An Uptown Manhattan landlord has purchased a Little Italy office building.

Washington Heights-focused Artifact Real Estate Development purchased 165 Grand Street for $28 million from Bijan Nassi of Bijan Royal, according to a deed filing in property records Tuesday afternoon.

Nassi, a controversial residential landlord who has fallen into poor standing with the New York City Public Advocate’s office by making the Worst Landlord Watchlist in 2025, acquired the property with an alternative address of 224 Centre Street in 1997 for an unknown amount, property records indicate. 

It’s unclear whether the sale is tied to a foreclosure action taken by Nassi’s lenders in June 2025 after he defaulted on an $11.4 million loan.

It’s also unclear who brokered the deal. Nassi could not be reached for comment, while Artifact did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The six-story building between Centre and Baxter streets has unique Italianate style architecture, and was built around 1847. It served as the former headquarters of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a non-political fraternal organization, in the 1880s.

It was also given protected status by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1982, which recognized the building’s history as one of the earliest extant Italianate style buildings in the city.

Mark Hallum can be reached at mhallum@commercialobserver.com.