Crane crew spotted at the former P.S. 64 on 10th Street

[Reader-submitted photo]

Several EVG readers yesterday reported a boom lift and at least one worker giving attention to the northeast-facing facade at the former P.S. 64 on 10th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C...



This is the spot where city inspectors examined back on Feb. 6 and, a week later, issued a Full Vacate Order. This marks the first activity that neighbors have noted at the long-vacant property since then.

Developer Gregg Singer bought the property — the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center — from the city during an auction in 1998. The building has been empty for years. (Singer reportedly has an office on the premises.)

The vacate order is dated Feb. 13. According to the DOB (in their ALL-CAP STYLE):

AT VARIOUS EXPOSURES OF EDUCATIONAL FACILITY, ORNAMENTAL FACADE ELEMENTS ARE IN A STATE OF DISREPAIR WITH VISIBLE CRACKS, GAPS, AND DETERIORATION. THESE ORNAMENTAL ELEMENTS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO FALL INTO THE STREET AND YARD. IN ADDITION, INTERIOR FIRE PROOFING ARE MISSING THEREBY EXPOSING STRUCTURAL STEEL MEMBERS. THESE CONDITIONS HAVE MADE THE ENTIRE BUILDING AND YARDS UNSAFE TO OCCUPY.

City inspectors eventually determined that the building was safe, but did issue a violation to Singer for failure to maintain the exterior facade for cracks observed on the corner of the building at the third floor, as Curbed reported.

Singer told Curbed at the time: "It’s all political. This is part of a concerted effort to put pressure on us. I was just at the building. There's definitely cracks — that we were already aware of — that will be pointed and repaired, but there’s no immediate danger."

Perhaps this work yesterday was to rectify the vacate order.

Singer has wanted to turn the landmarked property into a dorm called University Square, which continues in a holding pattern while the DOB maintains a Stop Work Order — dating to August 2015 — on the building.

On Feb. 7, local elected officials gathered outside the building and urged the city to reclaim the property for community use. Singer has stated that he will not give up the building.

H/T Jason!

City issues full vacate order on former P.S. 64

A tipster shares the news that the city issued a vacate order on the long-empty P.S. 64 at 605 E. Ninth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C.

The vacate order is dated Feb. 13. According to the DOB (in their ALL-CAP STYLE):

AT VARIOUS EXPOSURES OF EDUCATIONAL FACILITY, ORNAMENTAL FACADE ELEMENTS ARE IN A STATE OF DISREPAIR WITH VISIBLE CRACKS, GAPS, AND DETERIORATION. THESE ORNAMENTAL ELEMENTS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO FALL INTO THE STREET AND YARD. IN ADDITION, INTERIOR FIRE PROOFING ARE MISSING THEREBY EXPOSING STRUCTURAL STEEL MEMBERS. THESE CONDITIONS HAVE MADE THE ENTIRE BUILDING AND YARDS UNSAFE TO OCCUPY.

Developer Gregg Singer bought the property — the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center — from the city during an auction in 1998. The building has been empty for years. However, as Allegra Hobbs wrote in an article for the Times last June, Singer has an office on the premises.

Mr. Singer visits P.S. 64 about once a week. The only part of the building not falling apart, abandoned, graffitied or coated with pigeon droppings seems to be his modest office on the first floor, decorated with pristine renderings of “University Square” — a “new college living experience,” as the brochures claim, where students would enjoy a theater, a game room, yoga studios and other amenities.

Presumably the vacate order prevents Singer from entering.

The vacate order also came one week after emergency crews examined a large crack in the building's east-facing wall on 10th Street.

City inspectors eventually determined that the building was safe, but did issue a violation to Singer for failure to maintain the exterior facade for cracks observed on the corner of the building at the third floor, as Curbed reported.

Singer later told Curbed: "It’s all political. This is part of a concerted effort to put pressure on us. I was just at the building. There's definitely cracks — that we were already aware of — that will be pointed and repaired, but there’s no immediate danger."

Singer has wanted to turn the landmarked property into a dorm called University Square, which continues in a holding pattern while the DOB maintains a Stop Work Order — dating to August 2015 — on the building.

On Feb. 7, local elected officials gathered outside the building and urged the city to reclaim the property for community use.

[Updated] Evacuations on 10th Street as inspectors examine crack in the former P.S. 64

Crews from ConEd, the FDNY and the Office of Emergency Management are on the scene along 10th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. (The street is closed to traffic for now.)

Workers are examining a large crack in the east-facing wall of the long-empty P.S. 64.

@_elkue has been tweeting from the scene...

Buildings Department inspecting the crack. That is one big ass crack. pic.twitter.com/Qardx5JV3A

— Liam Quigley (@_elkue) February 6, 2019

No word just yet about how serious this might be. The building has fallen into disrepair in recent years.

