Showing posts with label Gregg Singer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gregg Singer. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

ICYMI: After 26 years, Gregg Singer sells the former P.S. 64 for $57.1 million

ICYMI: The former P.S. 64/Charas/El Bohio Community Center at 605 E. Ninth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C has a new owner. (There was coverage in Crain's ... PincusCo and The Village Sun.)

In a transaction filed on Jan. 9, an entity going as 605 East 9th Community Holdings LLC bought the property from longtime owner Gregg Singer for $57,267,453, per public records. 

The LLC reportedly (per The Real Deal) has ties to Aaron Sosnick, a billionaire hedge fund manager who lives next door in the Christodora House. 

Denham Wolf Real Estate Services issued a statement saying that "a philanthropic entity with the purpose of returning the property to community use." (Denham Wolf Real Estate Services did not respond to an email seeking more information.

The bankruptcy auction in early November for the property was canceled. The Real Deal reported that "the property failed to solicit any bids outside of a $55 million credit bid from its lender."  Madison Realty Capital sold the loan secured by the property to 605 East 9th Community Holdings LLC.

Through the years, Singer, who bought the building from the city during an auction in 1998 for $3.1 million, wanted to turn the one-time P.S. 64 into a dorm, though those plans never materialized, and the building has sat in disrepair. The 135,000-square-foot landmarked building is zoned for “community facility use,” and any conversion to a condoplex or residential housing would require a zoning variance. 

As previously noted, some residents want to see the space used again as a community center, as it was during its time as Charas/El Bohio Community Center. Singer evicted the group on Dec. 27, 2001. 

Given Denham Wolf's statement, it appears that may happen someday, though the building needs a tremendous amount of work. Revisit our exclusive walk-through of the space here.

Friday, November 10, 2023

Report: Just 1 bid for the former P.S. 64 during its bankruptcy auction

The bankruptcy auction for the former P.S. 64/Charas/El Bohio Community Center at 605 E. Ninth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C was reportedly canceled this week. 

The Real Deal reported that "the property failed to solicit any bids outside of a $55 million credit bid from its lender."

A few weeks back, per TRD, Madison Realty Capital sold the loan secured by the property to 605 East 9th Community Holdings LLC, which allegedly has ties to Aaron Sosnick, a billionaire hedge fund manager who lives next door in the Christodora House.

As we first reported, the building was headed to a bankruptcy sale on Nov. 8 — this past Wednesday. 

So what happened? 
Real estate adviser Hilco claims it marketed the property, spoke to over 50 people and conducted individual site tours for four separate groups. But it ultimately received no offers, according to a letter obtained by The Real Deal

Buyers were turned off by the building's landmark status and the various difficulties Singer had obtaining building permits, according to Hilco. Others lost interest after reading about "the billionaire neighbor who wants to control the property."
It's unclear then what might happen next to the long-vacant property that Gregg Singer bought in a city auction in 1998. Given the history here, the narrative will likely take several more twists and turns.

Through the years, Singer wanted to turn the one-time P.S. 64 into a dorm, though those plans never materialized, and the building has sat in disrepair. The 135,000-square-foot building is zoned for “community facility use,” and any conversion to a condoplex or residential housing would require a zoning variance. 

As previously noted, some residents want to see the space used again as a community center, as it was during its time as Charas/El Bohio Community Center. Singer evicted the group on Dec. 27, 2001. 

Sosnick also reportedly bought the former Boys' Club of New York on 10th Street and Avenue A, now home to the Joyce Theater, several nonprofit arts groups, and a gallery. 

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Report: LLC pays $44 million for the loan to the former P.S. 64

There's a new plot twist in the decades-long saga involving the former P.S. 64/Charas/El Bohio Community Center at 605 E. Ninth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

According to The Real Deal, Madison Realty Capital "has sold the $44 million loan secured by the property." The buyer is reportedly 605 East 9th Community Holdings LLC, repped by David Pfeffer of NYC firm Tarter Krinsky Drogin.

