Will Lenny Kravitz Buy the Duke Semans Mansion?

This article in the NY Times states the $50 million Duke Semans mansion might finally have a new owner, rock star turned design man, Lenny Kravitz. No deals have been set and multiple offers have been made but Kravitz has visited the house twice. The 20,000-sq. ft.  Beaux-Arts residence first hit the market back in May. Then it disappeared from the listings. The classic brick and limestone building doesn't quite seem to match Kravitz's more modern style (as seen at his home on 30 Crosby Street which is still for sale)  and the house is in need of major work. It last had an overhaul in the 1990s when the plumbing and heating were updated and the exterior was freshened in the 1980s. Brokers have said it will cost another $10 million to renovate especially if the home, which is now divided into three apartments, is turned back into a single residence. The article also says that buyers are allowed to see only the first five floors of the property and that the three buyers who have made offers were allowed to see the penthouse floors where even the brokers were not allowed to go.

[Thanks, Daniel]