This was Donald Trump's first renovation project outside of Queens. By the late 70's the Commodore Hotel was very down on its heels. Grand Central was sheltering many of the city's homeless who were hanging around the adjacent hotel. It was funded by Hyatt who would be the operators of the hotel. There was another scheme for him to get $40 million tax abatement from the City. In order to get it, he had to show the City that he had a signed option agreement for $250,000 from Penn Central to secure the option to purchase the hotel. It appears that he didn`t have the money because he sent forms with no signature. Nevertheless, Trump's father, Fred Trump, had a long time political connection through the Brooklyn Democratic machine to then-Mayor Abraham Beame. Despite the city being in the midst of the worst fiscal crisis in its history, Beame's deputy mayor, Stanley Friedman, The abatement moved forward as if the agreement had been signed and as if Trump had paid to secure the option.Trump was then able to convince the Hyatt hotel chain to partner with the Trump Organization and purchase the Commodore.They became the operator for the hotel. The existing hotel was reclad in bronze glass and it opened in 1980. Trump and Hyatt parted ways acrimoniously which ended in court some years later.
