Fighting Rivington House 2.0 at Old P.S. 64/Charas
GVSHP and allies rallied last week at City Hall (l.), to save the historic P.S. 64, (r.), from turning into a fake dorm, and to see it restored.
Last week GVSHP and fellow advocates, and local elected officials including Borough President Gale Brewer, rallied on the steps of City Hall to ensure that the City does NOT issue permits for a revolving-door dorm at 605 E. 9th Street, the former P.S. 64/Charas – El Bohio Community and Cultural Center (rally pictures here). GVSHP and our allies are very concerned that the developer here has hired the same lobbyist connected to the nearby Rivington House scandal where the City was convinced to lift a deed restriction on another former public school to allow non-community uses (in this case luxury condos) to occupy the space.
Here the lobbyist and developer are trying to convince the Department of Buildings to allow them to get around the deed restrictions by approving work without the required long-term lease with an accredited educational institution in place, and with 90% of the dorm beds open to rental by the developer rather than the school. Disturbingly, in 2016 the Department of Buildings already made a preliminary ruling that would allow this and other developers to skirt our hard-fought-for rules and get around strict requirements for new dorms, which we have called upon to be rescinded.
GVSHP and our allies fought hard many years ago to get this building landmarked and to get rules in place to prevent “fake dorms” or “revolving door” dorms from being allowed in the guise of real dormitories. GVSHP is also working with our allies and elected officials to compel the owner to adequately maintain the landmarked property, which has been stripped of architectural ornament and allowed to sit in a dangerous state of decay. We are also seeking the City’s assistance to ensure that a good, permanent, productive use is made of the building that will offer a true benefit to the community.
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Next: 10/16/17
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