In explaining the financing's details, a professional accountant interprets the released statement to mean that Vornado will receive $120 million net from the sale, plus $58 million for their participation in the mortgage, totaling $178 million in net proceeds. The accountant states the gain is higher most likely because when the owners refinanced the property they had received a distribution in excess of their investment. The accountant also tells GlobeSt.com the financial and tax gains could be different due to valuation adjustments made, or more likely different depreciation methods used for tax versus for books.

In 2007, the Kushners bought the 1.5 million square-foot, 41-story, aluminum-clad tower, making a splash in Manhattan, paying a record $1.8 billion. Subsequently the building was marked by financial, political and public relations troubles. The New York Times had reported that fearing default the lender had appointed a “special servicer” to the building. The paper also noted the property had a $1.4 billion mortgage including accrued interest due in February 2019. Thus, adding to the building's drama--the deals seem to have come just in time.

Back in April, Kushner told The New York Times the company had tossed out its plans to tear down the 1957 building. The company once envisioned replacing it with a multi-billion dollar Zaha Hadid-designed, 80-story, retail and luxury condominium tower. However, in Kushner's interview with The Real Deal, he describes renovations much more matter-of-course for repositionings: adding floor-to-ceiling windows and HAVC units, recladding the building exteriors and upgrading the elevator and lobby.