Notorious Trump-foe Rosie O’Donnell’s former New Jersey estate is being renamed and turned into affordable housing units.
The home, which O’Donnell reportedly sold at a loss in 2021, is now in the hands of luxury builder, the Toll Brothers.
After years of referring to the estate under O’Donnell’s name, the proposal for the new housing development will now be titled the East Allendale Road plan.
The residence has undergone significant turmoil in recent history, with O’Donnell selling it in 2021 for a $1 million loss after it sat on the market for five years, the New York Post reported at the time.
Saddle Rivers Investors initially purchased the property and planned to convert it to 60 housing units in compliance with local affordable housing provisions, the Bergen Record first reported.
Saddle River is one of the wealthiest towns in the state, with a median income of $228,000.
According to the New Jersey Real Estate Network, most homes in the wealthy enclave range from $1 to $5 million.
O’Donnell reportedly purchased her former mansion on East Allendale Road for a whopping $6.3 million in 2013.
Rosie O’Donnell previously owned a sprawling multi-million dollar estate in the wealthy enclave of Saddle River, New Jersey
O’Donnell previously purchased the mansion in 2013, but struggled for five years to list the property
O’Donnell sold her New Jersey home in 2021, reportedly at a loss, and the estate was later lumped into an affordable housing plan
She then attempted to list the home for $7 million two years later but didn’t receive any offers, according to the New York Post.
An insider told the publication in 2021 that she sold her property for $5.3 million, a significant loss from its initial purchase price.
A proposal to demolish the property and zone it for 60 townhouses, including eight for affordable housing, was dismissed in 2021 by the town’s planning board.
Plans for the sprawling property stalled for years as residents pushed back on the affordable housing development.
The board cited increased traffic concerns and an inadequate snow removal plan as reasons for the denial, according to the Bergen Record.
Toll Brothers then purchased the property after initial proposals were denied — the new plan now only zones for 54 townhouses, including eight affordable units.
The plan complies with a settlement between the town and the Fair Share Housing Center in February 2020.
New Jersey requires each town to account for affordable housing, making it illegal to create zoning regulations that keep out lower-income communities
The new proposal zones for 54 townhouses, including eight affordable units, in compliance with the Mount Laurel Doctrine
The historic settlement required Saddle River to uphold a decades-old ruling in the New Jersey Supreme Court called the Mount Laurel Doctrine.
The ruling prohibited zoning to keep lower-income families out of wealthy neighborhoods, requiring all towns to provide affordable housing.
The settlement required Saddle River to develop 139 affordable housing units. Hearings for the new proposal begin on September 9.
Daily Mail reached out to Toll Brothers and Saddle River Mayor Albert J. Kurpis for comment on the proposal.