A lawyer for Gregg Singer, who bought the property in a city auction in 1998 for $3.15 million, claims that Aaron Sosnick, a billionaire hedge fund manager who lives next door in the Christodora House, is behind the LLC. 

The Real Deal also published a series of emails and texts between consultant Paul Wolf and Sosnick — obtained by Singer through a freedom of information request — that show an interest in acquiring the building. (Sosnick and Pfeffer did not return TRD's request for comment, while Madison Realty Group declined.)

As we first reported, the building is headed to a bankruptcy sale on Nov. 8. Per TRD: "The owner of the loan can bid using the debt, making it the clear favorite to acquire the property."

In January 2022, Supreme Court Justice Melissa Crane ruled that Madison Realty Capital could move forward with a foreclosure against Singer after years of delay. 

Madison Realty Capital reportedly provided Singer with a $44 million loan on the property in 2016. Court records show that he failed to repay the balance by its maturity date in April 2016, and by that September, the lender filed to foreclose.

Through the years, Singer wanted to turn the one-time P.S. 64 into a dorm (more here), though those plans never materialized, and the building has sat in disrepair. The 135,000-square-foot building is zoned for “community facility use,” any conversion to a condoplex or residential housing would require a zoning variance. 

As previously noted, some residents want to see the space used again as a community center, as it was during its time as Charas/El Bohio Community Center. Singer evicted the group on Dec. 27, 2001. 

Sosnick also reportedly bought the former Boys' Club of New York on 10th Street and Avenue A, now home to the Joyce Theater, several nonprofit arts groups, and a gallery. 

In August 2019, Crain's first reported that Sosnick, founder of the investment fund A.R.T. Advisors LLC, was the new owner, buying the 7-floor building for $31.725 million with the intention of selling the property, "potentially at a substantial loss," to a nonprofit that would maintain its civic use. 

Thursday, September 21, 2023

ICYMI: The former P.S. 64/Charas is headed to a bankruptcy sale

As we first reported on Sept. 13, the former P.S. 64/Charas/El Bohio Community Center is headed to a bankruptcy sale this fall. 

The auction date for the long-vacant property at 605 E. Ninth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C is Nov. 8... and the qualified bid deadline is Oct. 18.

Yesterday, the Illinois-based Hilco Real Estate, a national real estate disposition services provider, issued a news release about the upcoming sale. 

Most of the information is the same that was on Hilco's website — with an exception (bold ours): 
With an interior that is now down to the studs, the building presents an opportunity for the approved construction of 535 beds for a student/college dormitory or alternatively offers a developer or investor the potential to help mitigate the current homeless and migrant crisis by using the building for that purpose
The 135,000-square-foot building is zoned for "community facility use." According to city records, a full stop-work order has been in place via the Department of Buildings since August 2015.

This piece published by THE CITY in March has more background about owner Gregg Singer's efforts here ...
In the 22 years since Singer evicted local activists, he has been unable to get needed approvals to modify the building and garner revenue. In 2006, the city Landmarks Preservation Commission protected the building as historically significant, which prevented any construction of additional floors and protected those elements of the building’s edifice that Singer had not already destroyed
Singer’s subsequent plan to turn the building into collegiate dorms were complicated by the arrival of Rule 51, also known as the Dorm Rule, which gives control over the building to the educational institution — rather than the landlord — and mandates 10-year leases. At different times, Adelphi University and Cooper Union tentatively agreed to lease the building before backing out of negotiations, according to court documents
Local elected officials have urged all three mayors who have passed through City Hall since the building's purchase to intervene and return the building to the community. None have acted.

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

The former P.S. 64/Charas is now headed to a bankruptcy sale

The former P.S. 64/Charas/El Bohio Community Center is headed to a bankruptcy sale later this fall. 

According to the Hilco Real Estate (HRE) website, the auction date for the long-vacant property at 605 E. Ninth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C is Nov. 8. (Bankruptcy Sale | Southern District of New York (Manhattan) | Petition No. 23-10423-dsj, In re: 9th & 10th Street LLC.)

The qualified bid deadline is Oct. 18, with on-site inspections starting today. 

