![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUZdG_j22H1R0ZaT3w6U2QPPl5oS8BpVDQVrloVt9zLIQpMIdj5mtU1RrR7nZXFo7DGRUaTCIhvAg5bV-J8kZfHpOEIuESy2ahwoYpdkLgHmiFBT3XDh97cL4IC5K9-HZJp7EsT0078I/s400/unnamed-8.jpg)
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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 ...
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 ...