Summary

Chapter 25. Book titles at the beginning of this chapter: Trump Strategies for Real Estate; Case Studies in Air Rights and Subsurface Tunnel Road Easements; I Love You Philip Morris: A True Story of Life, Love, & Prison Breaks.

In this brief chapter, Orlean returns to her consideration of the library’s history – specifically, the process of its being rebuilt and renovated in the 1970’s. She describes tensions between preservationists (who were determined to save the old building because of its heritage and architectural value) and developers (who were just as determined to tear it down, make profit on the land, and rebuild it elsewhere). Eventually, the argument was solved by figuring out how to pay for the renovation: selling the space under the library and its air rights. Orlean then explains that the term “air rights” refers to the height that a building can...