By Brian J. Pape, AIA Attending Community Board 2’s (CB2’s) full board meeting on July 20th gave me an earful of local news. Following up on previous West Village Houses (WVH) articles for our readers, the debate over the parking requirement for WVH at their 738 Greenwich Street Parking Garage at Perry Street was a
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Historical Commercial Rent Controls in New York City
By Brian J. Pape, AIA Contrary to common belief, there is still rent control for historic commercial buildings in New York City, as was reported at a recent Community Board 2 (CB2) meeting. Under discussion were applications for variances to allow Group 6 ground floor and cellar uses in the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District, both
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Department of Buildings Shrugs as Megatowers Take Over New York City
By Nan Victoria Munger If you want to get to Carnegie Hall, you could practice a whole lot. Or, you could simply raise your eyes to the City skyline and head toward the ‘Billionaire Building,’ a 1,005-foot luxury condominium across the street from the legendary concert venue. One57 is one of many megatowers springing up
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Landlord of the Flies: Steve Croman’s Social Diary Is Empty
By Joseph Turco, Esq. Let’s gather what we know about the ever-sinking fortunes of the ‘Bernie Madoff of Landlords,’ Steve Croman. 1. In May 2016, just as his despicable son Jake went viral after calling an Uber driver “a minimum wage faggot,” little Jake’s dad, Steve Croman, was indicted on 20 felonies for lying on
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Urban Myth: Landlords Save Money by Keeping Spaces Empty (Part One)
By Steve Wilson Passing by empty storefronts and restaurants, Villagers can often be heard uttering the widely accepted urban “truth”—They (landlords) make money by deducting the high rents which they no longer receive. Leading local commercial real estate broker Brian Kanarek insists that landlords don’t make money on empty storefronts: “Landlords cannot claim a deduction
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Temporary Closing of Gourmet Garage
Gourmet Garage, located at 117 7th Avenue South (between West 10th and Christopher Streets), has announced a mid-August temporary closing. The building owner needs to install columns to reinforce the building in order to add additional floors for new residential apartments. (The accompanying rendering illustrates the design proposal by Cruzen Samton Architects.) The New York
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Reflecting on NYCHA
I recently watched a show called “History of China” and it ended with images of how China is doing today. The show included a shot of several beaming Chinese people who said that they pay no rent and that food is free. That is the ultimate form of socialism that Dr. Lenora Fulani would like
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A Stroll Around the Neighborhood: Construction and Development Sites
By Brian J. Pape, AIA You know that you are in a popular neighborhood when there seems to be construction on every block. This stroll covers one small area of the West Village. Let’s start along West Street, just south of the condo at 1 Morton Square. Ian Schrager and his development partners tapped Herzog+de
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Diller Island: The Continuing Saga
By Michael Gruen Opinions vary as to whether Pier 55 (a.k.a. Diller Island) is a desirable project. Does it benefit the public, and if so, do the benefits outweigh the harms? Many of us at The City Club of New York (City Club) have strong, negative feelings about the design and location of Pier 55.
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Bring Back Commercial Rent Control?
By Brian J. Pape, AIA Bring back? Until recently, I never knew it had existed. All we hear is how high rents and taxes are devastating the mom-and-pop retail communities. Even our State Senator, Brad Hoylman, recently published a report entitled “Bleaker on Bleecker” on his website. The survey found 18.44% storefronts vacant on West
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Reflecting on Gardens and Housing
Dear Editors: In writing about and photographing the gardens at the Church of St. Luke in the Fields and Jane Street, Justin Matthews touches on two gardens where I have worked as a volunteer with great joy and love for over 40 years. (See his article “Parks and Gardens of the West Village” in the
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Amidst Bleecker Street Closures, a Survivor and a Reviver
By Nan Victoria Munger In 1979, Afghan millionaire Abdul Nusraty fled the communist government of Afghanistan, leaving behind his four cars and a 180-worker jewel factory to become a West Village storeowner. Since moving to New York and opening Nusraty Afghan Imports, Nusraty has twice been forced to relocate, not by Communists, but by landlords.
