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.
my psychic abilities tell me...a dwelling for the rich or the children of the rich.
ReplyDeleteI asked the workers yesterday how much they thought it would cost to get the building up to code & operational — since no local electeds seem willing to answer that. 10 million? 20 million? 40 million? They replied “more.”
ReplyDeleteIf that’s true — coupled with the buy back cost — how could this building ever be returned to the community. The city already pulled our full time gardener from Tompkins because they couldn’t pay the salary.
The City under Guiliani robbed this building from the community, for which it had served over decades as a thriving, Puerto Rican-led, cultural center. Guiliani got it auctioned off for little more than $3 million to Singer, who tried to get around the deed restriction for community use so that he could reap windfall profits. Yes, it will be costly now for the City to correct the racist wrong committed by Guiliani and allowed to go on under Bloomberg and DeBlasio. DeBlasio promised a return before each of his two elections but lost interest once he was elected. Mayo Adam's has now a chance to deliver and clean himself from the stench of too cozy relations with questionable monies interests. This community will not give up the fight for its cultural center. Its spirit will not be stifled.
ReplyDeleteGiuliani was the absolute worst mayor in my 60 plus years living in NYC. I found it repulsive when he got praise when the World Trade Center got nailed. It was nothing but a photo op for this now drunken fool.
DeleteI KEEP saying that the city has ALWAYS had the ability to take this building through EMINENT DOMAIN. It is CLEARLY "blighted" and abandoned.
ReplyDeleteThe School Construction Authority has the budget to reclaim buildings like this one that was BUILT as a SCHOOL and rehab them, so the money and labor force are already in place.
In short, there is NO EXCUSE for this to continue any longer.
-- Chris Flash
MORUS Museum of Urban Reclaimed Space aka the Squatter Museum I have no doubt plans to squat the building and have their supporters renovate it. If not that they will continue doing once a year protests with the Preservation group for another 20 years.
ReplyDeleteTurn it in to a soup kitchen
ReplyDeletenote to John Penley....the 1980s and 90s are over...it is the year 2022 about to be 2023...most of the squatters you are referring to are senior citizens now...you live in Las Vegas! you have for 3 years now!...go outside to a casino or find a great food deal!...get off your computer and make some friends in your new community!....have a great Holiday!
ReplyDeleteNote to Mac Magill....I had to move to Vegas because of my anti-gentrification history in the East Village since Vegas was the only city I could find that I could rent an apartment with no background check. Google my name and see. I am also on a neo nazi hit list because of my national anti-klan anti-nazi work and I need to live in a place where I can have a firearm in case they follow up on their Anti-watch hit list threats. Anyway instead of doing something you trash me and FYI the last time I was at Charas some people I have never seen before blew up two cars and tried to kill or frame me. Anyway enough time spent on someone who never did anything but push bad artwork and go to art shows and did nothing for actual squatters. FYI I have just been informed that this work at Charas was done by the city and they are charging Singer for it. This is a direct result of my and the other Guardians activity both there and on the internet. The coverage came about because of my connections.
ReplyDeleteWhile Mac and his MORUS buddies do art shows and glorify hardcore skinheads in photo parties at C Squat I contacted a New York civil rights attorney today about this https://www.thecity.nyc/2022/12/16/23513490/residents-cold-baruch-houses-boiler-broken and also that half of the NYCHA residents city wide are behind on rent and NYCHA cannot afford repairs because of this.
ReplyDeleteYou the one going on about MORUS/CSquat here
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