Per the HRE website: 
Once a school steeped in history, this six-story building with it's striking architecture was designated an individual landmark by New York City in 2006. The interior is down to the studs and approved for the construction of student/college dormitory use with a capacity for 535 beds. Notably, several area schools have expressed strong interest in leasing upon completion providing the developer instant leaseup. By repurposing this site, the East Village community can both enhance its cultural vitality and meet the critical demand for comfortable and convenient accommodations for the expanding population of NYC.
The day before a foreclosure auction in March, developer Gregg Singer put the long-vacant property into bankruptcy protectionthe latest maneuver in his nearly 25 years of being involved with the building. This action came two months after New York State Justice Melissa Crane ordered the foreclosure and sale of the former school and community center. 

Adam Pincus at PincusCo reported in March
Singer claimed the five-story building has assets and liabilities both above $100 million, and that there would be funds to make payments to the more than two dozen creditors. Madison Realty Capital filed the pre-foreclosure action in 2018 that triggered the foreclosure sale, only two years after giving Singer a $44 million loan secured by the property. 

As of a February 2022 referee's report, the property had debts of $89.98 million.
As Pincus noted, "Singer's move to protect his ownership of the building is part of an extensive involvement of the courts over the years."

Singer purchased the property during a city auction in 1998 for $3.15 million. Through the years, Singer wanted to turn the one-time P.S. 64 into a dorm (more here), though those plans never materialized, and the building has sat in disrepair, prompting the city to take emergency measures to seal it up in late 2022. 

Some residents want to see the space used again as a community center, as it was during its time as Charas/El Bohio Community Center. Singer evicted the group on Dec. 27, 2001. There was a petition in circulation earlier this year titled, "Save Charas Community Center! Stop the Private Auction!" The petition stated, "Demand Mayor Adams use eminent domain to return the center to the people!" 

The 135,000-square-foot building is zoned for "community facility use." (Any conversion to residential housing would require a zoning variance.) The DOB's Stop Work Order dating to August 2015 is still in effect. The DOB lifted the Full Vacate Order (from February 2019) last week to "allow inspection by city's licensed engineers with owner and owner's engineer," according to public records. 

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Community group urges Mayor Adams to reacquire the former P.S. 64/CHARAS 'now'

EVG file photo via Stacie Joy 

The coalition Save Our Community Center, CHARAS, former P.S. 64 (SOCCC-64) has embarked on a new letter-writing campaign to urge Mayor Adams to reacquire the long-vacant property on Ninth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

The time is past due for the city to act in the interest of the community and intervene to restore this once-vital community resource to its former use. 

Send a letter to the Mayor asking him to take steps to reacquire CHARAS now! 
You can find the link here

The campaign is the first activity we've heard from here since mid-March, when the day before the foreclosure auction of the address, developer Gregg Singer put the long-vacant property into bankruptcy protection, the latest maneuver in a long saga.

On March 15, SOCCC-64, community leaders and residents hand-delivered a letter from local elected officials — including Councilmember Carlina Rivera, Congressman Dan Goldman, Assemblymember Harvey Epstein and State Sen. Brian Kavanagh — to City Hall requesting a meeting as soon as possible to discuss reacquiring 609 E. Ninth St.

The five-floor landmarked building is zoned for "community facility use," Any conversion to residential housing would require a zoning variance. The long-standing Stop Work Order and Full Vacate are still on file with the Department of Buildings.

Singer wanted to turn the building into a dorm (more here), though those plans never materialized. 

In late December, New York State Justice Melissa Crane ordered the foreclosure and sale of the former P.S. 64 with a default, including penalties and interest totaling approximately $90 million.

The property that Singer purchased from the city in 1998 for $3.15 million fell into foreclosure last year and was reportedly in the hands of lender Madison Realty Capital.  

In October 2017, then-Mayor de Blasio's statement at a Town Hall put forth the idea that the city would take steps to reacquire the building. According to published reports, the Mayor said he'd work to "right the wrongs of the past."  (Recently revealed emails show that de Blasio's aides thought his efforts to buy the property were "nuts.") 