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Landlords and Tenants Agree: London’s Grenfell Tower Fire Was Preventable
By Joseph Turco, Esq. Greenwich Village/Westbeth artist Joyce Rezendes, who resided in London in the late 1960s, often compares its Kensington district to Greenwich Village. Of the Grenfell Tower fire, which occurred on June 14th, Rezendes recalls: “We protested the construction of those tall buildings back then because they were so out of place in
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Kill The Zombie Park Already Part II: The Fake Alternative
By Alec Pruchnicki It’s much easier to think of an alternative to a controversial project than to complete the years of hard work necessary to implement that alternative. Supporters of the Elizabeth Street Garden have proposed several alternative sites for housing—the biggest one being on Hudson and Houston Streets. But, there are problems with this
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Hold the Mayo! The Future of Grocery Prices in the West Village
By W. Russell Neuman I know I should, but I don’t pay a lot of attention to price tags in stores. I should also keep track of sale items and I don’t do that either. But when I picked up a jar of Hellmann’s Mayonnaise at a chain grocery store/supermarket in the West Village recently,
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Bread and Roses
By Keen Berger Affordable housing is a top priority. Every community needs housing that is truly affordable. Yes and yes. I agree completely with both statements. I state this at the outset to prevent critics of the Elizabeth Street Garden (including Mayor de Blasio and Councilmember Chin) from implying that they are noble, and fighting
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Kill the Zombie Park Already Part I: Build Housing
By Alec Pruchnicki It should be dead, but somehow it’s still alive. Advocates continue fighting to keep the Elizabeth Street Garden entirely open space rather than a site for housing. Since WestView News first examined this issue in its articles: “Selfishness One, Housing Zero” (May 2016) and “Parks Are Good, Housing is Better” (November 2016),
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Fighting Community Blight
Dear Editors: I’m a regular reader of WestView and someone who hasn’t really participated in local politics. Your newspaper has made me more aware of meaningful ways to get involved in the community. Thank you for that. I am forwarding you a note (with slight edits) that I sent our council members a few weeks
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Signs of the Times: “Store For Rent”
By Allyn Freeman A walking tour of the West Village offers the sight of flowers that bloom in the spring but also the distressing proliferation of empty stores displaying “For Rent” or “For Lease” signs. Not in recent memory have there been so many vacant retail establishments in the neighborhood. A first consideration is to
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Rent Prisoners
By George Capsis This was the most difficult article I have ever written for WestView. It took me five days and what I produced is mostly a paraphrasing of a New York Times article and bits of a phone interview with the President of the Fulton Housing Tenants Association, Miguel Acevedo. What made it difficult
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Diller Island Park Passes Final Court Hurdle
For a year, foes of the 2.7-acre island/park being built at West 16th Street, largely with money from entertainment mogul Barry Diller, have tried to block the project in court. For a brief period in August, the New York State Appellate Division issued a stay against the commencement of construction. That stay was lifted later
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A Community Transforming: City Planning Approves St. John’s Terminal with Changes— South Village Landmarked
By Arthur Z. Schwartz This community needs affordable housing. This community needs places where seniors can live with some amenities. This community needs athletic fields, and it needs $100 million to go into Pier 40 to keep it from falling down. And, somehow, we need to get all of this without being overrun by luxury
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The Most Vulnerable Among Us
By Mary Ann Miller His name is Steve Croman and he is a predator landlord. His prey are the most vulnerable among us: the elderly, the sick of any age, and those that speak little or no English. The name may sound familiar and you may have even seen his picture in various tabloids and
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Landmarks Preservation Commission to the Community: “Get Lost!”
By Robert Widmann The good news out of the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is: No decision has yet come down on the 11 Jane Street Project. The bad news—ditto. Officially, the developer has been given the OK to demolish the parking garage at 11 Jane Street and has been directed to revise his plans to
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The Peculiar History of a “Floating” Pier 57
By Brian J. Pape, AIA Everyone knows that steel, stone, and concrete will sink in water, unless of course they are shaped like a boat. We’ve been building steel ships for centuries, so we are accustomed to multi-story cruise ships floating on the Hudson, but concrete? Not so much. Many piers that float have been
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St. John’s/Pier 40 Development Plan Hearing—An All Day Affair
By Jim Fouratt The public hearing of the City Planning Commission regarding the St. John’s/Pier 40 proposal was a day-long experience. Arriving at 9:45 for a 10 a.m. hearing, I was #69 on the public roster. Sitting there I listened and learned that authors of the Air Rights Bill had chosen not to appear and
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Thumb On the Scale? 11 Jane St. Developer Invited to Re-Rebut Community Concerns!
