[
Last week on East Ninth Street]
EVG reader
@fashionbyhe sent along the photo below, asking what was going on with the former PS 64 and noting that the permits for the sidewalk bridge expired...
...on Sept. 29, 2011.
[
Bobby Williams]
Aside from noting the one-year anniversary of the sidewalk bridge's expiration date, there is some other activity to report here at the former PS 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on East Ninth Street and 10th Street just east of Avenue B.
Tomorrow night, there's
a CB3 Landmarks Subcommittee meeting. And on the agenda:
Certificate of Appropriateness: Proposal for window replacement project, as part of façade restoration project, at former PS 64/ 605 E 9th street
The windows could use a good replacing, as you can see here on the East 10th Street side.
On Aug. 8, the DOB disapproved a plan to repair and restore the façade, a job with an estimated cost of $510,000,
per city documents.
Of course, the building's controversial owner, Gregg Singer, reportedly had workers
hack away at the ornate dormer windows and terra cotta trim back in 2006. Could have saved himself some future trouble by keeping everything intact.
In addition,
city records show that there is a new architect of record on the permits — Mark Ginsberg of
Curtis + Ginsberg Architects LLC. (Among many other projects, the firm designed the plans
for turning the former PS 90 in Harlem into 75 apartments and a community space. However, PS 64 was landmarked in 2006; the property deed limits the property to community use.)
Singer is still listed at the DOB as the owner of 605 E. Ninth St. He bought the formerly city-owned building in 1998 for $3.15 million. Aside from a whole lot of neighborhood
drama, not much has been happening with the space for 10-plus years. (There's not enough time in the day to get into all the history here since 1998.
The Villager has extensively covered this story through the years. Check out their archives
here.)
In March,
a deed for "community facility use only" arrived at Massey Knakal, who noted, "Ideally, the highest and best use for the property would be to renovate the existing structure and convert it into a modern school or college dormitory." (No price was listed.)
The listing is no longer on the Massey Knakal site. So, a question that people have have been asking for years remains: Will something
finally happen to the space now?
Meanwhile, we do know what has been going on with the former school, at least on the East 10th Street side: Some folks have created temporary housing under the sidewalk bridge...
[
BW]
[
BW]
[
BW]
[
EVG]
[
EVG]
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