Update on 350 E 10th Street (aka CHARAS):

- NYC DOB on scene to assess structure
- Residents of 2 adj. bldgs temporarily evacuated
- M8 bus rerouted
- 10th St. bet. Aves B/C remains closed

One thing clear: owner has neglected to take care of this property. More updates soon!

— Carlina Rivera 利華娜 (@CarlinaRivera) February 6, 2019

Developer Gregg Singer bought the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center property from the city during an auction in 1998.

Singer has wanted to turn the landmarked property into a dorm called University Square, which continues in a holding pattern while the DOB maintains a Stop Work Order on the building.

You can read this post for more background on the 20-plus-year P.S. 64 drama.

Updated 7 p.m.

The city gave the all-clear earlier in the afternoon. Curbed has more here, including comments from Singer...

“It’s all political. This is part of a concerted effort to put pressure on us,” Singer told Curbed. “I was just at the building. There’s definitely cracks—that we were already aware of—that will be pointed and repaired, but there’s no immediate danger.”

After surveying the building, city inspectors determined that the building is safe but did issue a violation to Singer for failure to maintain the exterior facade for cracks observed on the corner of the building at the third floor, a DOB spokesman said.

“DOB Engineers on site have inspected the entire building, and have found that the building is not in imminent danger of collapse, and does not currently pose a danger to the public,” said DOB spokesperson Andrew Rudansky in a statement. The vacate orders at the evacuated buildings have been lifted.

Updated 7:15 p.m.

City Councilmember Carlina Rivera's office released this statement...

Following this morning’s emergency evacuation of two residential buildings adjacent to CHARAS/El Bohio, Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, elected officials, community leaders, and neighbors will gather tomorrow to call on Mayor Bill de Blasio to immediately take action in light of these new, potential structural and safety concerns.

This morning, the Department of Buildings issued a violation to the owner of the long-empty former P.S. 64, Gregg Singer, for failing to maintain the building's exterior after DOB engineers found cracks in the corner of the building on the third floor. In addition to evacuating the adjacent buildings, firefighters and Con Ed officials had to be called to the scene as well.

CHARAS/El Bohio, also known as the old P.S. 64, was auctioned off by Mayor Rudy Giuliani 20 years ago and has remained vacant ever since. Singer, the purchaser and current owner has not adequately maintained this landmark building, allowing it to deteriorate to its current condition. At a Council District 2 Town Hall in 2017, Mayor de Blasio announced that his administration would take steps to re-acquire this building. No substantive updates have been provided on this issue since then.

The gathering of local elected officials starts at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow outside the building at 350 E. 10th St.

Report: Developer Gregg Singer says Mayor de Blasio lied about city's P.S. 64 outreach

During a recent media roundtable at Brooklyn Borough Hall, Mayor de Blasio said that Gregg Singer, who owns the former P.S. 64 on Ninth Street, "has been exceedingly uncooperative" about selling the building back to the city, as The Villager reported.

However, Singer told Patch that he hasn't heard from anyone at the mayor's office about the property he bought in a city auction in 1998.

Some background: During a town hall forum at P.S. 188 last October, de Blasio said that the Giuliani administration should not have auctioned off the property, and that he would work to "right the wrongs of the past," as DNAifno reported.

"For the administration to put that building into private hands failed miserably, and we’ve seen the negative affect that that has had on the community. So I'm announcing tonight the city's interest in re-acquiring that building," de Blasio said, eliciting cheers from the audience.

And during the media roundtable on Aug. 23, de Blasio said the following, as reported by The Villager:

“We’ve tried to have a productive conversation about purchase,” he said. “We’ve gotten nowhere so far. We’re not giving up. We’re working very closely with the councilmember, Carlina Rivera. I’m very frustrated with that owner.”

Eminent domain, though it may not be an immediate option, is “certainly something I want to know more about, but I had hoped the best solution here would be a direct purchase,” de Blasio explained. “That’s not off the table. It’s just we’re just not getting any cooperation so far.”

And as Patch reported last Friday afternoon:

"When I read the report that Mayor de Blasio told the media that I had been 'exceedingly uncooperative,' I was astonished at the brazenness of the mayor's lie," Singer told Patch.

"I know that politicians are not known for their strict adherence to the truth, but when someone like the mayor can claim to be frustrated because I have been uncooperative when I have not received a single email or phone call from him or anyone in his office is simply unbelievable."

Singer challenged the mayor's office to produce email and phone logs that the city has reached out to him.

Singer has said that he has no intention of selling the building, which he bought for $3.15 million. He wants to turn the landmarked property into a dorm called University Square, which continues in a holding pattern while the DOB maintains a Stop Work Order on the building.

