CB3 requests that the incoming de Blasio administration return P.S. 64 to the community

There hasn't been much activity (aside from a pop-up art show) to note at the former PS 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on East Ninth Street.

For a really long time, developer Gregg Singer has been trying to turn the property into a dorm. Per previous reports, both The Joffrey Ballet School and Cooper Union have signed on to house its students here.

Meanwhile, some news to catch up on … back on Dec. 17, Community Board 3 passed a resolution requesting that the incoming de Blasio administration return the building to the community. (This was first reported by Off the Grid, the blog of the Greenwich Village Society for Historical Preservation.)

The resolution reads, in part:

Whereas, in 2004, the owner filed plans to demolish the building to construct a 20-story dormitory, “University House,” though the owner had no accredited educational institution participation; and

Whereas, after a concerted community effort, the NYC Department of Buildings denied the demolition permit, based on Rule 51-01 that governs the Classification of Student Dormitories, requiring submission of a full lease by an accredited educational institution for a minimum of 10 years, and a restrictive declaration that the building would only be used as a dormitory; and

Whereas, in an unprecedented community campaign, in 2006, the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Former P.S. 64 school building as a landmark, recognizing both its physical, cultural and historical distinction; and

Whereas, after the landmark designation, the owner removed the building’s cornices and dormers, as well as removed the architectural detail at the roof line, leaving the building open to the elements; and

Whereas, the owner has allowed the building to fall into extreme disrepair; and

Whereas, the DOB has issued over 42 violations since 2008, including the failure to maintain the premises; and

Whereas, the owner currently owes the City of New York approximately $30,000 in unpaid penalties for ECB violations; and

Whereas, in 2012, again the owner filed to convert the building to a dormitory; and

Whereas, the owner’s current application for dormitory use does not meet the NYC Department of Buildings’ criteria for a dormitory under Rule 51-01, as there is no lease for the entirety of the facility with one or more accredited educational institution for a minimum of 10 years, nor is there a restrictive declaration that the building will be used exclusively as a dormitory; and

Whereas, it has been 14 years since the auction sale and the owner has been unable to comply with the conditions of sale to develop a community facility; and

Whereas, since the sale and privatization of 605 East 9th Street, the community has faced displacement of vital community services, community organizations and community space; and

Whereas, the building has not been properly maintained by the current owner and has become a threat to public safety due to, among other things, a lack of proper snow and ice removal and a failure to consistently maintain construction scaffolding; so

Therefore, be it known that Community Board 3 requests that the new mayoral administration return the former P.S. 64 school building to the community by legally retrieving and then selling or giving it to a well-established not-for-profit organization(s) with a long history of serving the people of the Lower East Side/East Village including, but not limited to restoring the not-for-profit organization known as CHARAS / El Bohio to the building located at 605 East 9th Street.

Off the Grid also pointed out that there is now (as of the fall) an active website for Singer's dorm — University House, which will be ready for the 2015-16 school year. Meanwhile, the city disapproved the plan for the dorm conversion last April 1. (According to DOB documents, the cost of the project is $16 million.)

Perhaps 2014 will finally be the year that something happens with the circa-1906 building.

Read Karen Loew's post at Off the Grid here for reaction from local activists.



Previously on EV Grieve:
Rebranded P.S. 64 up for grabs: Please welcome University House at Tompkins Square Park to the neighborhood

Deed for 'community facility use only' at the former P.S. 64 now on the market

Efforts continue to fight the dorm planned for the former PS 64 on East 9th Street

Testimony Of Councilmember Rosie Mendez regarding the former PS 64

[Updated] At the 'Save Our Community Center MARCH AND RALLY'

Landmarks Preservation Commission asks to see modified plans for former PS 64

The Landmarks Preservation Commission approves application for modifications at PS 64

The Landmarks Preservation Commission approves application for modifications at PS 64

[Photo from June 4 by Edward Arrocha]

Back on May 8, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) heard public comments regarding the former PS 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on East Ninth Street. As you know, developer Gregg Singer will need approvals from the LPC in order to make changes to the exterior of the landmarked building for his proposed 500-bed dormitory.

During the May meeting, the commissioners reportedly responded positively to the architect's plans for renovation. While they did not vote on the proposal, the commissioners made suggestions to the applicant to modify the plans.

And yesterday, the LPC approved the application with some minor modifications. (How minor? The stair bulkheads were modified to be narrower, the rooftop railings will be black-painted metal instead of glass and will be set back an additional 2 feet, etc.)

As expected, for preservationists, the next battlefront will be with the Department of Buildings, who must approve plans to convert the building into a dorm.

