After The Real Deal reported that skeletal remains were found on the Trump Soho site Monday night, the Department of Buildings issued a stop work order on the building. Naturally the developers were surprised. The Post spoke to Julius Schwarz from developer Bayrock Group, who said, "Despite the fact that our counsel has advised us that there is no authority to issue this order, we are fully cooperating with the Department of Buildings and we'll be discussing the matter with them [this] morning." Dude, bones were found! We think you stop work! Schwarz added that the area where the bones were found will eventually be a landscaped plaza, not where the 45-story building will be built (so investors and future hotel guests, do not freak out!).
While the ME's office says that the bones seemed "historical" and from a 19th century Presbyterian cemetery, Rip Hayman tells the Sun that the site used to contain the "largest African Methodist church in the city" that had been "attacked during the Civil War-era draft riots." Hayman said, "The least Trump should do for the community is make a memorial to the difficult history on our block." The lot was previously a parking lot.
And the discovery seemed to prove a point for Trump Soho critic, Andrew Berman of the Greenwich Village Society of Historic Preservation. Berman told the Post, "I don't think the signs could be any stronger that this project should not be going forward."
Related: In today's Observer, which profiles various fabulous New York families/dynasties-in-the-making, the one on the Trumps has a quote from Barbara Corcoran: "Everyone is pushing to get the Trump name on their building."
Photograph of the Trump SoHo site taken a few weeks ago