In years past several local elected officials, community activists and residents have asked for the return of the building at 605 E. Ninth St. Avenue B and Avenue C for community use. The building became a community center after the school left in 1977. The group was evicted when Singer took over as the landlord.

Previously on Ev Grieve:
The Times explores the past, present and future of the former P.S. 64

At the rally outside the former P.S. 64 Friday evening

[Photo by Peter Brownscombe]

On Friday evening, several local elected officials, community activists and residents gathered outside the former P.S. 64 (aka CHARAS/El Bohio) on Ninth Street to rally for the return of the building to the community.

The date marked the 20th anniversary of the city auction where developer Gregg Singer became the owner of the property between Avenue B and Avenue C.

Attendees at the rally called on Mayor de Blasio to take the next steps to return the building for public use. The building became a community center after the school left in 1977. The group was evicted when Singer took over as the landlord.

Speakers included Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Assembly member Harvey Epstein, City Council member Carlina Rivera as well as her predecessor, Rosie Mendez ...

20 years ago an injustice was done when Mayor Giuliani sent the CHARAS/El Bohio community center to auction. We’re pushing to get it back in the LES/East Village community’s hands. I urge the mayor: step on the gas in reacquiring the space — it can’t be a back-burner project. pic.twitter.com/7QfcWje937

— Gale A. Brewer (@galeabrewer) July 21, 2018

@NYCMayor Give us our community center back #CHARAS today marks 20th anniversary of the action of CHARAS/El Bohío community and cultural center with @galeabrewer @RosieMendez @CarlinaRivera and community leaders pic.twitter.com/EtnCVshBqx

— Harvey Epstein (@HarveyforNY) July 20, 2018

Today our neighbors came together to rally for CHARAS/PS64 on the 20th Anniversary of its auction. We have fought for a long time to reclaim community spaces & we are reminding our @NYCMayor of his commitment to the Lower East Side to get this building back. pic.twitter.com/H0iUNPXFSn

— Carlina Rivera 利華娜 (@CarlinaRivera) July 21, 2018

During a town hall forum at P.S. 188 last October, de Blasio said that the Giuliani administration should not have cautioned off the property, and that he would work to "right the wrongs of the past," as DNAifno reported.

"For the administration to put that building into private hands failed miserably, and we’ve seen the negative affect that that has had on the community. So I'm announcing tonight the city's interest in re-acquiring that building," de Blasio said, eliciting cheers from the audience.

The mayor has not publicly discussed this interest any further.

Meanwhile, Singer says that he has no intention of selling the building, which he bought for $3.15 million. He wants to turn the landmarked property into a dorm called University Square, which continues in a holding pattern while the DOB maintains a Stop Work Order on the building.

Singer discussed his plans and aired his frustrations with the city, claiming officials have obstructed his legal right to develop the property, in this wide-ranging interview from June 3 with The New York Times.

Here are more photos from the rally via EVG contributor Peter Brownscombe ...

Marking the 20th anniversary of P.S. 64's auction

[Click on image to go big]

Developer Gregg Singer bought the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center property from the city during an auction in 1998.

And tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of the sale of the building at 605 E. Ninth St. Avenue B and Avenue C.

And as these flyers posted around the neighborhood show, a group of unspecified community leaders, elected officials and residents will mark the occasion outside the Ninth Street entrance tomorrow evening at 6.

Per the flyer: "Join us to mark the 20th anniversary of the auction and ask the Mayor to take the next steps to return CHARAS to the community."

Singer wants to turn the landmarked property into a dorm called University Square, which continues in a holding pattern while the DOB maintains a Stop Work Order on the building.

You can read the previous post for more background on the ongoing P.S. 64 drama.

The Times explores the past, present and future of the former P.S. 64

The New York Times today takes a deep dive on the 20-year drama that has surrounded the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on Ninth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C.

Developer Gregg Singer bought the property from the city during an auction in 1998. He wants to turn the landmarked property into a dorm called University Square, which continues in a holding pattern while the DOB maintains a Stop Work Order on the building.

Community activists, preservationists and some local elected officials have long been opposed to Singer's plans, and want to see a return to use as a cultural and community center. The building became a community center after the school left in 1977. The group was evicted when Singer took over as the landlord.

To date, as the article notes, Singer has filed several lawsuits (all unsuccessful so far), claiming that the city has obstructed his legal right to develop the property.

Here are a few excepts from the article, written by Allegra Hobbs, who covered the neighborhood for DNAinfo. (She notes that Singer "remains insistently upbeat about the whole mess," and that during interviews with her, his tone remained "light and genial."

On the building's legacy:

Mr. Singer, director and president of his real estate firm, Singer Financial Corporation, does not buy into the displays of high emotion that follow the Charas legacy. Where others see “emotional attraction” to the building, he said, he sees “nonsense.” On the day he bought the building and the crickets were released, he did not recognize a desperate last-ditch effort to save a beloved community center, but a clever ploy by opportunists to keep their cheap, illegal sublets.

