The auction of the former P.S. 64/Charas/El Bohio Community Center will NOT be happening after all today.
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.
Squat it and tell Singer to F OFF !!!
ReplyDeleteHas there been an organized plan put forth to restore this to community use if the activists get what they are asking for? As a landmarked building, the challenges to restoring this to safe condition are extremely expensive (easily tens of millions of dollars) and require a specialized team of architects/engineers/contractors working in tandem with DOB and the landmarks commission. The city simply isn't going to allow squatters to take over this building and fix it with sweat equity like the 1970s/80s.
ReplyDeleteIf those advocating for community restoration don't have a plan (and funding) for what happens after they get what they are asking for, why should anyone (the city, the lender, the courts) treat them seriously? Why should disinterested parties treat the activists as anything other than "lost cause" style sour grapes who have spent the better part of three decades hoping for the good old days while allowing politicians to use them for a photo ops and and cheap votes?
Asking as a long time neighbor raising a family in the neighborhood who would love more community facilities, but is scratching his head about this one.
PS - don't say "the city should pay for it because they took it from us" while that sounds nice, it's never going to happen in a world where we can't even get reliable bathrooms in TSP.
Well, let's plan and get it all!
DeleteThey city is paying for bathroom upgrades at TSP as we speak. FYI after the 13 St. eviction riots cost the city millions Rudy Giulini [ of all people ] worked out a deal to turn 13 buildings , worth millions of dollars , over to UHAB and squatter ownership supervised by UHAB. Not advocating a riot here or whatever just posting a historical account of what happened and could happen again.
ReplyDeleteYes!!!
DeleteOnce again Singer uses the courts for delay and obstruction while the structure continues to decay. Decades of his actions have left an eyesore in the neighborhood. The city needs to use Eminent Domain in a taking of the property justified by returning it as a school.
ReplyDeleteYes, eminent domain. Return Charas to our community. And transform some of the declining catholic into public schools. We need culture, we need Education for a thriving democracy.
Delete@11:04 - why would NYC build a new school when District 1 enrollment is down ~11% since pre-COVID? 10,525 students in 2018-9 vs. 9,377 today (source: https://data.nysed.gov/enrollment.php?year=2022&instid=800000048532)
ReplyDelete@11:03 - Anything since Y2K to point to for something on this scale? NYC and the EV has changed (for better and worse) since the 90s. Why not pray for divine intervention? That has an equally likely chance of success. Has any of the pols that show up at rallies put forth a funding plan for how to "save" the building?
The destruction of the neighborhood to over development means this neighborhood will be worth-Zero.... Who the Fuck moves here????? Or, visits????Dorms and flash in the gone businesses take the money and go. Essex Market???? Do not get me started about the failure of businesses there. Greed.
ReplyDeleteReally not a stop for tourism.
The building will crumble before this case reaches any conclusion in the courts. A pile of rubble might be landmarked but it becomes a moot point, as Middle Collegiate Church learned the hard way.
ReplyDeleteAny developers dream is high density housing. That what this developer ultimately wants This way he pays off the tax debt and makes money in top of it
ReplyDeleteThis is just f—king cruel. Where the hell does Singer live? Obviously not near Charas. Our neighborhood needs a community center not an empty falling apart building. Singer is the Ebenezer Scrooge of our time.
ReplyDeleteWell said!
DeleteCan someone ask Chino Garcia , The CHARAS foundation and or MORUS what their plan is now since 20 years of rallies and another one , more recently , at City Hall seems to have gotten them nowhere.
ReplyDeleteThe Plan is to get it back. A people united will not get defeated. The arch of history is long, but bend toward Justine. Un pueblo unido jamas sera vencido.
DeleteGreat. You get it back. Now what? It’s a crumbling shell of a building that needs tens of millions in repair and renovation cost. The boys club across the park was in stable condition and that needs a $20mm renovation. This would be multiples of that. If it’s handed over and not repaired, it will only crumble more (and be a safety hazard to the community).
DeleteDogs that catch cars get run over - what’s your plan if you actually get it back? Or are you more interested in anarchy for the sake of anarchy and protesting just to protest?
There is a lot of understandable anger and rage on this thread. As a resident of this community, I am also distressed. If another school cannot take its place, then something else must. The only other possibility would be a property for both commercial and residential use. At this point, assigning blame isn't helping. We just need a quick resolution.
ReplyDeleteAgree! Why not work with the lender to cut a deal? Get them to build a new community space in the lower floors in exchange for a mixed use commercial/residential project above (with healthy affordable housing requirements)
DeleteIf not economically viable, nothing will ever get done. Huge capital need to stabilize it, that isn’t cheap!
Our neighborhood needs affordable housing, not a community center the size of empire state building.
ReplyDeleteNeeds both.
DeleteAs it’s been said riot squad riot squad gonna call the riot squad going to scare Ned and Karen back to Ohio
ReplyDeleteI take this as good news bc it will give us and the city more time to advocate an actualize a realistic plan to get CHARAS back. At auction it woukd have been gone.Most essential is to ensure NO VARIANCE change The only type of housing that gets built in downtown Manhattan is luxury housing. maybe 90 units luxury w 10 affordable, that does nothing but worsen the housing crisis. No affordable housing is getting built here and luxury hiusing of that size and scope in the heart of alphabet city will reslly destroy us. The following comment makes a lot of sense and indeed the city could mandate this.. let a developer come make it a we work slash east vil.hodgepodge of small businesses and artists with the REQUIREMENT that the full ground floor be restored to the community as CHARAS ! I will never stop saying. GIVE US BACK OUR COMMUNITY CENTER!!
ReplyDeleteAgree! Why not work with the lender to cut a deal? Get them to build a new community space in the lower floors in exchange for a mixed use commercial/residential project above (with healthy affordable housing requirements)
If not economically viable, nothing will ever get done. Huge capital need to stabilize it, that isn’t cheap!
We're ready to begin organizing ourselves as an active community center in anticipation of having a real home soon. Please consider applying for or suggesting an applicant for one of the (presently unpaid) staff positions and/or twelve board member seats. We will start providing services to the community this summer. Apply with an email listing your qualifications to savecharas@gmail The only position that’s been definitively filled is Martial Arts Program Coordinator, Sifu Jai from CUANDO. Volunteers will be needed to conduct zoom interviews with prospective directors. Also, we will need temporary locations downtown for classes and services until such time as Charas has been returned to the neighborhood. If you have any suggestions for other departments please comment below (these positions are based on a poll taken by Loisaida Guardians late last year).
ReplyDeleteAdministrative Directorial Positions
CEO
Treasurer CFO
Grant Writer/Fundraiser
Legal/Advocacy
Community Organizer
Social Services
Tech/Communications/Webmaster/Social Media
Security Chief
Development
Operations/Office Manager
Volunteer Director
Human Resources
Events
Program Coordinator for the following departments:
Martial Arts
Dance
Art
Eco/green solutions
Computer/AI Skills
Armando Perez Theater
Children’s Theater @ the Armando Perez Theater
Street Arts and Graffiti
Gilbert Baker School of Arts Activism
Museum of the Counterculture (Hippie Museum)
Home School Support
ESL teacher