Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Reminders: A rally at City Hall for the former Charas/El Bohio Community Center

ICYMI: Residents and supporters of the former Charas/El Bohio Community Center at 609 E. Ninth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C have organized a rally at City Hall for tomorrow, March 15. 

Per the invite, attendees will "demand the city right the wrongs of the past and return our community center."

The crowd will deliver 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.

The rally starts at 11 a.m. on the south plaza outside City Hall.

The action comes before the landmarked building heads to a foreclosure auction next Wednesday, March 22, at the Hilton New York Midtown Fifth Avenue. (There is a Facebook invite to "Stop the Auction.")

The property that developer Gregg Singer purchased during a city auction in 1998 for $3.15 million fell into foreclosure last year. Through the years, Singer wanted to turn the one-time P.S. 64 into a dorm (more here), though those plans never materialized. 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.  

Meanwhile, 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.

There's also a very detailed Charas model by Tom Manco on display in the window of the UltraViolet Visual Studio on Avenue B at 13th Street... (thanks to @jushotei for the photo)...
And another look...
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5 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 15, 2023 at 9:19 AM

    Fantastic art! Long live Charas/El Bohio! We'll get back the building that Guiliani and consorts robbed from us. We'll fight for democracy, for culture, for the, young, the old, for everyone to get back the space where created community, a united spirit of solidarity. A people united, will never be defeated!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMarch 15, 2023 at 10:06 AM

    Wow that model is awesome! Great work

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 16, 2023 at 8:08 AM

    WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2023 AT 9:30 AM
    STOP THE CHARAS AUCTION
    Hilton Midtown New York

    https://www.facebook.com/events/930317711637608

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousMarch 16, 2023 at 10:05 AM

    Any updates on the action

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kenny TogliaMarch 20, 2023 at 1:19 PM

    Please attend this Wednesday 930 am at 25 West 51 St. https://www.facebook.com/events/930317711637608

    ReplyDelete

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