Robert Potamkin
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Robert Potamkin Alan Potamkin Potamkin
Robert Potamkin, co-chairman of the group with his brother Alan Potamkin, said in a telephone interview yesterday that the organization started considering Harlem about five years ago. Mr. Potamkin estimates the total cost of the mall, for buildings and land but not cars, is $50 million to $60 million. At $30,000 a car, what Mr. Potamkin calls inventory adds tens of millions of dollars to the final price tag, he said. Robert Potamkin, co-chairman of the group with his brother Alan Potamkin, said in a telephone interview yesterday that the organization started considering Harlem about five years ago. When he inspected the site, he asked marketing officials the name of the smaller bridge next to the Triborough Bridge. They told him it was the Willis Avenue Bridge, which carried 15,000 cars a day, and was not included in the total traffic estimated because it was so small it was considered rounding error. Mr. Potamkin said that most car dealerships don't have 15,000 cars driving by.