As two Frank Stella exhibits open up at the Met, an update now on his former stomping grounds. You'll recall that Stella sold 126-128 East 13th Street to developers, who planned a seven-story condo building for the site. The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation stepped in with an effort to save the 1903 stable, which is where rich Manhattan families handled their "horse affairs." The GVSfHP is still waiting for a landmark ruling, but leader Andrew Berman just sent out this update:
GVSHP has just learned two important and encouraging pieces of information. The City has extended it's "standstill agreement" with the owner until July, ensuring the building's continuing preservation. And we have been informed that the Peridance Center has signed a "long-term lease" for use of the building as a dance studio, which would indicate the owner may be arriving at a plan for permanent re-use of the building. We will continue to closely monitor this situation and advocate for the building to be landmarked and permanently preserved.You would think Berman would have some concerns about the dancers' feet pounding the century-old stable floor, but apparently he's cool with it.