As mentioned in yesterday's linkage, the Hotel Chelsea board is shoving out Stanley Bard and family after 50 years of running the legendary artists' shelter, and handing over the reins to the management team behind the Maritime and Bowery Hotels. Now the story seems to be picking up some steam, as the Times wades into the controversy, even getting a quote out of Jeanne-Claude on the matter (Christo must have been taking a wizz). How big of a deal is this? Big enough to reveal the true identity of the anonymous blogger behind the Hotel Chelsea-dedicated Living With Legends site, which has been all over this story for days.
The latest is that Bard will stay on as an "ambassador," doing whatever it is hotel ambassadors do. In response, LWL had this to say: "While this is not ideal, it's good to know we'll still have him here to look after our interests." As for the 250-room hotel itself, expect fewer long-term residents, and mix in some new retail tenants. This is the end of an era, both figuratively and literally, and the news is not being taken lightly. Writes an emotional Crazy Fingers, "The loss of the Chelsea as we know it is the symbolic end of the neighborhood we love. Maybe this is why 'Chelsea' has not been illuminated on the sign lately."
· Change at the Chelsea, Shelter of the Arts [NYT]
· New Chelsea Hotel Management Company Averts Public Relations Disaster [LWL]
· Big changes on 23rd street [Crazy Fingers]