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Chinatown Working Group Endorses “East Bowery Preservation Plan”

Posted on: July 24th, 2012 by

Credit: MBFC

The years-in-the-making proposal to protect the east side of Bowery from rampant over-development gained some much-needed momentum last week. David Mulkins of the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors (BAN) passed along word that the Chinatown Working Group is in favor the “East Bowery Preservation Plan,” having already sent a strong letter of endorsement to the Department of City Planning.

135 Bowery, circa 2011

Unfortunately the east side of Bowery doesn’t enjoy the same protections of its neighbors across the street in the Special Little Italy District (and NoHo Historic District). That particular zoning designation, bounded by Bowery on the east, limits building heights to eight stories, essentially keeping all newer projects in check. That explains the rash of towers constructed within the last few years – Standard East Village, Bowery Hotel, Sperone Westwater, New Museum, Wyndham Garden Chinatown, and the forthcoming CitizenM hotel.

The Chinatown Working Group is a community-based planning initiative focusing on the future of Chinatown. Its ranks are populated by members of Community Boards 1, 2, 3, among others.

Below is the letter:

Chinatown Working Group Letter of Support

  • Gene

    The group is interfering with the rights of private landowners to do business – they have the right to sell or transform their property to condos, hotels, co-ops or whatever the case may be. What Landlord is going to be able to afford to make “affordable housing units”? And what exactly is there to preserve? Old decrepit buildings that are falling apart? Building owners should rally together to protest this.

  • one of many who care

    The City Council should stop being so damn greedy and be wise enough to know that a balance of should be struck to help the small landlords of older buildings maintain their viability so as not to cave into the $$$$ – this is how we are loosing “NewYork”. When small building landlords are under the same rules as the the large moneyed landlords it is just a matter of time (short time, at that) before the City will give up her creative energizing soul. I have long thought the City (meaning the mayor and council ) no longer want small landlords or small buildings – not as easy to make deals ! And we can thank Bloomberg and his bunch of cowering cronies in the Council to accelerate this process ten fold. I see very few in the City government caring about the future of this City. The government has become a whore house and New York is quickly becoming a suburban mall – without life – without creative force, how sad for everyone. Money talks but, without soul what is New York ?

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