Some residents want to see the space used again as a community center, as it was during its time as Charas/El Bohio Community Center. Singer evicted the group on Dec. 27, 2001. 

Thursday, March 23, 2023

At the long-vacant former P.S. 64/CHARAS, more 'frivolous court actions to tie up the property'

Top photo by Stacie Joy from January; 2nd photo from last week by Duke9 

On Tuesday, the day before the foreclosure auction of the former P.S. 64/CHARAS at 605 E. Ninth St., developer Gregg Singer put the long-vacant property into bankruptcy protection, the latest maneuver in his nearly 25 years of being involved with the property between Avenue B and Avenue C. (First reported by PincusCo.)

Representatives of the coalition Save Our Community Center, CHARAS, former P.S. 64 (SOCCC-64) were planning on a celebration yesterday following the auction of the property "because it would have allowed the City to begin negotiations to re-acquire the building and return it as a cultural and community center to the neighborhood." 

Instead, per a statement from SOCCC-64: 
This is yet another in a long series of frivolous court actions to tie up the property and try and force a settlement that would allow Singer to violate the use restrictions on the building and construct a youth hostel that he is trying to pass off as a dormitory. 
On March 15, SOCCC-64, community leaders and residents hand-delivered a letter from local elected officials — including Councilmember Carlina Rivera, Congressman Dan Goldman, Assemblymember Harvey Epstein and State Sen. Brian Kavanagh — to City Hall requesting a meeting as soon as possible to discuss re-acquiring the center. (Read more about the rally here.)
Meanwhile, as The Real Deal reported, Singer is also in litigation over the property with the city and former Mayor Bill de Blasio.
He sued in 2018, claiming a conspiracy blocked his efforts to redevelop the building. Singer is now seeking to amend the lawsuit.

The city had not owned the property since selling it to Singer during the Giuliani administration, yet the developer alleges the offer "prompted the city to go from a slow walk to a full stop by categorically and unconditionally denying" him building permits.

Singer's attorney filed a motion seeking to amend his complaint. The proposed amended complaint was filed under seal.

Singer said in a statement that the amended complaint "will lift the curtain revealing the city's actions under Mayor de Blasio."
The 135,000-square-foot landmarked building is zoned for "community facility use," Any conversion to residential housing would require a zoning variance. The long-standing Stop Work Order and Full Vacate are still on file with the Department of Buildings.

Singer wanted to turn the building into a dorm (more here), though those plans never materialized. (In past years, the Joffrey Ballet and Cooper Union were attached to the project.) 

In late December, New York State Justice Melissa Crane ordered the foreclosure and sale of the former P.S. 64 with a default, including penalties and interest totaling approximately $90 million.

The property that Singer purchased from the city in 1998 for $3.15 million fell into foreclosure last year and was reportedly in the hands of lender Madison Realty Capital.  

In October 2017, then-Mayor de Blasio's statement at a Town Hall put forth the idea that the city would take steps to reacquire the building. According to published reports, the Mayor said he'd work to "right the wrongs of the past." 

Some residents want to see the space used again as a community center, as it was during its time as Charas/El Bohio Community Center. Singer evicted the group on Dec. 27, 2001. There's a petition in circulation titled, "Save Charas Community Center! Stop the Private Auction!" Per the petition, which states, "Demand Mayor Adams use eminent domain to return the center to the people!" (You can find the petition here.) 

With more legal proceedings and what critics refer to as delay tactics ahead, the building will continue to sit empty for the foreseeable future. 

THE CITY has a recap on what's been happening to date here ... with comments from Councilmember Rivera.

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Report: Gregg Singer places the former P.S. 64/Charas into bankruptcy protection

The auction of the former P.S. 64/Charas/El Bohio Community Center will NOT be happening after all today.

Developer Gregg Singer has reportedly placed his long-dormant property at 605 E. Ninth St. into bankruptcy protection ... two months after New York State Justice Melissa Crane ordered the foreclosure and sale of the former school and community center between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

This development comes right as an auction for the landmarked building was set to take place today at the Hilton New York Midtown Fifth Avenue. 

