Fire Island Pines, NYC Gay Getaway, Up For Sale Again
For decades, Fire Island Pines has been the beachfront playground of choice for New York gays. But the area has seen its fortunes seesaw in recent years, and it looks like the Pines commercial area is once again on the auction block.
In late December, TV personality and Fire Island resident Robyn Bird posted on Facebook, "Now there is a FOR SALE sign for all of the downtown properties." Now, a notice on Maltz Auctions indicates that 80% of the Pines' commercial district go under the gavel at an auction on January 22—including the Blue Whale, the Botel and the recently resurrected Pavilion nightclub.
A notice on the auction page suggests lookey-loos need not apply: "In order to register to bid, all prospective bidders must present a cashier's check in an amount of $1,000,000 made payable to "Maltz Auctions, Inc."
John Whyte helped launch the Pines as an upscale gay resort area in the 1960s and 70s. Shortly before his death in 2004, Whyte sold the Pines commercial holdings to developer Eric von Kuersteiner, who promised to keep the area's cultural heritage while beginning much needed updates and renovations.
In 2009, Kuersteiner was approached by FIP Ventures—an investment group consisting of Matthew Blesso, Seth Weissman and Andrew Kirtzman—who wanted to buy the commercial properties. Kuersteiner reportedly refused until FIP Ventures upped their offer to $17 million, more than triple what he paid for it.
In November 2011, a fire devastated the waterfront district, destroying the iconic Pavilion and the LaFountaine building, which housed several bars, restaurants and retail operations. Rebuilding began as soon as possible, but the new Pavilion wasn't completed until 2013.
