Our treasured CHARAS/El Bohio was and continues to be a galvanizing force for good in the East Village.
— NYC Council Member Carlina Rivera (@CMCarlinaRivera) February 13, 2022
Proud to show love today with friends and neighbors, and look forward to working with @NYCMayor to return this cherished space to the community, its rightful owner. pic.twitter.com/V2FrDePaPh
Looking forward to working with @NYCMayor to preserve our beloved CHARAS / El Bohio Community Center. There is no reason why a precious building should sit vacant for decades while the need to connect families to services and resources is high. pic.twitter.com/0b9nVdidiR
— Harvey Epstein (@HarveyforNY) February 13, 2022
Tonight at 6:30, CB3's Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee will receive an update from the Charas Steering Committee. The public may attend via Zoom at this link. (This is the fourth item on the agenda.)On this Valentine’s Day Eve we aren’t asking for flowers, or chocolate or even a spa day, we’re asking for the return of the CHARAS/El Bohio Community Center!
— Senator Brad Hoylman (@bradhoylman) February 13, 2022
We’ve been fighting for 20+ years & we won’t stop until it’s once again serving the people of the Lower East Side. pic.twitter.com/9vCChszQCD
"There has been a call to return the building for community use in years past." - According to the 1993 terms of sale, that was the ONLY thing the building could be used for; not as a dorm, a condo, or anything else Singer has proposed over the years. Community use. Already something that was necessary in the area pre-pandemic, but how much moreso now?
ReplyDeleteListening to the testimonials that day made me realize what a jewel this building/center was for the community. People spoke of how this was a place where all were welcome, free classes in music, arts, etc... and probably most impressive a place for young people to be positively influenced by all of this. There was no better outreach structure in place at the time and it really was a travesty and criminal of the Mayor of that time, stole it from our community.
ReplyDeletenoble neolani said:
ReplyDeleteThere was no better outreach structure in place at the time and it really was a travesty and criminal of the Mayor of that time, stole it from our community.
And unfortunately, totally unsurprising. (I was one of the people who prepared to do civil disobedience the day of the sale.)
Why didnt they buy the building when it was auctioned? Why did the building go to auction?
ReplyDeleteNow a generation of kids and young adults who did not benefit from a useful arts space in a neighborhood that more than earned its place for an art-based community center, and why? Because of politics, a short-sighted mayor who did not care, and greedy real estate interests. All these politicians say over and over again how much they want to care for people and then they treat neighborhoods in these abysmal ways. It's just lip service. The RE lobby/interests always win in the end and neighborhoods and people in them suffer. I had hoped in vein that since the city took our park that someone somewhere could find a way to return this site to its former use. Heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteThey were even hosting job application and training events for teenagers from the neighborhood which nobody has even done , either then or now. I photographed one of the workshops for the NY Times and the teens were happy for the attention.
ReplyDeleteThe only way to re-acquire the building is for the city to pay FMV in an open market transaction. Even if the acquisition is through eminent domain just compensation is required. So the question is whether the city believes the acquisition, surely in the 10s of millions, and the subsequent rehabilitation of the building, again surely in the 10s of millions, is warranted to reestablish a community center. Given the extreme need for affordable housing and other pressing social needs it is highly unlikely the city will commit the necessary resources. So don’t get your hopes up.
ReplyDeleteThank you to all the elected officials and community organizers that showed up in a snow storm to prove their support to return Charas to the community. Thank you to the 100 plus neighbors that bundled up to stand united in their support in the snow. The turnout would have been even larger if the rally had been the previous day with 52 degree weather. We need Charas community center more than ever after the Boys Club on 10th and Avenue A was closed and sold to real estate interests. To combat the growth of gangs in the E.V., give the kids/teens safe places to gather with activities. Give seniors a center with wellness and art classes. Give the community a clean, free or low cost space for yoga and dance classes, author readings, art galleries for local artists, and so much more. We don't need a high-rise dorm or luxury housing tower with more population density in the East Village; we need a community center!
ReplyDeleteI’m still hoping they can turn this into something that the whole community can enjoy: a casino.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to the acquisition and re-hab of the building which as noted by 1:32 pm would be a great deal of money staffing, maintenance, security and insurance would be another long term boatload of money. Without some kind corporate or private sponsorship I don't see this building reopening exclusively as a community center. Mixed use with some type of retail would seem to me to be the only viable option. It's not 1977 anymore.
ReplyDeleteTurning this building into 100% community use would make this neighborhood sparkle and shine. There is a housing crisis in the city however this building is not part of the solution, if it were renovated. The result wouldn’t be many more apartments but a few luxury apartments so the building is best out to use as a community arts space. Especially since it’s so close to the park which NYC Parks barely has the capacity to maintain. Let alone mention the destruction of our East River Park has left the area without needed community space. Not everything in Manhattan has to be a capital investment for citywide issues.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't get my hopes up about Epstein and Rivera advocating forcefully and effectively for community use of Charas: they won't even advocate for real air quality monitoring or construction oversight at the current horror that is East River Park. Instead, construction trucks are driving along the esplanade, which is supposedly open to the public, more trees than originally planned are being cut down, air quality sucks, residents coughing, no bike lanes or effective and safe pedestrian detours.
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