Adam Pincus at PincusCo has the scoop
Singer claimed the five-story building has assets and liabilities both above $100 million, and that there would be funds to make payments to the more than two dozen creditors. Madison Realty Capital filed the pre-foreclosure action in 2018 that triggered the foreclosure sale, only two years after giving Singer a $44 million loan secured by the property. 

As of a February 2022 referee's report, the property had debts of $89.98 million.
As Pincus notes, "Singer's move to protect his ownership of the building is part of an extensive involvement of the courts over the years."

Now there will be more court activity to sort out the bankruptcy litigation.

Singer purchased the property during a city auction in 1998 for $3.15 million. Through the years, Singer wanted to turn the one-time P.S. 64 into a dorm (more here), though those plans never materialized, and the building has sat in disrepair, prompting the city to take emergency measures to seal it up in late 2022. 

Some residents want to see the space used again as a community center, as it was during its time as Charas/El Bohio Community Center. Singer evicted the group on Dec. 27, 2001. There's a petition in circulation titled, "Save Charas Community Center! Stop the Private Auction!" Per the petition, which states, "Demand Mayor Adams use eminent domain to return the center to the people!" (You can find the petition here.)

The 135,000-square-foot building is zoned for "community facility use," Any conversion to residential housing would require a zoning variance.

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Report: The former Charas/P.S. 64 is headed to auction this March

After another round of legal rulings, the former P.S. 64/Charas/El Bohio Community Center is headed to a foreclosure auction in March. 

According to The Real Deal, a court-appointed referee last week set an auction for the property at the Hilton New York Midtown Fifth Avenue on March 22. (As previously noted, the 135,000-square-foot building is zoned for "community facility use." Any conversion to a condoplex or residential housing would require a time-consuming zoning variance.)

Late last year, Judge Melissa Crane "agreed with a report from a court-appointed referee that Madison was owed $89.9 million for principal, interest and other charges." 

Per TRD
Singer disputed the interest and charges, arguing that the report lacked a "breakdown by month of the Prime and LIBOR rates, making it impossible to verify the accuracy of the calculations." 

Crane quickly shot down that argument. "The note explains the method for calculating the relevant interest rate in its first paragraph," she said. 
Singer vows to keep fighting despite the scheduled auction, citing new evidence he was "finally able to obtain," The Real Deal reported. 
"We expect our rights will be fully vindicated and we will ultimately prevail and be allowed to have the building be a benefit to the community," he said.
In recent weeks, workers — under emergency orders via the DOB — have been sealing up the building's Ninth Street and 10th Street sides between Avenue B and Avenue C. The former school and community center had been easy to access in recent years, attracting a variety of urban thrillseekers and partygoers. The broken windows and poorly secured doors also exposed the building to the elements — not to mention pigeons and other wildlife.

The property that Singer purchased from the city in 1998 for $3.15 million fell into foreclosure last year. Through the years, Singer wanted to turn the building into a dorm (more here), though those plans never materialized. (At one point, the Joffrey Ballet and Cooper Union were attached to the project.)

In October 2017, then-Mayor de Blasio's statement at a Town Hall put forth the idea that the city would take steps to reacquire the building. 

Some residents want to see the space used again as a community center, as it was during its time as Charas/El Bohio Community Center. Singer evicted the group on Dec. 27, 2001.  

Thursday, December 29, 2022

Gregg Singer's reign as owner of the former of P.S. 64 is said to be over

Photos yesterday by Stacie Joy 

Gregg Singer's nearly 23-year tenure as owner of the former P.S. 64 on Ninth Street has apparently come to an end. 

According to a press release from members of Save Our Community Center CHARAS/former P.S. 64 (SOCCC-64), Singer has been found in default of his mortgage and the property has been foreclosed. 

Last Friday, New York State Justice Melissa Crane ordered the foreclosure and sale of the former P.S. 64 at 605 E. Ninth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C with a default, including penalties and interest totaling approximately $90 million.