“When people talk about this emotional tie to the building, I don’t get caught up,” said Mr. Singer, who met for two interviews in his office, located on the first floor of the old P.S. 64 building. “What they’re emotionally tied to is making money off someone else’s back illegally.”

On the DOB's role:

The Department of Buildings has been a bit unpredictable in its dealings with Mr. Singer and its enforcement of the Dorm Rule, issuing building permits only to revoke them. Mr. Singer has, in stops and starts, made progress in smoothing over issues with the department, but to no avail — a stop-work order from 2015 remains in place, and Mr. Singer’s requests to meet with officials have been rejected. Adelphi University, the most recent institution to express interest in dormitory space, backed out. A spokesman for the university, Todd Wilson, said in an email that the school was “concerned about the delays and difficulties that had been encountered by the developers getting the project approved.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio, meanwhile, has gone further, claiming in October that his administration is interested in buying back P.S. 64 — but no movement has come from City Hall to that end since his announcement, and the mayor’s office has declined to discuss the plan further.

Mr. Singer detects a conspiracy, but the buildings department insists the developer is simply not following the rules.

“We denied the developer’s application twice last year because they failed to submit sufficient proof that the building would be used as a student dormitory,” said a buildings department spokesman, Joseph Soldevere. “We stand by our decision.”

[Screengrab from the Times]

On the building's protracted vacancy:

Mr. Singer visits P.S. 64 about once a week. The only part of the building not falling apart, abandoned, graffitied or coated with pigeon droppings seems to be his modest office on the first floor, decorated with pristine renderings of “University Square” — a “new college living experience,” as the brochures claim, where students would enjoy a theater, a game room, yoga studios and other amenities. It could be great for the community, he insists. Why wouldn’t the city want this? Why wouldn’t the community?

“The city, they should be knocking my door down, ‘Gregg, let’s renovate this building, let’s do something for the community,’” he said. “That’s what I’m surprised about. How government is so inept and so dysfunctional that they don’t care about the local community.”

You can find the full article, titled in the paper as "A Building Full of Empty Promise," right here.

Report: Gregg Singer heads to federal court to clear way for his 9th Street dorm project

[Image via]

Developer Gregg Singer is now headed to court to try to turn the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on Ninth Street into student housing.

The Wall Street Journal has the story (subscription required):

After a 20-year fight, Mr. Singer filed suit Wednesday in federal court complaining he has been illegally blocked by a “conspiracy” of local elected officials in New York City, a preservation group and a hedge-fund manger who lives next door to the school.

The suit cites emails alleging that the opponents worked together to block building permits for the project. “This is a case of seller’s remorse as much as it is a case about a vindictive political plot aimed at improperly reclaiming property legally sold by New York City,” the suit said.

The claims are “ludicrous,” said Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, who was named in the suit. “The reason why he hasn’t been able to get a permit for the last five or 10 years is because he hasn’t filed one that is actually legal.”

According to the Journal, the hedge-fund manger in question is Christodora House resident Aaron Sosnick, who is chairman and manager of A.R.T. Advisors LLC with $3.7 billion under management.

Singer bought the property from the city in 1998. He wants to turn the landmarked property into a dorm called University Square, and continues in a holding pattern while the DOB maintains a Stop Work Order on the building. (This website has background on the building from Singer and company's perspective.)

Community activists, preservationists and some local elected officials have long been opposed to Singer's plans, and want to see a return to use as a cultural and community center. The building became a community center after the school left in 1977.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Not fake news then: Pro-dorm rally organizer admits some participants were paid, report says

At the rally for the former PS 64 today at City Hall

As previously reported, local elected officials and other community leaders, organizations and residents held a rally and press conference on the steps of City Hall this afternoon to get Mayor De Blasio's attention on the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on East Ninth Street. (You can read the background here. Or here.)

EVG regular Peter Brownscombe shared these photos...





"Developers and their lobbyists are looking for every loophole they can find to convert Lower East Side community resources into luxury real estate opportunities," said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. "After what happened to Rivington House, properties with deed restrictions like this one deserve the strictest scrutiny from city agencies. We are still waiting for answers from City Hall to our questions about this property and its status, and we think Lower East Side residents have a right to demand a true community facility in this building."

City Council member Rosie Mendez, who helped organize the rally, was unable to attend due to a family emergency. Her office shared this statement: "The Former PS 64 CHARAS/El Bohio was a school building and a cultural community center that cultivated the hopes and dreams of so many people in our community. Community activists laid the seeds and the foundation that created our community gardens and our urban homesteading buildings while sitting in a room at CHARAS. This Valentine’s Day my community and I want nothing more than to get our building back."

And here are a few more photos... via Scuba Diva...




