An article by Sarah Ferguson on the Power Plays blog of The Village Voice reported today that developer Gregg Singer has commenced dismantling of the architectural trim on the former P.S. 64 building at 605 East 9th Street that was declared an official city landmark last month.
Mr. Singer obtained an alteration permit three years ago from the city's Department of Buildings and the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission had gotten the Buildings Department is issue a stop work order on the project for several weeks while it was considering its designation as a landmark. The alteration permit expires in October.
Mr. Singer bought the building in 1998 when the former school building was being used as the Charas/El Bohio community center and he originally sought to build a 26-story dormitory on part of the property under the site's community facilities zoning. He subsequently reduced the plan to 19 stories, but has not yet found an educational institution willing to commit to the project.
The attractive red-brick building is located at 6xxx East 9th Street, just to the east of Christadora House that fronts on Tompkins Square Park. The school property extends through to 10th Street.
The Voice article today quoted Mr. Singer as declaring "It's a shame. The city forced me to do it," adding that the developer maintains he has "'no choice' but to strip the facade so he can go to court and try to overturn last month's landmarks designation."
The Voice article also quoted the developer as stating that "Either we make it a homeless and drug treatment center with government funding to do it long-term, or they let me add a few floors and turn it into condos, and I'll give the community some pace at below-market rent."
Mr. Singer obtained an alteration permit three years ago from the city's Department of Buildings and the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission had gotten the Buildings Department is issue a stop work order on the project for several weeks while it was considering its designation as a landmark. The alteration permit expires in October.
Mr. Singer bought the building in 1998 when the former school building was being used as the Charas/El Bohio community center and he originally sought to build a 26-story dormitory on part of the property under the site's community facilities zoning. He subsequently reduced the plan to 19 stories, but has not yet found an educational institution willing to commit to the project.
The attractive red-brick building is located at 6xxx East 9th Street, just to the east of Christadora House that fronts on Tompkins Square Park. The school property extends through to 10th Street.
The Voice article today quoted Mr. Singer as declaring "It's a shame. The city forced me to do it," adding that the developer maintains he has "'no choice' but to strip the facade so he can go to court and try to overturn last month's landmarks designation."
The Voice article also quoted the developer as stating that "Either we make it a homeless and drug treatment center with government funding to do it long-term, or they let me add a few floors and turn it into condos, and I'll give the community some pace at below-market rent."
Architecture Critic
Carter Horsley
Since 1997, Carter B. Horsley has been the editorial director of CityRealty. He began his journalistic career at The New York Times in 1961 where he spent 26 years as a reporter specializing in real estate & architectural news. In 1987, he became the architecture critic and real estate editor of The New York Post.
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