The order could send the property back to auction within 90 days, according to SOCCC-64. You can read Crane's 20-page decision and order here.

The property that Singer purchased from the city in 1998 for $3.15 million fell into foreclosure earlier this year and was reportedly in the hands of lender Madison Realty Capital. 

The five-floor building is being offered for use as medical space or educational-related purposes. Meanwhile, some residents want to see the space used again as a community center, as it was during its time as Charas/El Bohio Community Center. Singer evicted the group on Dec. 27, 2001. 

It's important to note that the 135,000-square-foot building is zoned for “community facility use” and any conversion to a condoplex or residential housing would require a time-consuming zoning variance.

In October 2017, then-Mayor de Blasio's statement at a Town Hall put forth the idea that the city would take steps to reacquire the building. According to published reports, the Mayor said he'd work to "right the wrongs of the past." 

SOCCC-64 members hope that Mayor Adams considers this request. Per the group's press release: "We are excited to finally have the opportunity to return the building to full community use, and are ready to work with Mayor Adams to restore this once vibrant community hub," said Chino Garcia, co-founder of Charas.

Singer wanted to turn the building into a dorm (more here), though those plans never materialized. (In past years, the Joffrey Ballet and Cooper Union were attached to the project.) 

Meanwhile, work continues at the site. As we first reported on Dec. 21, workers arrived at the site ...
A worker on the scene told this to EVG contributor Stacie Joy yesterday: "Our job is to completely seal up the building. It's dangerous in there."
The long-standing Stop Work Order and Full Vacate are still on file with the department of buildings.

For a detailed history of Singer and the space, you can check out this article at The Village Voice.

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Workers arrive with construction materials at the former P.S. 64 on 9th Street

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Workers arrived yesterday and began to unload construction materials, including cement and cinder blocks, plywood, 2x4s and fire suppressants at the long-vacant former P.S. 64, 605 E. Ninth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C.
It's not immediately clear what the scope of the work will entail. The long-standing Stop Work Order and Full Vacant are still on file with the department of buildings.
As always with this address, there's an air of mystery about what is happening. No new work permits were spotted on-site, where none of the workers were seen wearing protective gear while entering the building that has been vacant for 21 years. (There's speculation among some P.S. 64 watchers that workers will be sealing up the entrances to keep people from entering the premises.)

The property that Gregg Singer purchased from the city in 1998 for $3.15 million fell into foreclosure earlier this year and is reportedly in the hands of lender Madison Realty Capital. 

The five-floor building is being offered for use as medical space or educational-related purposes. Meanwhile, some residents want to see the space used again as a community center, as it was during its time as Charas/El Bohio Community Center. Singer evicted the group on Dec. 27, 2001. 

Last week, Sarah Ferguson filed a lengthy feature for The Village Voice about what has transpired. Among many other things, no one knows who owns the property now. 
This past January, a court ruled that Madison Realty Capital, a $10 billion global private equity firm, can foreclose on the property. Although Singer is fighting that too, he appears to be running out of money. Singer now owes Madison nearly $90 million in interest and principal, along with late fees and interest charges of $30,000 per day, which started accruing as of the January 20 court judgment, according to a report compiled by a court-appointed referee. 

Singer's attorneys and Madison Realty Capital did not respond to numerous calls and emails seeking clarification on the current ownership status of the building or their intentions for it. Both sides were supposed to appear in court in June, but the meeting was postponed, so the fate of this old school is still in limbo.
Some local elected officials, residents and Charas supporters are hopeful the limbo doesn't last another 20-plus years.

Sunday, October 9, 2022

Public art returns to the former CHARAS/El Bohio Community Center

Photos by Kenny Toglia 

Public art has returned to the former CHARAS/El Bohio Community Center on Ninth Street/10th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

There's a new installation on the property titled "Pumpkin Dome" via the Buckyteers, a radical art/engineering collective. The group is reclaiming the space for the community "and tells big real estate to back off," per a statement.
... group member Mark Chaos...
The five-floor building became the CHARAS/El Bohio Community Center after P.S. 64 left in the mid-1970s. New landlord Gregg Singer reportedly evicted the group in December 2001. He bought the property from the city during an auction in 1998 for $3.15 million, and it has remained vacant for 20-plus years.


