From evictions and Stop Work Orders to lawsuits and fines, the problems of the Hotel Chelsea have been well-reported, but there is another building that is also suffering, allegedly at the hands of the hotel's owner Joseph Chetrit. When Chetrit bought the hotel in 2011, the building came with an 8-unit brownstone at 229 West 22nd Street. Known as "the townhouse," the neighboring structure is linked to the main hotel by a tunnel, and it's often used to transport goods and shipments into hotel because trucks have an easier time parking on West 22nd Street rather than West 23rd.
Tina Rossner has lived in a rent-controlled unit in the townhouse since the late 1960s, and she claims that she is suffering the same neglect and harassment as her neighbors. "I'm the only rent-controlled apartment in this building, so they [Joseph Chetrit and the Chetrit Group] very much want to get rid of me," she told DNAinfo. Recently, her ceiling collapsed for the third time, and she says Chetrit's staff refuses to properly repair her apartment. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development has visited the townhouse many times since Chetrit took control, and over the last year, they found 22 violations, including mold, vermin, leaking water, and broken heat. Rossner is now seeking legal help to prove that Chetrit is trying to force her out.
· Hotel Chelsea Townhouse Tenant Claims She's Being Forced Out by Owner [DNAinfo]
· All Hotel Chelsea coverage [Curbed]
Loading comments...