Ex-Mayor Lusts For Air Rights

A former Seattle Mayor shells out close to $1 million for development rights over the Lusty Lady strip club, after the owners refuse to sell.

1 minute read

March 28, 2006, 12:00 PM PST

By David Gest

"Christto Tolias and his family, longtime owners of the century-old, mostly vacant structure housing Peaches and other strippers at the popular peep-show theater, refused to sell the property to ex-Mayor Paul Schell and his fellow hotel/condo developers."

"Schell and partners in the new 21-story, $120 million Four Seasons hotel and condo tower at First Avenue and Union Street had to regroup, then make Tolias another offerâ€"for air rights above the Lusty building. In the end, the big developers not only didn't get their prized property, they paid the defiant Tolias $850,000 for thin air."

FULL STORY: The Ex-Mayor's Booby Prize

Thursday, March 23, 2006 in Seattle Weekly

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