Izak Senbahar
Who
Senbahar is the president of development firm Alexico Management, which bankrolled one of the glassy Richard Meier-designed buildings in the West Village.
Backstory
Born in Istanbul, Senbahar moved to the States as an 18-year-old, studying mechanical engineering at Catholic University and then picking up an MBA from NYU in 1983. His first job was as a gold trader at the New York branch of a French banking concern, and he eventually ran the firm's metals desk before leaving to take a job with a Turkish building company, Kiska Construction. He helped Kiska establish a development presence in the New York market, orchestrating the construction of 353 Central Park West and a few other luxury properties on the firm's behalf.
By the late '80s, Senbahar had left the Kiska fold and formed a small development concern, MJM Associates, in partnership with his sister-in-law's husband Steven Elghanayan, a member of the Elgahnayan real estate family. (See Henry Elghanayan.) MJM's biggest project during its brief lifespan was the Elektra, a 33-story condo in the Flatiron district that was constructed in 1991. But after sluggish sales, the Senbahar-Elghanayan alliance sold the Elektra to Beth Israel Hospital for employee housing and MJM was dissolved. Shortly afterward Senbahar teamed up with Simon Elias and launched development firm Alexico Management, which is named after Senbahar's son, Alexi.
Of note
Although Alexico hasn't done much in terms of quantity, its few residential projects have managed to generate plenty of press. First there was the Grand Beekman, a Costas Kondylis-designed building on East 51st Street completed in 2003. Then came the Alex Hotel, a sleek 33-story hotel on East 45th Street designed by David Rockwell, featuring Marcus Samuelson's restaurant Riingo in the ground floor. But the firm's biggest project to date has been 165 Charles, the Richard Meier-designed tower on the West Side, which is just next to Meier's similarly glass-exteriored towers 173 Perry and 176 Perry, developed by Richard Born and Ira Drukier.
Other projects have included the condo conversion of the historic Mark Hotel on East 77th Street, and the Laurel, another Kondylis-designed building on the Upper East Side.
Namedrop
Given 165 Charles' pedigree, luxe look, and high-prices, it's no surprise several A-listers call it home. Natalie Portman has lived there since it opened its doors. In early 2007, Martha Stewart bought Louise MacBain's 14th-floor spread for $16 million, although she later turned it over it to her daughter Alexis. Leonardo DiCaprio was almost a tenant in the building: His agent tried to persuade Senbahar to give DiCaprio a 20 percent discount. When the developer refused, Leo looked elsewhere.
Personal
Senbahar and his socialite wife, Sarah Senbahar (née Sarah Genske), live in his development 165 Charles, and have a weekend house in Water Mill. They have two sons, Alexi and Oliver.