As the former chairman of NBC Broadcasting, Ted Harbert is used to striking multi-million-dollar deals for big stars. The star this time, however, is a sumptuous downtown loft in Manhattan’s swanky SoHo neighborhood, which has just been listed for $10 million. Harbert, married to former human resources executive Lisa Medrano since 2011, hopes for viewers of a different kind, too — home buyers lured in by the compelling plot line of spacious three-bedroom, six-bathroom loft in a cast iron building that dates back to 1900 in the heart of one of the city’s most vibrant neighborhoods.
The Harberts’ city home, which records indicate they acquired in 2013 for $7.4 million, is a combination of two units in a five-floor boutique building and was clearly an ideal urban retreat for relaxing as well as entertaining. “This magnificent duplex condo is the perfect home for entertaining on a massive scale in the heart of SoHo,” the listing agent, Joshua Judge with Sotheby’s International Realty, told Realtor.com, citing the upscale renovation and large space as key attractions.
The roughly 3,700-square-foot condo has private elevator access, 14-foot-high ceilings, two laundry rooms and a state-of-the-art home automation system. Meticulously renovated and elegantly decorated, the home also offers radiant heated floors, along with silk wall coverings and a sizable contemporary art collection. On the lower level, an oversized living room stretches grandly to more than 40 feet long and features a glass wet bar, while a plushly appointed media room has a collection of entertainment industry memorabilia artfully hung on one wall. Nipped privately at the back of the lower floor, the master suite incorporates a marble bathroom and a walk-in closet, plus a large dressing room with a second en suite bathroom. A walnut and glass staircase connects to the upper level, where a sleekly outfitted chef’s kitchen is casually open to a nearly 35-foot-long combination dining and family room. The upper level is completed by and office/den and a couple of en suite guest bedrooms.
The Harberts, who last year shelled out $1.75 million for a homesite in a guard-gated golf development near Amenia, N.Y., according to tax records, are keeping their options open; the deluxe duplex is also available as a high-end rental at $25,000 per month, furnished or unfurnished, with both short or long-term lease options.
Harbert, the son of television executive, Edward W. Harbert, enjoyed a long and illustrious career with high powered positions at ABC, E!, Comcast and NBC, the latter of which he left in 2016. The divorced father of two made headlines in 2005 when he dated comedian/actress, author and TV host Chelsea Handler — he was her boss at the time — and in 2008 the now former couple bought a luxury condo together in Marina Del Ray, only to break up in 2010. Handler sold her share of the pricey penthouse to Harbert, who soon listed it for $3.95 million and settled for $3.4 million a year later.
