Sol B. Kest
Sol B. Kest | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 10, 1922 |
| Died | June 21, 2010 |
| Occupation(s) | Real estate developer, philanthropist |
| Spouse | Clara Kest |
| Children | 3 sons, 1 daughter |
Sol B. Kest (1922–2010) was an American real estate developer and philanthropist. He was the co-founder of Goldrich & Kest Industries, a real estate development company, and built many residential buildings in Los Angeles County, California. A Holocaust survivor, he supported Jewish causes in California and endowed a professorship at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Early life[edit]
Sol B. Kest was born on March 10, 1922. During World War II, he was "the only one of nine children in his family to survive concentration camp incarceration".[1]
Career[edit]
Kest emigrated to the United States, where he worked on construction sites.[1] With Jona Goldrich, another Holocaust survivor, Kest co-founded Goldrich & Kest Industries, a real estate development company based in Los Angeles, California in 1959.[1][2]
In 1964, Kest and Goldrich developed Eldorado, a residential building located at 4425 Ventura Canyon Avenue in Sherman Oaks.[3] They also developed Sutton Terrance, another residential building located at 6251 Coldwater Canyon Avenue in North Hollywood.[4] Another apartment complex they developed, Sepulveda Village in Mission Hills, comprised 18 buildings, with the reception located at 10023 Sepulveda Boulevard.[5] A year later, in 1965, they developed Northridge Village Townhouses, an apartment complex in Northridge, California.[6]
In 1981, Kest and Goldrich purchased hotels in Tenderloin, San Francisco.[1]
With Sheldon Appel, Goldrich and Kest redeveloped the former General Motors plant in South Gate in the 1980s.[1] Meanwhile, they also turned land near the Long Beach Airport into offices and retail spaces.[1]
With Nathan Shapell, Goldrich and Kest developed some buildings in the Bunker Hill area of Downtown Los Angeles, including Promenade Towers, Grand Promenade and the California Plaza.[1] Moreover, they owned Kings Villages, a low-income housing project in Pasadena which they later sold to Thomas Pottmeyer.[7] Additionally, they owned Green Hotel, a retirement home also located in Pasadena, and a government-subsidized retirement home in Santa Monica.[1]
Philanthropy[edit]
Kest supported synagogues in Los Angeles.[8] In 1993, he testified on behalf of Rabbi Abraham Low of Congregation Mogen Abraham, an ultra-Orthodox synagogue in the Fairfax District who was charged with money-laundering.[9]
Kest endowed the Clara and Sol Professorship and Chair of the Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, currently held by Professor Mark G. Lebwohl.[10]
Personal life and death[edit]
With his wife Clara, Kest had three sons, Michael Kest, Benny Kest, and Ezra Kest and a daughter, Francesca married to Ivan Berkowitz.[8] He died on June 21, 2010.[8]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h Furlong, Tom (August 17, 1986). "Developer Jona Goldrich : Deal Maker Transforms Downtown L.A." The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
- ^ "Company History". Goldrich & Kest Industries. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
- ^ "Privacy Offered at Apartments in Sherman Oaks". Valley News. September 13, 1964. p. 33. Retrieved June 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Condominium Development Wins Buyers". Valley News. September 27, 1964. p. 35. Retrieved June 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Condominium Approach in Sepulveda Village Building". Valley News. December 20, 1964. p. 38. Retrieved June 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Northridge Village Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony". Valley News. February 7, 1965. p. 35. Retrieved June 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Newton, Edmund (August 19, 1993). "Cost of King's Villages Lawsuit Balloons : Housing: Filed in federal court two years ago, discrimination litigation is already the most expensive in city history". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Mr. Sol Kest z"l". Mazal.com. June 23, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
- ^ Malnic, Eric (January 13, 1993). "3 Denied Bail in Money-Laundering Case : Crime: Judge is not swayed by testimony on a rabbi, a chiropractor and Lomita woman with a list of aliases". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
- ^ "Mark G. Lebwohl, MD". Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Retrieved June 30, 2016.