Trump Battle Update – No News Is Good News, For Now
Trump Battle Update: No news is good news, as the City has still not issued Trump and his development partners any building permits for their planned 45-story 'condo-hotel' at Spring and Varick Streets. GVSHP has charged that the proposed development, which would be the first 'condo-hotel' in a manufacturing zone in New York (which prohibits residential uses) would violate the zoning for the area. However, the City has yet to either issue a clear statement that the original plan, which the developers described as "more pied-a-terre than short-stay hotel—every unit will be sold to buyers who might live there year-round, time-to-time, or seasonally, would have violated the law. Nor has the City yet developed the clear set of guidelines we urged be adopted for this new breed of 'condo-hotels' to ensure that they are not used as “trojan horses” for introducing illegal high-rise development into our neighborhoods.
There are some positive developments, however. The Department of Buildings has finally agreed to meet with GVSHP and elected officials and other concerned groups to discuss the issue, something we have long asked for. Additionally, GVSHP continues to receive strong support in our fight against this plan from residents and community groups in other neighborhoods with similar zoning that would find themselves suddenly vulnerable to this type of new, illegal, high-rise 'condo-hotel' development if the Trump plan were approved, such as the Far West Village south of Morton Street, Tribeca, Noho, SoHo, Hudson Square, West Chelsea, western Hell's Kitchen, the Garment District, the Flatiron District, and industrial areas of Brooklyn and Queens (CLICK HERE for map.) Finally, State Senator Tom Duane, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, and Assemblymember Deborah Glick have all not only written to the City in opposition to the project, but have written to their fellow elected officials across the city urging them to oppose this project as well.
GVSHP continues to push the City not to issue permits for the currently planned development and to develop strict guidelines to prevent Trojan horse 'condo-hotels' from sneaking in illegal uses where the zoning prohibits them.
Next: 09/27/06
Previous: 08/11/06
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