By Robert Widmann Contrary to indications, and with only nine hours notice, absent the weekend, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), at 10:00 AM Tuesday, July 26th, held a follow-up hearing to that held on June 21st. This time it succeeded in shaking itself loose of the 100-plus neighbors, community members, and opponents to the development
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Recent Developments in the Village
St. Luke’s Expansion: The expansion of St. Luke’s School is progressing at 657 Greenwich Street. This 19th-century structure will gain nine new classrooms with 100 seats, as well as a 4,000-square-foot gym. The $25 million renovation project will expand the school by 50 percent, and the building will grow to 60,000 square feet. The condos,
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75 Morton Green Roof Funded by Johnson, Brewer, and Glick
By David Moss On July 14, Council Member Corey Johnson announced that he, Assembly Member Deborah Glick, and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer teamed up to provide funding for a green roof at the upcoming school located at 75 Morton Street. For the project, Johnson contributed $250,000, Glick contributed $200,000, and Brewer contributed $100,000. Green
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111 Leroy Development Reduced by Half
By Brian J. Pape, AIA, LEED-AP Facing backlash from Community Board 2 (CB 2) on earlier plans that called for a larger building and an LGBT center, the developer has submitted construction plans for a set of buildings about half the size and with a five-story building that will have senior-supportive housing. According to permit
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155 West 11th: Welcoming the Sky
By Barry Benepe In the September 2015 issue of WestView, I described “the building that wasn’t there,” 35XV, designed by FXFOWLE. Eight years ago, the same firm embarked on another outstanding building that seeks to deny its existence in the “soft touch,” the architect’s description of its presence: 155 West 11th Street, built by Rudin Management
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Building Torn Down on West 11th
As a long time Village resident I know you will recognize the little house in the photo attached. I lifted the photo from Google Earth, fortunately before it was too late. If you walk by the building has been completely torn down. I took a guess that its number was 258 West 11th. Is this
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Real Estate Assault on 11 Jane. Neighbors Knocked for a Loop.
By Robert Widmann When the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation website published the plans and renderings for the luxury condo building being proposed for 11 Jane Street (directly next to my building at 9 Jane), it was as if I had been struck a physical blow. I felt dizzy. The building being proposed was
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Radical West Village Development Put on Hold
By Alexander Tobias Seeing a Landmarks Preservation Commission public hearing for the first time is an eye-opening experience. The first surprise comes from seeing the reading of decisions that were clearly written before presentations were made and public testimony given. Unanimous, rave approval of a new contemporary glass building in Tribeca puzzled many observers. While
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PIER 40: More Park (Like)?
By Barry Benepe Addressing a public meeting held by Community Board 2 on June 6, Madelyn Wils, CEO of the Hudson River Park Trust stated, “We need to make Pier 40 more park-like.” These were indeed welcome words. Pier 40 is not a park by any stretch of the imagination. It is a four level
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Garage to Wall of Glass Gives Jane Streeters Pause
By Alexander Tobias Redevelopment plans for 11-19 Jane Street—presently a two-story parking garage that’s been serving the community for nearly a century—were unveiled at Community Board 2’s Landmarks and Public Aesthetics Committee Hearing on May 16th. On May 20th, the full Community Board unanimously rejected the proposal. Since the Board’s ruling is non-binding, the project
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Today’s Contemporary, Tomorrow’s Historic
By Barry Benepe The pair of former stable/garage buildings formerly housing Pro Piano at 85-89 Jane Street are slated to be demolished and replaced with a one family house belonging to Jon Stryker, an architect specializing in the rehabilitation of historic buildings. He is also a philanthropist with a net worth estimated at $2.1
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Prison Ends Slumlord’s Smile
By George Capsis For months, since we did an article on her restaurant, Lima’s Taste on Christopher and Bedford, I had been hearing about Nelly Godfrey’s ten-year-long saga with what now appears to be the worst landlord in recent New York City history, Steven Croman. Nelly was invited, along with three other Croman victims,
