Rally Today for Displaced Tenants of 128 Hester

As the Wyndham Garden Hotel glistens in the sunlight, its aqua facade reflecting across the Bowery, the former residents of 128 Hester Street continue to suffer hardships. It was this development that destabilized the tenement, eventually leading to its forceful evacuation on August 5, 2009, and demolition shortly thereafter. The story was deeper, though.

128 Hester Street, circa August 2009

The eight families residing at this address lost their homes due to alleged neglect by the building’s owner, William Su. After purchasing the building in July 2007, Su let the living conditions deteriorate without correcting, jeopardizing the tenants in the process. But it was his adjacent property on which the eighteen-story Wyndham Garden Hotel stands that dealt the final blow. Construction killed 128 Hester.

Three years later, these tenants are not forgotten. The Asian Americans for Equality (“AAFE”) advocacy group is holding a rally today at 11:30 am to protest the hotel and call for justice. From the mailbag:

The New York State Division of Housing & Community Renewal ordered William Su to pay relocation fees for the tenants on May 26, 2010, but he has refused to comply. The 128 Hester Street tenants hang in limbo, awaiting some relief from the hardship they have suffered because of the owner’s willful indifference to the condition of the building and the welfare of its residents. On June 7, 2012, DHCR held a settlement conference between the landlord and the tenants; however, the landlord has refused to negotiate in good faith.

WHAT: Stand up for the displaced tenant of 128 Hester!
WHEN: Friday, August 23, 11:30 am
WHERE: Corner of Hester and Bowery

You can also sign the petition here.