Things are suddenly heating up again at the rundown landmark P.S. 64-turned-CHARAS/El Bohio community center. The building has been on and off the market for years, pigeon guano and all, but things have been quiet regarding a possible sale. On Friday, though, a community group hosted a public assembly to brainstorm ideas for the building's future?and it turns out this is the right moment to brainstorm. The Local gets its hands on a flyer commissioned by building owner Gregg Singer, stating that the building "will soon undergo a cutting-edge, comprehensive redevelopment and historic restoration to transform this...New York City landmark into a modern community facility.” With that vague promise come some slightly less vague renderings. A few are above; click through for a look inside the now-battered building.
Friday night's 20-person public assembly decided they would urge Singer to turn two stories of the building into public space?a community facility on one floor and another floor set aside for local groups. The neighbors hope to sway Singer by offering him a list of possible tenants for the rest of the building. Singer seems less than enthused: "The locals need to be open to learning what the law is and understand what uses are allowed," he tells The Local, stressing that "Community Facility Use" in the zoning code allows for a dorm, school, medical facility, or gallery. And the saga continues.
· With Push for New Occupant On, An Inside Look at the Present (and Future?) State of Former P.S. 64 [The Local]
· Locals Want Former P.S. 64 Building Used as Community Center [The Local]
· P.S. 64 coverage [Curbed]
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