As I first reported on June 21, the Boys' Club of New York is selling its Harriman Clubhouse building on the northwest corner of 10th Street and Avenue A.
And developer Gregg Singer, who has been trying to turn the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on Ninth Street into a dorm these past 20 years, has the perfect buyer for the Boys' Club — the city.
Community activists, preservationists and some local elected officials have long been opposed to Singer's plans, and want to see a return to use as a cultural and community center.
So people want a community center? In Singer's estimation, the Boys' Club is the building for that, as he told Patch in an interview published yesterday.
"It's next to Tompkins Square Park, it's a couple of blocks from this property, it's in good condition, its got a pool, basketball court, music rooms, art rooms — it's crazy. So it's ready to go," said Singer, on a recent tour of the gutted former P.S. 64. "We've put about $65 million hard and soft costs to renovate this property. There, it's already in existence so if they really do need a community center, there you go, it's right in your lap."
Reaction!
"It's sort of a ludicrous idea," said Andrew Berman, the executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. "The connection that this community feels to the community center is very strong and it has remained strong for decades and the community's resolve to get this building back [will not be] diverted."
Last October, Mayor de Blasio said that his administration would take steps to reacquire the property ... without actually offering any further details on how the city would do this.
Meanwhile, the Boys' Club building, which opened in 1901, will remain in operation through June 2019.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Boys' Club of New York selling East Village building; will remain open through June 2019
The Times explores the past, present and future of the former P.S. 64
10 comments:
...because Gregg Singer only wants the best for us. And because what we need is more dorms, more students, more impermanence, more condos, more construction, more destruction...
"I don't think there are any truths. There are only points of view." A.G.
I'm now of the opinion that these big real estate developers are all psychopath megalomaniacs.
Could Greg Singer be any more clueless if he tried? Please don't tell the city what to do with the Boys Club in order to deflect from your little shitshow on the opposite side of the park. Remember, if the City can buy the Boys Club, they can also buy your building too.
Just forming that opinion now?
Singer is just trolling, of course, although he's absolutely right -- the city should buy that building, and the city should continue to block his rancid ass every time he tries to move forward on developing it, with the goal of eventually reacquiring it. District schools are sufficiently overcrowded that we could easily fill both buildings, and of course there's a need for arts and community spaces, especially with Clemente Solo Velez teetering.
The problem is that Singer is sitting pretty as long as he's paying himself princely management fees for desecrating the property, and his investors don't seem frustrated enough to force a move.
Singer always sounds certifiable. And De Blasio TALKS a good game, but his follow-through is about nil. Whatever he said about the city buying the Boys Club amounts to just that much more hot air in the atmosphere.
Singer's comments about the Boys Club exposes our "progressive" city government for what it really is: no better than Trump. "Progressives" believe in the power of the common man. But who is the common man? I would think the kids who use the Boys Club qualify. But New York pols are more interested in immigration than in the Boys Club. Not one politician has spoken up or about or made a cause of the Boys Club. But they have all chimed in and let the public know about immigration. That is so sad. ONE PARTY RULE. WHERE HAS IT GOTTEN US?
The city should not buy the building because they would use $tolen $$$ to do so. Taxation is theft and is the underpinning of crony capitalism.
Sell it on the market to the highest bidder, jerk.
If DeBlasio was gonna play hardball with Singer it would already be happening. There's an epic lawsuit that Singer signed the original lease in bad faith waiting to happen. Blas talks good but is very developer friendly in his actions.
@11:42 AM - I'm all for blocking Singer whatever he tries to do (he's operated in bad faith since he got the building) but District 1 schools aren't overcrowded. As an example, two local middle schools are being merged next school year for lack of students. What the city should do with the building besides blocking Singer I'm not sure but I'm personally fine with keeping it empty until Singer's finally beaten and hopefully bankrupt.
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