"We always knew this battle would really revolve around the dormitory use, rather than the landmarks approvals. Working with a coalition of groups and elected officials, we are continuing to challenge the legitimacy of the dormitory arrangement, which has not yet been approved by the Department of Buildings, and which we hope and will fight to ensure is never approved by DOB," Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, told me in an email. "We are still quite optimistic that this plan, like all of Singer's prior totally inappropriate plans for the old PS 64, will end up in the dustbin of history."

Preservation groups and some local residents want to see the building returned for community use.


[Edward Arrocha]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rebranded P.S. 64 up for grabs: Please welcome University House at Tompkins Square Park to the neighborhood

Deed for 'community facility use only' at the former P.S. 64 now on the market

Efforts continue to fight the dorm planned for the former PS 64 on East 9th Street

Testimony Of Councilmember Rosie Mendez regarding the former PS 64

[Updated] At the 'Save Our Community Center MARCH AND RALLY'

Landmarks Preservation Commission asks to see modified plans for former PS 64

Reminder: 'Save Our Community Center MARCH AND RALLY' tonight

Reposted from last week...

Save Our Community Center MARCH AND RALLY
Wednesday, May 15
March starts at CHARAS/El Bohio, 605 E. 9th Street @ 5:00
Cooper Union rally starts @ 6:00

Join us for a march and rally to return old P.S. 64, formerly CHARAS/El Bohio Community & Cultural Center, to our community! Meet at the former site of CHARAS/El Bohio for the march at 5:00 and Cooper Union for the rally at 6:00.

With speakers: CHARAS co-founder Chino Garcia, Council member Rosie Mendez, Assembly member Brian Kavanagh, Senator Brad Hoylman, Students For a Free Cooper Union, & music by members of Rude Mechanical Orchestra, Tiny Band and others.

It is time to ask the City to return the building to the community!

Join us tonight, & spread the word! Meet at the former site of CHARAS/El Bohio for the march at 5:00 and Cooper Union for the rally at 6:00.

Find the Facebook events page here.

-----

And here was the scene last night at MoRUS on Avenue C ... making signs for the march...













Previously on EV Grieve:
Rebranded P.S. 64 up for grabs: Please welcome University House at Tompkins Square Park to the neighborhood

Efforts continue to fight the dorm planned for the former PS 64 on East 9th Street

Report: The Joffrey Ballet School will lease 2 floors of the former PS 64 for student housing

Details on the 'Save Our Community Center MARCH AND RALLY' happening next Wednesday

[November 2011]

From the EV Grieve inbox...

Save Our Community Center MARCH AND RALLY
Wednesday, May 15
March starts at CHARAS/El Bohio, 605 E. 9th Street @ 5:00
Cooper Union rally starts @ 6:00

Join us for a march and rally to return old P.S. 64, formerly CHARAS/El Bohio Community & Cultural Center, to our community! Meet at the former site of CHARAS/El Bohio for the march at 5:00 and Cooper Union for the rally at 6:00.

With speakers: CHARAS co-founder Chino Garcia, Council member Rosie Mendez, Assembly member Brian Kavanagh, Senator Brad Hoylman, Students For a Free Cooper Union, & music by members of Rude Mechanical Orchestra, Tiny Band and others.

Developer Gregg Singer, who purchased old P.S. 64, formerly CHARAS / El Bohio Community & Cultural Center at 605 East 9th Street, at public auction in 1999, has once again filed plans to convert our former school and community center into a 500 bed dormitory & youth hostel. In plans filed recently with the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the Department of Buildings, Singer claims to have a signed lease with Cooper Union for 200 of the proposed 500 bed facility, though no lease has been submitted. In addition, Singer must submit proof that all beds have been leased by an educational institution for a ten-year period.

It is time to ask the City to return the building to the community!

Join us on May 15, & spread the word! Meet at the former site of CHARAS/El Bohio for the march at 5:00 and Cooper Union for the rally at 6:00.

Find the Facebook events page here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rebranded P.S. 64 up for grabs: Please welcome University House at Tompkins Square Park to the neighborhood

Deed for 'community facility use only' at the former P.S. 64 now on the market

Efforts continue to fight the dorm planned for the former PS 64 on East 9th Street

Testimony Of Councilmember Rosie Mendez regarding the former PS 64

Testimony Of Councilmember Rosie Mendez regarding the former PS 64

This afternoon, the Landmarks Preservation Commission is listening to public comment regarding the former PS 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on East Ninth Street... developer Gregg Singer will need approvals from the LPC to make changes to the exterior of the building for his proposed 500-bed dormitory. What follows is the testimony given by Councilmember Rosie Mendez...

Good afternoon, my name is Rosie Mendez — and I am the City Council Member who proudly represents District 2 — including the entirety of 605 East 9th Street which is the subject matter of this Public Hearing on application 14-2418 concerning the appropriateness of proposed alternations at the underlying site. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to testify here today on this most important matter.