Meanwhile, Madison Realty Capital has moved forward with a foreclosure against Singer ... and, as we first reported, the building is now being pitched for use as a medical facility or for educational purposes. 

H/T John Penley

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Long-vacant P.S. 64 now being pitched for medical use, educational purposes

Photo from July by Stacie Joy

The former P.S. 64 at 605 E. Ninth St., a point of contention in the neighborhood for the past 20-plus years, is now being offered for use as medical space or educational-related purposes. 

An EVG tipster points us to a new listing from late last week at LoopNet. According to the listing, 156,000 square feet of space is available for sale or lease here between Avenue B and Avenue C via Wexler Healthcare Properties at the Corcoran Group.
The listing states: 
The redevelopment and historic restoration of this century-old landmark, a former New York City elementary school, can be transformed into a variety of modern, amenity-rich opportunities, including:  
• Student Dormitories
• Education Center College
• Satellite Campus 
• Medical Center 
• Nursing Home 
• Assisted Living
The listing also notes that the property "can be made Article 28 compliant" and "leasehold condo structure considered."

The building became the CHARAS/El Bohio Community Center after the school left in 1977. New landlord Gregg Singer reportedly evicted the group in December 2001. He bought the property from the city during an auction in 1998 for $3.15 million.

As previously reported, ownership of the property had been in transition. In January, Supreme Court Justice Melissa Crane ruled that Madison Realty Capital could move forward with a foreclosure against Singer after years of delay. 

Madison Realty Capital reportedly provided Singer with a $44 million loan on the property in 2016. Court records show that he failed to repay the balance by its maturity date in April 2016, and by that September, the lender filed to foreclose, as reported by The Real Deal.

Now we're back to some familiar proposed uses for the space. Singer wanted to turn the building into a dorm (more here), though those plans never materialized. (In past years, the Joffrey Ballet and Cooper Union were attached to the project.) 

There was also a moment when the building could have been used for medical purposes: In March 2020, Singer reportedly offered the building to the city for use in treating patients with COVID. The city declined.

The address has multiple open fines and violations with the Department of Buildings, which still has a Stop Work Order (dating to August 2015) and a Full Vacate Order (from February 2019).


The five-story building has been vacant for 20-plus years.

Thursday, July 21, 2022

Seth Tobocman on the story behind a long-covered mural on 9th Street

Interview and images by Stacie Joy 

For 22 years, from 1979 to 2001, 605 E. Ninth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C served as the home to the Charas/El Bohio Community & Cultural Center.

At its peak, it was used by thousands each year, and hosted a wide array of activity: community meetings, children’s programming, art exhibits, music concerts, film screenings, plays, dance recitals, bicycle recycling, construction training, a substance abuse treatment, and political organizing. 
Unfortunately, the abandoned building, the onetime P.S. 64, has sat in disrepair for more than 20 years. (See the end of the post for more background.)

Workers recently removed the plywood from the Ninth Street side, revealing artwork from the days leading up to Charas’ eviction in 2001, including a drawing by longtime East Village-based artist-illustrator Seth Tobocman (above)

The art reads:
A 7-year-old drew this picture at a class here at Charas. The boy was upset because he and his family had found the body of a woman who had been decapitated on their doorstep. That was in the 1980s when they called the Lower East Side the warzone. Now all of N.Y.C. is a warzone. The world is a bad neighborhood. We need cultural centers like Charas more than ever to keep our sanity.
We reached out to Tobocman to learn more about the piece and the story he referenced in the painting. 

How did it feel to see your recently uncovered work in front of Charas? When we first sent you the image, you expressed surprise at seeing it — it had been under plywood for 20-plus years.

When EV Grieve first contacted me, asking me whether I had a mural at Charas, I said “no” because I had completely forgotten about this project. But when I saw the photograph, I immediately remembered it. 

