The Unsung hero: the developer who was instrumental in the creation of the Theodore Young Community Center and Lois Bronz Children’s’ Center
The Unsung hero: the developer who was instrumental in the creation of the Theodore Young Community Center and Lois Bronz Children’s’ Center
By: Riley Wentzler & Felicia Barber
Introduction:
What do Yorktown, New York, New York City, and the Town of Greenburgh have in common? If you are all scratching your heads, that’s ok. As it turns out, all of these locations have quite a few buildings built by the same real estate developer whose name begins with a D…. Can you start to see his face in your mind’s eye? Wait, who are you thinking of? No, wrong guy. Not that one, think again.We’re talking about David Bogdanoff, a man who always felt called to help others.
A Man with a Call to Help Others:
David Bogdanoff was born in New York City. He graduated from Evander Childs High School and then enrolled in City College of New York where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and English Literature. He moved to Westchester County in 1930. After moving to Westchester, he started several construction companies in Yorktown including: Montrose Construction Co Inc., Montrose Management Associates Inc. and Jefferson Village Corporation. He always felt called to help others, therefore he used these companies to create `over 5,800 affordable housing units throughout Westchester (https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/lohud/name/david-bogdanoff-obituary?pid=148802393).
In 1969, he became head of the Fairview Manhattan Corporation and built several low-income and middle-income housing units in the Fairview section of Greenburgh (Valles, 1969 p.18). He also donated the land that would become Theodore Young Community Center and Lois Bronz Children's Center.