From the Daily News:The city Department of Housing Preservation and Development deemed a landmarked Grand Concourse school building unsalvageable, putting the kibosh on a dream scheme for its redevelopment.
Public School 31, the 114-year-old gothic-style building in Mott Haven that graduated thousands of Bronxites, is so structurally unsound that it’s slated to be torn down, the Daily News has learned.
“It’s a tragedy,” said Phillip Morrow, the head of the nonprofit group SoBro. “As soon as we gave them a proposal, they moved to tear it down.”
SoBro and other community groups rallied to save the crumbling school last summer, pushing a plan to convert the site into lofts and a gallery for local artists. The plan was buoyed by the interest of Goldman Sachs' Urban Investment Group.
But the Department of Buildings has ordered the city-owned site’s demolition, and all that stands in the way of leveling P.S. 31 is a Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing later this month.
Built between 1897 and 1899, the once grand Victorian structure has become an eyesore in the neighborhood.
The building was landmarked in 1986, but the city discovered it had major structural problems and closed it in 1997.
The space has been vacant — and decaying — ever since; the last time it was even shored up was in the 1990s, city officials said.
Hurricane Sandy compounded the problems at the site, dislodging part of the facade.
But the historic structure wasn’t always so decrepit. It once boasted magnificent stained glass windows, 18-foot ceilings, arches and an auditorium with pressed wood finishes. It was heated by steam engine, was originally built for gas lighting and didn’t initially have indoor plumbing.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission will allow the public to weigh in on the school one last time at a hearing to be held Dec. 17.
2 comments:
No one has commented on this but I sure definitely will. This LANDMARKED building is unique and important to the history and architecture of the BRONX. This building is another example of the "great job" being done by the city and the NYC Landmark Commission! Wow keep on working hard on letting buildings just sit there unused and rotting. That sounds like a plan to have an excuse to knock it down after they make excuses upon excuses how it can 't be salvaged because it 's not structurally secure. The same song and dance over and over again. Someone needs to be held accountable and punished!!!
But no one ever is.
Instead the city and the Landmarks should hire engineers and preservationists to work together and get this building restored and repurposed! There is no excuses and this building can be saved. There needs to be a game changer in NYC. These a**holes responsible for this have no desire to save or preserve this building. Therefore it is just easier in their simple minds to knock it down. Step outside the box and think a little harder and I'm sure you can save the exterior of the building at least and build your luxury condos inside.
We need new leaders in the Landmark Committee because the ones present can't even save an existing landmark!
FYI:
As far as I know, city owned "Landmarks" are exempt from adhering to the landmarks law at the discretion of NYC.
The city might agree to "honor" their status, BUT IN REALITY, they are not legally required to do so.
If the city decides to tear down--let's say--the Landmark Flushing High School--they can do it!
Therein lies the danger in city owned Landmarks.
Correct me if I'm wrong, please.
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