seemed like “an inappropriate thing to do.” | Mr. Trump’s press secretary, Hope Hicks, said that the candidate had not heard of the petition, but that it seemed like “an inappropriate thing to do.” |
| “If the name comes off, the building will lose tremendous value,” she said. | “If the name comes off, the building will lose tremendous value,” she said. |
| The newfound aversion to Mr. Trump’s name is not limited to the three buildings. Residents of 220 Riverside Boulevard, a condominium in the same neighborhood also emblazoned with Trump Place, have circulated their own petition for removal of the name, though it is unclear that it has had any effect. | The newfound aversion to Mr. Trump’s name is not limited to the three buildings. Residents of 220 Riverside Boulevard, a condominium in the same neighborhood also emblazoned with Trump Place, have circulated their own petition for removal of the name, though it is unclear that it has had any effect. |
| Last month, Trump Hotels announced that its new line of hotels aimed at millennials would not carry the name, but would instead be called Scion. In Vancouver, Canada, the mayor has asked the developer of the Trump International Hotel, which is scheduled to open next year, to change the hotel’s name. And in Washington, the newly opened Trump International Hotel has had trouble filling its 263 rooms, according to a report in New York magazine. | Last month, Trump Hotels announced that its new line of hotels aimed at millennials would not carry the name, but would instead be called Scion. In Vancouver, Canada, the mayor has asked the developer of the Trump International Hotel, which is scheduled to open next year, to change the hotel’s name. And in Washington, the newly opened Trump International Hotel has had trouble filling its 263 rooms, according to a report in New York magazine. |
| Eric Danziger, the chief executive of Trump Hotels, did not respond to a request for comment. | Eric Danziger, the chief executive of Trump Hotels, did not respond to a request for comment. |
| The three Riverside Boulevard rentals have a combined 1,325 apartments, and the total number of petition signatories is still far less than a majority of tenants. | The three Riverside Boulevard rentals have a combined 1,325 apartments, and the total number of petition signatories is still far less than a majority of tenants. |
| Standing outside 180 Riverside Boulevard on Thursday morning, Corey Cresenzi, 26, a financial adviser, had no problems with the name, which is what attracted him to the building in the first place, he said. | Standing outside 180 Riverside Boulevard on Thursday morning, Corey Cresenzi, 26, a financial adviser, had no problems with the name, which is what attracted him to the building in the first place, he said. |
| “They should leave it on,” said Mr. Cresenzi, who, unlike those who signed the petition, leans toward Mr. Trump in the presidential race. “It’s a rental building. If someone doesn’t like it, there are other buildings on Riverside Boulevard they can move to.” | “They should leave it on,” said Mr. Cresenzi, who, unlike those who signed the petition, leans toward Mr. Trump in the presidential race. “It’s a rental building. If someone doesn’t like it, there are other buildings on Riverside Boulevard they can move to.” |
| If the buildings’ names were changed, it would not be the first time T-R-U-M-P letters have been excised from a Manhattan skyscraper. After buying the General Motors Building on Fifth Avenue, Mr. Trump added his name in tall gold letters to the previously discreet structure. In 2003, he was forced by his partner, Conseco, to remove it. Mr. Trump hired a crew to discard the letters in the dead of night when there would be few witnesses. But The Daily News was able to memorialize the event. | If the buildings’ names were changed, it would not be the first time T-R-U-M-P letters have been excised from a Manhattan skyscraper. After buying the General Motors Building on Fifth Avenue, Mr. Trump added his name in tall gold letters to the previously discreet structure. In 2003, he was forced by his partner, Conseco, to remove it. Mr. Trump hired a crew to discard the letters in the dead of night when there would be few witnesses. But The Daily News was able to memorialize the event. |
| Brian Dumont, who runs his own financial services company and lives in 160 Riverside Boulevard, helped Ms. Gottlieb circulate the petition and said he expected the number of signatories to grow once they finished putting a copy of the petition under everyone’s door. | Brian Dumont, who runs his own financial services company and lives in 160 Riverside Boulevard, helped Ms. Gottlieb circulate the petition and said he expected the number of signatories to grow once they finished putting a copy of the petition under everyone’s door. |
| Like many of those who signed, Vishal Misra, a Columbia University professor of computer science, and his wife, Shruti Pandey, had misgivings about Mr. Trump when they moved into the building. But the couple went ahead anyway so that their children would qualify for a local school. | Like many of those who signed, Vishal Misra, a Columbia University professor of computer science, and his wife, Shruti Pandey, had misgivings about Mr. Trump when they moved into the building. But the couple went ahead anyway so that their children would qualify for a local school. |
| Mr. Misra said his friends knew of his antipathy for Mr. Trump, adding that cabdrivers who often brought him home frequently teased him about the name over the front door. | Mr. Misra said his friends knew of his antipathy for Mr. Trump, adding that cabdrivers who often brought him home frequently teased him about the name over the front door. |
| Even before the petition began circulating, Mr. Misra wrote to Equity management, asking, “Is there any initiative to rename the building to something the residents aren’t embarrassed about?” | Even before the petition began circulating, Mr. Misra wrote to Equity management, asking, “Is there any initiative to rename the building to something the residents aren’t embarrassed about?” |
| Management welcomed his “feedback,” he said, but said little else. There is one notable thing about the emails from Equity. Over the course of several exchanges, the address at the bottom of the notes changed to “160 Riverside” from “160 Trump Place.” | Management welcomed his “feedback,” he said, but said little else. There is one notable thing about the emails from Equity. Over the course of several exchanges, the address at the bottom of the notes changed to “160 Riverside” from “160 Trump Place.” |