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Gary Tomei’s Corner

Gary Tomei’s Corner

Gary Tomei’s Corner

A NEW  SEASON

What an amazing change has come to our block in the last few weeks, not only have the trees bloomed and the flowers blossomed, but much of the scaffolding has come down. What a relief! Our block is now again revealed  in all its beauty. I who like to extend particular kudos to the owner of  133-135 for the beautiful job he’s done so far in renovating those buildings.

Gary Tomei,  April 13, 2010

We Have Not Yet Begun To Fight
To view President’s Message archives, click here

The Landmarks Preservation Commission’s vote approving St. Vincent’s Hospital’s “hardship” application, allows it to raze the O’Toole building, which has been acknowledged by the LPC itself to be an architecturally significant building within the confines of the Greenwich Village Historic District.

This building was already landmarked when it was acquired by St Vincent’s in 1973. Authorities familiar with the Landmarks Law, say the commissioners who voted in favor of St. Vincent’s apparently failed to apply the proper statutory standards regarding the “hardship” application.

This decision, if allowed to stand, will ultimately mean the destruc-tion of the character of the Village. Furthemore, it will render the Landmarks Law moot.

“If a charity can acquire a building knowing that it is protected by the Landmarks Law and then turn around and demolish it by claiming hardship, the law is going to be followed more in the breach than in the observance,” said Delia Guazzo, Vice Chairperson of Protect the Village Historic District.

I ask, Where is the outrage? What has happened to our sense of duty to preserve the best of our culture for future generations?

We in the Greenwich Village Historic District will not, must not, stand idly by, and let this decision go unchallenged. We will appeal this travesty of justice and make sure it is overturned. To do so we need your support. I urge you to go to the Protect the Village Historic District website at protectthevillage.org to see what you can do to help our cause.

The LPC vote was supposed to be solely concerning the O’Toole building, and pursuant to the statute, O’Toole can only be torn down if it can no longer be used for its present purposes. The building is now being used for physicians’ offices and can continue to be so used.

Therefore, the application should have been rejected; however, by mixing apples with oranges, those voting in favor of the application, in reaching their decision relied on the alleged financial problems of the Hospital, its professed difficulty in renovating the present hospital building, located across from O’Toole, and the question whether any alternative sites were available to St. Vincent’s.

None of these considerations were relevant to the question before the Commission, yet the decision turned on just those issues. St. Vincent’s had not even applied for a financial hardship, nor had it opened its books to the Commission, which would have been necessary had it made such an application.

Furthermore, St. Vincent’s has always contended that the Hospital had to be one huge tower; however, prior to the October 28th meeting, the LPC had already decided that the size of the proposed hospital building was inappropriate for the Village. St. Vincent’s never reapplied for a Certificate of Appropriateness, so it would appear that the Commission has granted the Hospital the right to tear down a historic building in order to erect an edifice that it has already deemed inappropriate. In view of those facts, this decision defies common sense.

I have contended from the beginning of this process that the attempt by Rudin and St. Vincent’s to build two humongous buildings in the Village was driven by economic and political expediency. If those are the sole standards that we are to employ, what is the sense of having a Landmarks Law? The builders and developers would bury our historic, cultural and architectural past under a slew of undistinguished glass towers.

Let me be clear: I support St. Vincent’s need to modernize, but I see no inherent conflict between that need and the preservation of our beloved Village.

The St. Vincent’s catchment area is now the Westside from the Battery to 59th street. There is no valid reason that the Hospital remain here, in our limited communal area. Let St. Vincent’s build, without constraints, outside the Historic District where it can truly best serve the entire Westside community.

500 Steps with Alan

500 Steps with Alan

500 Steps with Alan

WELCOME

Welcome to “500 Steps On-Line”!  The concept: I only write about things within 500 steps of our block, as measured by my pedometer (giant steps allowed).  Thanks to my neighbor, Marcy Davis, for giving me the idea.

To view 500 Steps with Alan archives, click here.

Jessie vs. Jesse

The Horror!

The Horror!

I try not to be too pedantic in my reading of local signage.  I fully expect that apostrophes will be wrongly placed, quotation marks used for no reason at all, “judgment” spelled “judgement.”

And when Jessie’s on 7th Ave. between 12th & 13th took over Whitney Chemists space and hung a banner over the former Whitney sign, and that banner spelled the name of the store “Jesse’s,” I really paid no mind: it seemed like a temporary sign, and I was sure they would sooner or later remove the banner, take down the Whitney sign, and put up a sign with their correct spelling (which I assume is the spelling painted on the window).  Well, it never happened, and I’m guessing it’s about 3 years now that Jessie’s has had that banner up.

Now, I don’t care whether the store is called “Jessie’s” or “Jesse’s.”  That’s their prerogative, although I would go with the “Jesse James” spelling.  But having both names on the storefront, as illustrated below, looks downright tawdry.  Jessie or Jesse: you must choose!  (However, with the closing of St. Vincent’s, the store will lose 80% of its business—my guess is that they will choose . . . to close.

Alan J. Jacobs–April 13, 2010

Salvation Army Temple

Going north, I found God’s Country:

salvation_army198

The Salvation Army Centennial Memorial Temple : It’s right around the corner at 120 W. 14th St. We walk past it all the time, perceive something spectacular, but never go in. I called up our local emissary from the Salvation Army, Envoy Ian Anderson, and got an amazing tour, along with a dollop of Salvation Army history.

The Chapel is in an art deco style popular in the 20’s, also called “Ziggurat Moderne.” Originally the national headquarters, it is now headquarters for the New York region. Its name commemorates the centennial of the birth of Salvation Army founder William Booth. Its 1600-seat auditorium resembles a lovely old movie palace.

Envoy Anderson tells me that such a resemblance is intentional: the Army wanted to reach those who could not ordinarily be drawn into churches, so it often created theatrical events to entice sinners who then might be converted. So the building’s location on a block with three porn shops is appropriate: the more sinners in the vicinity, the better for the mission.

See this masterpiece for yourself at the “Christmas Extravaganza,” Sunday, December 14, at 6 p.m. Admission is free and Envoy Anderson says the music is terrific!