It is strange that this artwork was covered over with plywood to emerge almost intact 20-plus years later like some kind of time capsule, and it makes the past seem close and far away at the same time.

Can you tell us how that work came to be? Why did Charas invite you and other artists to paint the walls outside the building? 

We painted these murals — with Charas’ permission — because the building was facing eviction, and this was a form of protest. Our group, World War 3 Arts In Action, was an artist collective formed to provide signs and banners for the protests against the invasion of Iraq. It included Christopher Cardinales, Sharron Kwik, Samantha Wilson, Carlo Quispe, Diane Jarvis, and others. 

We volunteered to paint these murals ... We started in the afternoon and continued into the evening. Eventually, the police stopped us saying, “No graffiti!” out of a loudspeaker. We did not consider this to be graffiti because we had Charas’ permission. We complied with the police order to avoid creating an incident that might reflect negatively on Charas.
Can you walk us through the story of the child’s drawing referenced in the work? You’ve held on to that piece since the early 1980s. How has it informed the art you created at that time? 

In 1983, an older community organizer, Fred Siedan, started the art classes at Charas with Lupe Garnica’s nonprofit, Chicana Raza Group of the Performing Arts, acting as an umbrella organization and occasionally providing a very small amount of funding. 

A number of artists were concerned about the role of art galleries in gentrifying the Lower East Side. We wanted to find positive ways for artists to work with the community. Eric Drooker and Paula Hewitt Amram had organized a tenant union called Angry NOHO Tenants or ANT. 

I was involved in a rent strike in my building. Sabrina Jones was working with a feminist art group called Carnival Knowledge that had studio space in Charas. We all worked on the magazine World War 3 Illustrated and did political postering and stencil graffiti in the neighborhood. 

Seidan invited us to teach classes. He said the real purpose of these art classes was to keep the kids away from the drug operation, which dominated the blocks around Charas. Parents would bring us all their kids, from toddlers to teenagers. 

Classes were very orderly because the older kids kept their younger siblings in line. Kids liked the classes so much that sometimes I would be walking through the neighborhood, and a group of children would stop me and ask, “When are we gonna have art class again?” 

One day I walked into class and saw this group of very small children sitting in one corner talking quietly to one another. Now that’s unusual, small kids talking quietly. So I listened in. The kids had found the body of a woman who had been decapitated. They were telling each other about this. Trying to describe it. Trying to figure out what it meant. 

I was fascinated by their plain but forceful language, without adjectives, value judgments or cliches. One of the kids eventually painted this wild picture of a screamy-faced woman. At the time, I was trying to do political art, but my real influences were comic books and science fiction illustrations. I really had not found my voice as a writer. 

After hearing the kids, I resolved to learn to write the way they talked and to draw the way they drew. The result was an account of my own witness to violence on the streets of New York called “I Saw A Man Bleed To Death,” which was the beginning of the art and writing style most people associate with my work. I owe a lot to those kids.
When was the last time you were inside Charas and what do you hope becomes of the building? 

The last time I was in Charas was as part of a protest against the murder of Brad Will. A crowd broke in and held the building for about an hour. 

Charas was where the East Village art scene met the Nuyorican art scene, but always on terms set by Puerto Rican community organizers. New York still needs a place like that.
As previously reported, ownership of the property is in transition. In January, Supreme Court Justice Melissa Crane ruled that Madison Realty Capital could move forward with a foreclosure against building landlord Gregg Singer after years of delay. 

Madison Realty Capital reportedly provided Singer with a $44 million loan on the property in 2016. Court records show that he failed to repay the balance by its maturity date in April 2016, and by that September, the lender filed to foreclose, as reported by The Real Deal.

Singer bought the property during a city auction in 1998 for $3.15 million. He has wanted to turn the building into a dorm, though those plans never materialized. There has been a call to return the building for community use in years past. 

The building became the Charas/El Bohio Community Center after the school left in 1977. The group was evicted in December 2001 when Singer took over as the landlord.