Billionaire developer Alfred Taubman, the man who pioneered the modern-day shopping mall concept, died of a heart attack in his home in Bloomfield Hills on Friday night, WWJ reports. He was 91.
Robert Taubman, a son who heads Taubman Centers, sent this message to all Taubman employees Friday evening:
“I have some very sad news to share with all of you, my father passed away this evening here in Bloomfield Hills.
This company and all that you stand for were among the greatest joys of his life. Just last month he was in Puerto Rico to celebrate with us the grand opening of The Mall at San Juan. He was so proud of what this wonderful company he founded 65 years ago has accomplished. Tonight, after dinner in his home, a heart attack took him from us, ending what was a full, extraordinary life that touched so many people in so many wonderful ways around the world. Right now it is difficult for me to express our sadness. We will be informing you of our memorial plans shortly.
One thing that will never be taken from us is Alfred Taubman’s vision that will continue to guide and inspire us. Our family thanks you for all your kind thoughts and support through this very difficult time.”
Taubman, a known philanthropist.
A Detroit Institute of Arts tribute, posted Saturday morning on Facebook, is excerpted here:
The museum is saddened by the loss of one of our most devoted supporters, developer A. Alfred Taubman. Mr. Taubman joined the DIA in 1975 and served for many years as chair of the City of Detroit Arts Commission. He has been on the board of directors since 1984, first as director, then since 1992 as an honorary director.
He was also deeply involved with the DIA's Master Plan in his role as chair of the Building Committee. His expertise and guidance were of extraordinary value to the museum.
An art collector for more than 30 years, Mr. Taubman has given a number of works to the DIA's collection.
John Gallagher of the Detroit Free Press reports:
He has donated tens of millions of dollars to the University of Michigan, Lawrence Technological University, the Detroit Institute of Art, and others. At UM, the Taubman Medical Research Institute has been a leader in stem cell research that has shown promise in the fight against debilitating diseases, including Lou Gehrig's Disease.
U-M's college of architecture and urban planning and various buildings at its medical school bear his name, as does Lawrence Tech's student center building, the Taubman Center for Design Education at the College for Creative Studies, and buildings at Harvard and Brown universities.
"Mr. Taubman's generosity has assured that many future generations of LTU students and scholars will have access to outstanding educations and facilities, and we are forever grateful for his kindness, friendship, and support," LTU President Virinder Moudgil said on Saturday in a written statement.
The Detroit News reports:
His mark was left on some of the region's most prominent developments. Taubman properties in Michigan include Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Auburn Hills and Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi. That list once included Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn and the Mall at Partridge Creek in Clinton Township. Great Lakes Crossing "represented a new development venture, with more entertainment and food choices than traditional malls," according to an online company profile. The mall would go on to attract ten million visitors a year, the profile read.
The Riverfront Towers apartment complex downtown near the Detroit River, which he and industrial Max Fisher completed in 1984, was the city's first market-rate housing since World War II.
This year, Forbes magazine listed Taubman as the 577th richest person in the world with a $3.1 billion net worth. For years, he has remained on the annual rankings of the wealthy.
One of Taubman's darker hours came in April 2002, as The New York Times reported:
Rebuked by a federal judge for failing to show remorse, A. Alfred Taubman, the principal owner and former chairman of Sotheby's, was sentenced yesterday to a year and a day in prison and fined $7.5 million for leading a six-year price-fixing scheme with its rival Christie's that swindled auction house customers out of more than $100 million.
With the usual time off for good behavior, Mr. Taubman, 78, would serve about 10 months. Under a little-known provision, he was also ordered to pay for his incarceration, a cost a federal Bureau of Prisons spokesman said was at least $21,601 a year.