In 2006, after years of concentrated community effort, the LPC designated the old PS 64/CHARAS El Bohio Cultural and Community Center as an Individual Landmark, citing many
singular facets of its design and century-long role as a publicly accessible community resource. In fact, the beautifully written designation report narrates at length about the rare architectural and community significance of this beloved building. I would go a step further and call the CHARAS building an absolute community treasure that universally symbolizes our shared history, collective struggles and our united path forward.

While the LPC is not specifically empowered to consider use — the history, architecture, cultural and community significance of this building is inexorably intertwined with the role it has played in the lives of successive generations on the Lower East Side. This building embodies a unique composition of remarkable and unequaled architectural features paired with a longstanding community-driven mission that dates back to 1904. Today, I urge the LPC to protect both of the unparalleled features of this building.

With respect to the plans submitted by the applicant, I have very serious concerns about the alterations proposed to the exterior of the building. My specific concerns include, without limitation:

• The proposed work on the roof — including installation of metal screen railings, mechanical equipment, an ATS room, boiler room and four stair bulkheads — will substantially detract from the distinctive roofline profile of the CHARAS building. These alterations may very well compromise the remarkable and striking architectural features of the building — including the mansard roof and pedimented dormer windows that are specifically cited — for their uniqueness and distinction — in the designation report. These dormers are, of course, the very same that were systematically destroyed, removed, and relocated in 2006, leaving nothing but a tarp flapping in the wind for the last seven years.

• I am very concerned that the proposed removal work in the elevated courtyards will undermine the hallmark concept and original design of this unique H-Plan building. The elimination and privatization of floor space on the 9th Street side of the building stands in stark contrast to the preserved vision, as articulated in the designation report which states, “The open space provided by the courtyards, the large groups of windows and the elegant decorative ornament were generous gestures and made this building stand out in this neighborhood of plain, rundown, and overcrowded tenements”... as these courtyards provided… “the luxury of open space in densely packed neighborhoods.”

Many things have changed since 1904, but the need for shared open space that is a source of community pride has not.

Conclusively, I strongly recommend that the LPC refrain from approving this proposal and require the developer to amend the current plans in a manner that entirely preserves the exclusive and remarkable characteristics of the CHARAS building — including the distinctive and landmarked roof, dormers and courtyards — consistent with the original design and designation report.

At this hearing, the LPC will officially vote to approve or deny the application... the Commission may also ask the applicant to return to a future hearing with revisions. We'll keep you posted as to what transpired this afternoon...

Meeting photos via MoRUS...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Will old PS 64 get a theater for nonprofit groups?

Rebranded P.S. 64 up for grabs: Please welcome University House at Tompkins Square Park to the neighborhood

Deed for 'community facility use only' at the former P.S. 64 now on the market

2 new sidewalk bridges arrive as city disapproves latest plan for P.S. 64

Efforts continue to fight the dorm planned for the former PS 64 on East 9th Street

Efforts continue to fight the dorm planned for the former PS 64 on East 9th Street

[Click image to enlarge]

Efforts continue to see the former PS 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on East Ninth Street returned to a community use.

As previously reported here, there are plans on file to convert the building into a 500-bed dorm called University House on East Ninth Street just east of Avenue B. Last month, developer Gregg Singer said that he already had a 15-year agreement for 200 of the beds with Cooper Union, as The Wall Street Journal first reported.

There's now a rally schedule for May 15, where residents and community leaders will march from the building at 609 E. Ninth St. to Cooper Union for a rally at 6 p.m. (More details to follow in the next few days.)

In its May newsletter released yesterday, the Greenwich Village Society for Historical Preservation noted:

An enormous dorm would not be a community use, and would add to the oversaturation of the East Village with dormitories. Additionally, GVSHP is working with Councilmember Rosie Mendez and the East Village Community Coalition to ensure that the Department of Buildings does not issue permits for the dorm construction, given that the current plan violates regulations meant to prevent the construction of bogus "speculative dorms," and requires that there be a lease and restrictive declaration in place for a school to use all the beds for a new dormitory. This plan does not have such assurances.

Read their letter to the Landmarks Preservation Commission here (PDF). Find more about community involvement here. Sign the petition to keep the building for community use here.

Help stop the Cooper Union expansion. Return PS 64 to the community! Sign the petition here: evgrieve.com/2013/04/petiti… @evgrieve

— Free Cooper Union (@FreeCooperUnion) May 2, 2013

Previously on EV Grieve:
Will old PS 64 get a theater for nonprofit groups?