[Chino Garcia, one of the five founding members of CHARAS]

Reminder: Rally at City Hall today for PS 64

As we noted last week, City Council Member Rosie Mendez and other community leaders, organizations and residents are holding a rally and press conference on the steps of City Hall today to get Mayor De Blasio's attention on the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on East Ninth Street. The rally starts at 2 p.m. today.

As previously reported, developer Gregg Singer, who bought the property between Avenue B and Avenue C from the city in 1998, is reportedly pushing de Blasio's administration to remove a stop-work order that has been in place since 2015.

According to public records, Singer is continuing to retain high-powered lobbyist Jim Capalino, a former Mayor de Blasio ally, for the remainder of the year...


[Click for more detail]



Among Capalino's lobbying targets: the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development and the Office of the First Deputy Mayor.

Capalino, according to a New York Daily News story in March 2016, steered $50,000 to de Blasio after pushing the city to lift the deed restriction at the Rivington House. (The mayor said last August that he has cut off contact with the lobbyist in the wake of multiple investigations into his administration, per Politico.)

Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, told this to DNAinfo in a story published yesterday: "We want to save our community center and we don’t want another Rivington House situation where the restrictive deed on this property is undermined or circumvented and the dorm for hire plan that the developer is currently pursuing is approved and becomes the fate of the building."

It has been reported that Singer has a signed lease with Adelphi University, and hopes to have students move in by the fall of 2018.

Preservationist groups and other residents have been opposed to Singer's plans, and want to see a return of the landmarked building to use as a cultural and community center.

Previously

A Valentine's Day rally to get some love for the former PS 64

This coming Tuesday (Valentine's Day!), City Council Member Rosie Mendez and other community leaders, organizations and residents are holding a rally and press conference on the steps of City Hall to get Mayor De Blasio's attention on the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on East Ninth Street.

As previously reported, developer Gregg Singer, who bought the property between Avenue B and Avenue C from the city in 1998, is reportedly pushing de Blasio's administration to remove a stop-work order that has been in place since 2015.

According to published reports, Singer has a signed lease with Adelphi University, and hopes to have students move in by the fall of 2018.

Preservationist groups and other residents have been opposed to Singer's plans, and want to see a return of the landmarked building to use as a cultural and community center.

The rally starts at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

Previously

Reminders: Community meeting about the former PS 64 is tonight

[EVG photo from Jan. 8]

As we noted back on Jan. 9, plans continue moving forward to convert the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on East Ninth Street into student housing.

Developer Gregg Singer, who bought the property between Avenue B and Avenue C from the city in 1998, is reportedly pushing Mayor de Blasio's administration to remove a stop-work order that has been in place since 2015.

According to published reports, Singer has a signed lease with Adelphi University, and hopes to have students move in by the fall of 2018.

Here's more from Crain's in a piece published on Jan. 11:

City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez and other local officials wrote to Buildings Department Commissioner Rick Chandler in October, saying that the lease does not meet the "community use" requirement, because Adelphi would use only part of the building. The officials also objected to the university's position that dormitories count as an appropriate community use. In an October letter to Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen, Fisher argued that a dormitory would meet the deed-restriction requirements.

The disagreement touches a political nerve partly because the city's recent removal of a deed restriction a few blocks away allowed Rivington House, a nonprofit nursing home, to become high-priced condos. Unlike in that case, P.S. 64's deed restriction was issued by the City Council, and only the council may lift it. Singer is not seeking the restriction's removal, but the sensitivity stemming from the Rivington controversy and local opposition has kicked a Buildings Department matter up to the mayor's office.

CBS 2 also filed this report...



Preservationist groups and other residents have been opposed to Singer's plans, and want to see a return of the landmarked building to use as a cultural and community center.

All this and more will be a topic of discussion during a community meeting tonight (first noted here on Jan. 9)...



The meeting tonight is at 6:30 at Loisaida, Inc., 710 E. Ninth St. near Avenue C (next to Ninth Street Espresso).

Previously on EV Grieve:
Community meeting set as dorm plans continue moving forward at the former PS 64

Community meeting set as dorm plans continue moving forward at the former PS 64

There are recently disclosed new developments in the works at the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center as developer Gregg Singer remains committed to converting the long-empty building that extends from Ninth Street to 10th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C into dorms. (Singer bought the formerly city-owned building in 1998 for $3.15 million.)

According to the Greenwich Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP):

[Singer] is seeking to get around the restrictive declaration and the tighter rules we helped fight for years ago and sneak in illegitimate uses. He has hired the same lobbyist involved in the scandalous lifting of the deed restriction for the nearby Rivington House.

