Gothamist: Would-Be Developer of Old East 9th Street School Rebuffed Again

NannyState

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:04:55 -0500

And if this scumbag owner lets the building rot further, the city should seize it and return it to a useful life.

AnonEMouse

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:57:26 -0500

Wow, I attended kindergarden at this school back in 1975. Back then it was known as PS 64. I still remember my first day there. I lived across the street and my dad would let us play in the courtyard on the weekends. I remember thinking the school looked magnificent and huge whenever I looked up at it or out the windows of my six- story walk up. My family moved soon after my kindergarden year let up because the neighborhood was getting dangerous and there seemed to be weekly fires (arson)on our street. I am sorry to hear there's so much controversy over what becomes of this building. As a former student who would like to do something, is there any way for other former students & graduates to band together to help out?

dailygrind

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:31:15 -0500

smitty is correct. charas was an integral part of the lower east side for 20-some years. as you can see from the photo, the building is huge--it housed SO many community and arts groups, even some artists in residence. its meaning to that neighborhood can't be overemphasized. after a long battle, singer evicted charas three or four years ago. and immediately boarded it up. such a sickening, sickening waste. yes, it should be a community center again. singer is a scumbag.

smitty

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:52:30 -0500

the guy kicked the organization out. it wasn't abandoned.

Spiritof76

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:47:24 -0500

Why should an abandoned city building retain landmark status? You'd be playing right into the hands of any developers who want to tear down a landmark. They'll just empty it out, claim it's abandoned, and boom, no more landmark protection, according to your reasoning. As it is, he's probably practicing demolition by neglect on this building.

emilydickinson

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:43:28 -0500

@9 Dealing with the LPC isn't the kind of thing that gets done in a week. Properties have to been nominated, investigated and researched, so it takes time. I think it's really selfish to damage a landmarked building - it's public space, everyone has to look at it. The city learned it's lesson when they tore down the original McKim, Mead and White Penn Station.

Mr Mel

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:00:54 -0500

Why should an abandoned city building retain landmark status? The Landmark Preservation Commission didn't bother to give it landmark status until 2006, 5 years after the developer bought the building. This doesn't do the neighborhood any good because if they have their way, it will remain vacant and dilapidated. The dorm will bring people and money and in the case of the East Village, an upgrade.

chelcc

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:56:33 -0500

It was a community/ arts center for 22 years before singer bought it. It should be again-- what a jerk. I wonder, if we keep building over everything that makes this city new york, will people pay still pay millions of dollars to live here and "dorm" here.

r1b2

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:34:02 -0500

It's good that this guy got zinged after trying to slime his way to success. It's a pity his interests guided him to deface the lovely building. Eventually, he'll sell (at a profit, albeit not the one he wanted), and we'll be left with a ruin.

zodak

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:30:06 -0500

WTF!? a school is not a landmark. & they landmarked it after he bought it? he may not be a nice man but that's a lot of BS. landmarking things doesn't help anyone. now we have an empty building that's falling apart. congratulations, morons!

RatherBe

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:19:05 -0500

Two months ago a large piece of the facade collapsed onto the courtyard... Singer is a criminal for letting that building decay.

spiritross

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:55:56 -0500

It should be a art/history museum for the East Village/LES As PS 1 has shown us, old schools make great museums

MFer

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:47:51 -0500

Agreed.

Rob T Firefly

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:45:16 -0500

What I want to know is, will he be prosecuted at all for defacing a landmark?

JMH

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:29:56 -0500

THIS is the kind of thing the city should use eminent domain for - force this dickhead to sell the landmark as punishment for defacing it.