Rebranded P.S. 64 up for grabs: Please welcome University House at Tompkins Square Park to the neighborhood

Deed for 'community facility use only' at the former P.S. 64 now on the market

2 new sidewalk bridges arrive as city disapproves latest plan for P.S. 64

Posters urge residents to 'voice your opinion' about the former PS 64

These posters arrived last night around the neighborhood...


[Photo via MoRUS]

...urging residents to speak out against the plan to turn the former PS 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center into a 500-bed dorm on East Ninth Street just east of Avenue B.

The building is a topic of discussion at two upcoming CB3 committee meetings... as well as at a Landmarks Preservation public hearing... (we'll have more information on that meeting later).



Meanwhile, there is a petition campaign in circulation that reads:

COMMUNITY USE - NOT DORMITORY

Respect our community. Respect this community treasure: Old P.S. 64 located at 605 East 9th Street.

Old P.S. 64, a designated New York City landmark, has a long and valued history serving our community. This building could easily serve our community again. Dormitory use of this building does not serve our community. Cooper Union should not house students in old P.S. 64.

We ask that old P.S. 64 be returned to use for our community.

Find the petition here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Will old PS 64 get a theater for nonprofit groups?

Rebranded P.S. 64 up for grabs: Please welcome University House at Tompkins Square Park to the neighborhood

Deed for 'community facility use only' at the former P.S. 64 now on the market

Report: Former PS 64 one step closer to becoming a 500-bed dorm for multiple NYC colleges

Petition campaign asks: 'Return PS 64 to the Community'

More details on plans for the former P.S. 64

[Bobby Williams]

As the photo from yesterday shows, workers continue to clear out the former P.S. 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center. Per the building permit on file with the city: "INTERIOR DEMOLITION OF NON LOAD BEARING PARTITIONS."

As you know, there are plans on file to convert the building into a 500-bed dorm called University House on East Ninth Street just east of Avenue B. Earlier in the month, developer Gregg Singer said that he already had a 15-year agreement for 200 of the beds with Cooper Union, as The Wall Street Journal first reported.

And Singer sat down with The Villager for a lengthy feature in this week's issue.

A few highlights of what Singer says will be a state-of-the-art facility:

The basement — formerly home to a 400-seat auditorium where F.D.R. once riled the masses, and where the Fringe Festival was staged — would now house a bike room, fitness center, TV lounge and game rooms outfitted with pool, ping-pong and foosball tables, along with Xbox and PlayStation consoles.

And how about the idea of bringing 500-students into a residential neighborhood?

“Manhattan has almost 2 million people. These kids are already coming to the East Village,” [Singer] said.

“They are putting three to four students in studios around here,” he noted. “This is a safe and managed environment. Isn’t that better than cramming them in all these brownstones?”

And!

“Unused as an elementary school since 1977, the century-old structure sat empty for the past 11 years,” reads an April 18 press release on the University House dorm. “The building occupies much of the city block, where its vacancy has inhibited local development and the growth of small businesses in the neighborhood.”

Councilmember Rosie Mendez is not pleased with the developments here.

Mendez said she met with Cooper President Bharucha to voice her displeasure.

“I told him I’m not happy with this dorm plan, the community is not happy,” she said. “There will be protests, and I will be joining in when that happens.”

Read the whole article here.

Meanwhile, as we noted Tuesday, the East Village Community Coalition started a petition campaign that reads:

COMMUNITY USE - NOT DORMITORY

Respect our community. Respect this community treasure: Old P.S. 64 located at 605 East 9th Street.

Old P.S. 64, a designated New York City landmark, has a long and valued history serving our community. This building could easily serve our community again. Dormitory use of this building does not serve our community. Cooper Union should not house students in old P.S. 64.

We ask that old P.S. 64 be returned to use for our community.

Find the petition here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Will old PS 64 get a theater for nonprofit groups?

Rebranded P.S. 64 up for grabs: Please welcome University House at Tompkins Square Park to the neighborhood

Deed for 'community facility use only' at the former P.S. 64 now on the market

2 new sidewalk bridges arrive as city disapproves latest plan for P.S. 64

Noted

To be honest, we're not sure how long this has been on the plywood outside the former P.S. 64/CHARAS/El Bohio Community Center on the Ninth Street side... we noticed some messages after the holiday party/community potluck here on Dec. 18 ... but we didn't see this (Real? Fake?) phone number for controversial developer Gregg Singer, who owns this ... and whose plans haven't gone anywhere since he bought the place during a city auction in 1998... he is apparently pressing on with plans ... Scoopy had an entertaining item on all this a few weeks back at The Villager (last item).

Anyway, nice job of someone trying to paint over this ...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Will old PS 64 get a theater for nonprofit groups?

Rebranded P.S. 64 up for grabs: Please welcome University House at Tompkins Square Park to the neighborhood

'Public Assembly' for the former P.S. 64 on Friday