Rather than get the City to lift the deed restriction as was done there, he is seeking to get the City to redefine the restrictions on dorms that apply to this and other sites, to make it easier to sneak in illegal “dorms for hire” and to do work on the building without required documentation and commitments in place. The City has issued a preliminary ruling in favor of the developer’s request, which has far-reaching implications not only for this property but others throughout the City.

Last June, The Commercial Observer reported that Madison Realty Capital provided a $44 million loan to Singer’s Singer Financial Corporation to recapitalize a dorm.

In past years, the Joffrey Ballet and Cooper Union were attached to the project.

Now, as The Villager reported on Dec. 26, the new "anchor tenant" is Adelphi University, which has an outpost at 75 Varick St. Singer reportedly signed a lease with the school this past August.

The Schedule A on file with the DOB shows that the Adelphi students would be on the second and third floors of the building... while the fourth and fifth would remain unoccupied for the time being...



The lobbyist in question is Jim Capalino, a former Mayor de Blasio ally. As Politico noted, Capalino and his staffers have a knack for getting what they want for their clients.

Capalino has been working on behalf of Singer's LLC since April 2014. Here's more from The Villager:

Records from the Lobbying Bureau of the Office of the City Clerk show that from January 2015 to December 2016, 9th & 10th L.L.C. made three payments to James F. Capalino and Associates for a total of roughly $227,000. The first payment was for $30,000, with the “target” being the Department of Buildings, and the purpose being for “determination regarding real property.” The second was for $86,666, with the targets listed as D.O.B., along with “councilmembers and community boards,” with the intended purpose stated as “aiding the client in seeking various approvals for its property.” The third payment was for $120,000, with the target again D.O.B. and the purpose only listed as “non-procurement.”

The landmarked building has sat empty since 2001, when Singer reportedly evicted CHARAS, the cultural and community center. Through the years, preservationists, community groups and local elected officials have been successful in opposing Singer's various plans, including a 23-story megadorm. At the same time, there has been a movement to return the building to use as a cultural and community center.

There's a community meeting on Jan. 18 to discuss the latest developments at the former PS 64 ...



The meeting is 6:30 p.m. on the 18th at Loisaida, Inc., 710 E. Ninth St. near Avenue C (next to Ninth Street Espresso if that helps).

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

The Landmarks Preservation Commission approves application for modifications at PS 64

'Misinformation' cited as DOB issues Stop Work Order at the former PS 64; community meeting set for Sunday afternoon

Development drama continues at the former P.S. 64, where the city approved dorm-conversion permits (again)

[Updated] The former P.S. 64 appears to be for sale

The latest PS 64 debacle: Investors sue Gregg Singer

Report: Gregg Singer secures $44 million loan to continue plan to convert former PS 64 into a dorm

Last time that we heard anything about the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center, the owner, developer Gregg Singer, was being sued by his investors.

The Real Deal in late December reported:

The asset manager said it and the other investors put almost $8 million worth of debt and equity into the project, and after paying off the defaulted mortgage the development partnership took out a $22 million bridge loan at 11 percent interest, guaranteed by Onyx.

Despite earlier reports that Singer had signed the West Village’s Ballet School as a tenant, however, progress at the site struggled, and in July the company defaulted on the loan, kicking the interest rate up to 16 percent.

Singer apparently remains committed to converting the long-empty building that extends from Ninth Street to 10th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C into dorms.

The Commercial Observer reported last week that "Madison Realty Capital has provided a $44 million loan to Gregg Singer’s Singer Financial Corporation to recapitalize a student housing development."

Here's more:

“There is a shortage of quality student housing options in Manhattan,” Joshua Zegen, a managing principal and a co-founder of MRC, said in prepared remarks provided to COF. “Our financing of this project will help the borrower tap into that demand and turn a vacant building into a thriving housing option for students residing in New York City. This new development will provide a brand new student living facility with contemporary amenities, right in the heart of the East Village, one of the most artistic and diverse communities in the city.”

The article notes the new dorm will house 535 students, and include outdoor spaces for them.

It's like 2013 all over again. Or maybe 2009.

More than three years ago there were reports that both Cooper Union and the Joffrey Ballet were leasing space here for students.

It is not known — publicly anyway — if Singer has any signed leases for the space, which still needs approval from the city to renovate. (A Stop Work Order remains on the property, dated from last August.) Singer did not comment in the Observer story.

Singer bought the formerly city-owned building on East 9th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C in 1998 for $3.15 million. There has been a movement to return the building to use as a cultural and community center.

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

The Landmarks Preservation Commission approves application for modifications at PS 64

'Misinformation' cited as DOB issues Stop Work Order at the former PS 64; community meeting set for Sunday afternoon

Development drama continues at the former P.S. 64, where the city approved dorm-conversion permits (again)

[Updated] The former P.S. 64 appears to be for sale

The latest PS 64 debacle: Investors sue Gregg Singer

The latest PS 64 debacle: Investors sue Gregg Singer

[EVG file photo]

Developer Gregg Singer, who has spent nearly 18 years trying to convert the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center into student housing, is now reportedly being sued by his investors.

