At the time, Mr. Koons's broker, Roger Erickson of Sotheby's International Realty, told brokers that Mr. Koons was interested in buying a house in move-in condition while renovations proceeded next door.
The famous exterior of the structure, however, was buttressed and retained while the renovations proceeded inside.
Word came from the broker that if the renovation proceeded, the rent would rise to $2,000.
And even though the renovation proceeded in stages, with corners cut left and right, the costs seemed prohibitive.
The owner, Nelson Estrada, had intended to make it his private home, but as the renovation proceeded he changed his mind.
Another motivation, more akin to the case in point, is to embrace a strategic withdrawal to the foundations to determine how renovation should proceed on a structure that is threatening to collapse due to internal inconsistencies.
As the renovation proceeds, long-obscured features emerge: Ionic column capitals at the 20th Street entrance and 11 skylights on the upper floors, perhaps installed to illuminate the printers' composing tables.
Most of the renovation work proceeded smoothly, but shortly after the roofing contractor left, the Kaplans noticed ridges in the roof.
He pulled out of Lincoln Center's ambitious redevelopment project in 2001, announcing that the Met would proceed with renovations on its own, then rejoined the effort two months later after he was given a larger say.
He said the development group intended to proceed with its renovations of the church hall because "it's a beautiful space for a dance studio, and we are confident that we can get others to use it".
