Who is Mr. Zee?
The following article about the current owner of the Dreamland Theatre, Haim Zahavi, was originally published on January 17, 2007 in The Nantucket Independent. In light of Special Town Meeting Article 1, it is republished here this week.
BY MARLI GUZZETTA INDEPENDENT WRITER
Aformer captain in the Israeli army. Father of two. Self-made millionaire who started with nothing when he immigrated in 1987. Principle owner of the Dreamland Theatre and Condominiums, one of the most interesting - and bureaucratically fraught - real estate stories of the last few years.

That's the short answer.

During the summer, you may have seen his black Mercedes convertible, tagged "Mr. Zee," and wondered exactly who this guy was. If you had been able to see inside the car, you would have found 60-year-old Haim Zahavi listening to classical music or maybe the Blues while possibly wearing a Ralph Lauren Purple Label pullover. Born in Tel Aviv, Zahavi is President and C.E.O. of the Boston-based company Zee Paragon Investments. He lives in a penthouse atop one of his Beacon Hill properties and has a string of downtown Boston hotels in the works.

Most pertinent to Nantucket: Zahavi is the principle in Dreamland Realty Trust (Dreamland ZMG LLC), owner of the closed-for-renovations Dreamland Theatre - which is positioned to become one of the most watched island real estate stories again this year, especially given the growing interest in a new performing arts space. If you were able to see inside the Dreamland, you would find a historic building being overhauled from the foundation up.

Zahavi has spent "millions" on the property, he said, after discovering "many, many things about the property that people didn't know about."

"Some people want to keep the theatre as it is, but the foundation is not so strong. We need to support it, build the whole thing right. We're not going to cut corners. It's important that this theatre be around for another 300 years, so we're going to build it safe," said Zahavi - or "Zee" as he answered his phone while poolside with his girlfriend on a Miami Beach vacation.

When Zahavi immigrated to the States from Israel 18 years ago with his first wife, he began his American career in

property renovation as a member of the

crew. "I made $5 an hour painting and sanding, like all these guys who are coming from over the sea, and I made my work happen. … I started a little company for renovation, and now, thank God, everything is becoming better."

Zahavi originally learned of the Dreamland property while vacationing on Nantucket several years ago.

"I found it by accident," he said. "I came one weekend with a friend, and he showed me this, and I said, 'Let's buy it.' We offered, and it was accepted, and we start the work from there. Life is an accident a lot of the time, you do it by accident, but now I see the project like a diamond that has to be done on Nantucket for many, many years."

In March 2005, Zahavi and public partner Marty Reilly, who is a former state senator, along with several silent partners, bought the 175-year-old building for $6 million from the Anastos, Flanagan, Gray and Ruben families.

The Trust's plans are to convert the building into a mixed-use facility, with a ground floor renovated into a movie theatre and performing arts space, and luxury condominiums on the second and third floors. The owners also bought the lot on which the Dreamland's parking lot is situated in the hopes of making it a restaurant. The HDC approved the plans in March 2005 and Zahavi received a special permit with the knowledge that the building would be open for the 2006 summer season. But Zahavi's plans stalled in the spring, when they opened up the building and discovered that the foundation was bad and that the walls were not up to wind and seismic code. It appeared that oil contaminant had also migrated into the soil under the parking lot from the location of a former garage across the street. Just about everything in the building had to be re-done and reinforced from the inside out.

While Zahavi and his team tried to amend the situation, building inspector Bernie Bartlett issued a stop-work order, alleging that Zahavi had not yet provided updated specifications for the materials he would be removing during the selective demolition and that Zahavi had not yet provided him with the updated building survey plans. When Zahavi et al re-submitted their building plans in August, Bartlett had to deny Zahavi the building permit the team needed as a formality, stating that Zahavi was in want of a required state variance for a firewall/party wall on an interior lot line running through a building - which the team ultimately received from the state.

"Everything he's faced, he's surmounted and plugged away," said Andy Bedar, partner and senior VP of BKA Architects in Brockton, now the architects of record on the project. Bedar felt compelled, during his first face-to-face introduction with the HDC last Tuesday, to read a letter emphasizing Zahavi's commitment to the project, even as new complications arose.

"BKA had to address several significant issues, not the least of which are the non-compliant structural elements, which effect the engineering of the building and consequently the aesthetic of the existing exterior design," the letter stated. "Despite the complexities, costs and challenges involved with repairing and replicating the damaged, dilapidated and neglected exterior design and features, [Zahavi] has persevered and wants to do it right."

"Mr. Zee is the kind of guy who wants you to be as Type Aabout this project as he is," Bedar said. "He hired design consultants, spent a lot of money and time to resolve known issues and then discovered latent issues. . . . He has been living and breathing this project all day, every day, every hour, and he only wants to deal with people who think like he does. And he takes care of you when you think his way."

In discussing his hopes for the theatre, Zahavi was consistent in complimenting his team, which includes everyone from sound engineers to environmental lawyers. He insisted that this article mention his appreciation for Bedar as well as attorney Ed Woll, Jr., of the Boston-based firm Sullivan & Worcester.

A former captain in the Israeli Army who saw action in three wars, including tours in Egypt and on the West Bank, Zahavi likens life, and especially business, to "a big war."

"Over there, there is a fight to keep the land," Zahavi said. "And here, it is a fight to keep the business. . . . I need to win, and I'm going to win."

It didn't help Zahavi's ability to focus on the Dreamland earlier this year when an ex-girlfriend, whom Zahavi brought into a deal to buy the Boston Yacht Haven, edged him out of the deal after the relationship went south. The whole ordeal became very public.

But even soldiers get leave every now and again, and Zahavi tries to live a balanced life.

"Two-thirds of the day is work," he said, "and one-third is a little bit of living a good life."

In his free time, Zahavi likes to socialize. He often frequents a perennial favorite chophouse of Boston businessmen, Abe and Louie's. Zahavi also plays the piano and tennis. "I try to keep myself active," he said.

Every day, he speaks with and emails his two sons - "very good boys" - both of whom live with their wives and children in Israel. One studies Physics while the other works in Communications. Asked what he wished for the future, Zahavi said, "No more war. That's my biggest wish. That my family could sit down without any racket in Israel." Zahavi said he visits them two or three times a year, because "my primary passion is my family. Other than that, my passion is for my business," said Zahavi, who plans to have the Dreamland open by the end of May.

"In 300 years, I will be dead, but the building will still be here and still be up to code," said Zahavi, whose team submitted their updated Dreamland building plans to Bartlett last Tuesday for what will hopefully be the building permit that allows the Dreamland to be completely renovated, and when that happens, the name "Mr. Zee" will become a part of the Town's history via the legacy of a much-needed theatre, not just

a recognizable license plate. I