The Real Deal has the scoop:

Investors in the long-stalled redevelopment of the former PS 64 in the East Village are trying to force the building’s sale, claiming their partner is bleeding them dry to line his own pockets with management fees worth $30,000 per month.

A trio of financial backers led by Los Angeles-based Onyx Asset Management is asking a judge to boot developer Gregg Singer as manager of project, alleging several conflicts of interest that have led to him “wasting and dissipating the assets” of the partnership, according to a lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court Wednesday.

And!

The asset manager said it and the other investors put almost $8 million worth of debt and equity into the project, and after paying off the defaulted mortgage the development partnership took out a $22 million bridge loan at 11 percent interest, guaranteed by Onyx.

Despite earlier reports that Singer had signed the West Village’s Ballet School as a tenant, however, progress at the site struggled, and in July the company defaulted on the loan, kicking the interest rate up to 16 percent.

Singer bought the formerly city-owned building on East 9th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C in 1998 for $3.15 million. There has been a movement to return the building to use as a cultural and community center.

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

'Misinformation' cited as DOB issues Stop Work Order at the former PS 64; community meeting set for Sunday afternoon

Development drama continues at the former P.S. 64, where the city approved dorm-conversion permits (again)

[Updated] The former P.S. 64 appears to be for sale

[Updated] The former P.S. 64 appears to be for sale

[EVG file photo]

Updated: Several people have noted that this listing is a fake, so enjoy the humor then

Perhaps developer Gregg Singer is giving up his plans to convert the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center into student housing.

An ad for the long-empty space arrived yesterday on Craigslist.



Per the listing:

East Village Development Site

Area: East Village (between Avenue B & Avenue C)

Plans: Approved with Community Facility

Zoning District code: C1-5/R7-2
Other district code: C2-5

No Due Diligence as Development Site comes with approved plans.

Seller wants to close this out very quickly!

Asking price: $33 million.

While the Craigslist ad doesn't mention the specific address for the landmarked, block-thru building between East 9th Street and 10th Street, there aren't any other properties that fit this bill on the block.

The number on the ad is for Cornerstone Properties, which provides commercial and residential sales in New York City and surrounding area. (This listing doesn't appear yet on the Cornerstone website. We reached out to them for details.)

The building last hit the market in March 2012. That listing didn't come with an asking price.

As reported on Monday, the DOB approved permits for conversion of the existing building to a dorm on June 19, a move that caught local activists and politicians by surprise. However, the approved permits may be short-lived. Last Friday, the DOB added a "notice to revoke" message atop the permit.

Singer bought the formerly city-owned building in 1998 for $3.15 million … and has to date unsuccessfully been able to convert the long-emtpy space into student housing. Meanwhile, there continues to be a movement to return the building between to use as a cultural and community center.

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

'Misinformation' cited as DOB issues Stop Work Order at the former PS 64; community meeting set for Sunday afternoon

Development drama continues at the former P.S. 64, where the city approved dorm-conversion permits (again)

Development drama continues at the former P.S. 64, where the city approved dorm-conversion permits (again)

[Photo from Saturday]

The saga of the former P.S. 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on East Ninth Street is now in its 17th year ... on this occasion, there are a few developments to note as landlord Gregg Singer continues his quest to convert the landmarked space into student housing.

The DOB approved permits for conversion of the existing building to a college dormitory dated from June 19.

This approval apparently caught local activists and politicians by surprise. Last September, the DOB issued a Stop Work Order to halt any construction that may have begun under a Partial Work Permit that was issued based on misinformation to the department, according to City Councilmember Rosie Mendez's office.

Here's Off the Grid with a report from Friday:

At a meeting [last] week of the SOCCC-64 (Save Our Charas Community Center PS 64) steering committee, Mendez said she was deeply frustrated with DOB’s apparent lack of oversight, issuing permits when the developer still does not appear to be adhering to the requirements of the community facility use restriction: that is, signed leases with qualifying institutions, rather than promises of leases with organizations that may or may not qualify.

When recently contacted by The Villager, Singer said that he wasn't commenting on the project.

The latest Schedule A on file with the DOB shows the following…


[Click on image to go big]

The proposed plans show "sleeping accommodations" for Joffrey Ballet … as well as "music practice rooms" on floors 2-4 and "individualized dance instruction studio" on floors 3-4. The fifth floor and mezzanine remain vacant.

In any event, the approved permits may be short-lived. On Friday, the DOB added a "notice to revoke" message atop the permit.



Check out the Off the Grid post for more details on the current situation.

Singer bought the formerly city-owned building in 1998 for $3.15 million … and has to date unsuccessfully been able to convert the long-emtpy space into a dorm. Meanwhile, there has been a movement to return the building between Avenue B and Avenue C to use as a cultural and community center.

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

'Misinformation' cited as DOB issues Stop Work Order at the former PS 64; community meeting set for Sunday afternoon

The Post checks in on the former PS 64

[EVG file photo]

The Post provides a quickie today about the former PS 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on East Ninth Street.

There isn't any new information for anyone who has been following the story… more of a primer bringing the issue to people's attention outside the neighborhood.

Anyway, a quote from Councilmember Rosie Mendez:

"We don’t need a dorm — we’ve never wanted a dorm," Mendez told the Post. "When the building was sold to this developer . . . he was supposed to develop it. He has not. The city can negotiate to get the building back."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Local elected officials urge Mayor de Blasio to help return the former PS 64 to the community

The Landmarks Preservation Commission approves application for modifications at PS 64

'Misinformation' cited as DOB issues Stop Work Order at the former PS 64; community meeting set for Sunday afternoon

Local elected officials urge Mayor de Blasio to help return the former PS 64 to the community

[City Hall photos by Peter Brownscombe]

A group of residents, community leaders and local elected officials delivered more than 1,000 holiday cards to City Hall yesterday afternoon urging Mayor de Blasio to help return the former PS 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on East Ninth Street to the neighborhood.

The group delivered the greeting cards along with gold-wrapped chocolate coins, frankincense and myrrh on Three Kings Day to help draw attention to the ongoing battle for the landmarked building between Avenue B and Avenue C.



Developer Gregg Singer, who bought the building from the city in 1998, has to date unsuccessfully been able to convert the long-emtpy space into a dorm. There is currently a Stop Work Order on the site that the city issued in September.

Here's a collection of quotes about the building from local elected officials via Councilwoman's Rosie Mendez's office:

Mendez: "The Former PS 64 CHARAS/El Bohio was a school building and a cultural community center that cultivated the hopes and dreams of so many people in our community. Community activists laid the seeds and the foundation that created our community gardens and our urban homesteading buildings while sitting in a room at CHARAS. This holiday season my community and I want nothing more than to get our building back."

Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer: "Not too long ago, the CHARAS community center was an anchor that enriched this neighborhood, and with Mayor de Blasio's help it can be again. The Giuliani administration was wrong to shutter this community center and hand this historic space over to developers. The chance Mayor de Blasio has right now is one we rarely get: an opportunity to reclaim a lost jewel and make this neighborhood whole again."

Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez: "CHARAS was a cherished public space and I will continue to support my community in its efforts to reclaim the building for the
community!"

State Senator Brad Hoylman: "We have reached a critical point in the decades-long fight to reclaim the PS 64/CHARAS building for community use. However, we are still at risk of losing this valuable asset to unwanted and unnecessary development. I look forward to working with all stakeholders to help ensure that CHARAS truly benefits the neighborhood, instead of private interests."

As for the Mayor, he happened to arrive halfway through the event, but walked right by and into City Hall without acknowledging the group.



Per previous reports, both The Joffrey Ballet School and Cooper Union have signed on to place its students at what will be called University House.



On Monday, Singer told DNAinfo's Lisha Arino that "the city issued the order because it wanted to clarify the language in the leases" he signed with the schools. He said that he is "working with the city to change the wording and hopes to restart construction by the end of next month."

Singer also said that he wasn't opposed to the idea of a community center in part of the space, though he hadn't seen any proposals for a community center. One local leader disputed this, telling DNAinfo that Singer "has never reached out to us in good intention and good faith."

About tomorrow's PS 64 holiday card delivery to City Hall

Here's more information about tomorrow afternoon's PS 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center holiday card delivery to Mayor de Blasio ... via the EVG inbox...

City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez will be joined by colleagues, community residents and "3 Kings" to deliver frankincense, myrrh and gold (chocolate coins) with more than 1,000 holiday cards, petitions and a letter to Mayor de Blasio requesting one holiday gift — the return of the former PS 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center to the Lower East Side/East Village for community use.

Elected officials and residents of the Lower East Side are urging the Mayor to help return to the community the historic landmarked building that was saved by the community in the 1970s.

The building located at 605 E. Ninth St. was auctioned off and sold by Mayor Guiliani 15 years ago and has now been vacant for 13 years. This past Sept. 22, the Department of Buildings issued a Stop Work Order to halt construction that may have begun under a Partial Work Permit that was reportedly issued based on misinformation filed with DOB by developer Gregg Singer.

Here's a flyer with details about when all this is happening...


[Click on image to enlarge]

Find more info at the website of the grassroots organization SOCCC (Save Our Charas Community Center), who has been collecting the holiday cards with other community groups.

Previously on EV Grieve:
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