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DINING SINCE 1970 PAGE 9
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NYPRESS.COM • THE LARGEST PAPER ON THE EAST SIDE • JUNE 20, 2013
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Undermining Landmark Status? Owners of the City & Suburban apartments on the Upper East Side want to demolish the buildings By Joanna Fantozzi
T
he two pink stucco buildings on 429 E. 64th St. and 430 E. 65th St. and York Avenue may not look like much architecturally, but they are landmarked buildings, designed by Philip H. Ohm as the first light court tenement structures in the city low-income buildings designed to address the dark and dank living conditions for immigrants of the early 20th century. Apartments have windows facing courtyard. The average price for an apartment at 371 square feet is $600 per month. Because of their historic significance, community members are desperately trying to save these buildings from being delandmarked and demolished. City and Suburban Homes Company built them in 1914-15. Last week, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a hearing to determine whether Stahl Real Estate, who owns the properties, can claim hardship in the upkeep and rental of the buildings. If their claim is approved, the building can be de-landmarked and Stahl will tear down the buildings to put up luxury condominiums. More than 20 people and groups
Original facade left, current facade right testified at the hearing, from residents at City and Suburban, to Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts - the land marking group that leads the fight against Stahl, Assembly Member Micah Kellner and Sen. Liz Kreuger. “Since 1898, these buildings have provided safe, affordable shelter for hundreds of families and were and are today, a cohesive community,” testified Jeanne Scott-Monck, a resident of 429 East 64th St. “Whatever the perceived hardship the owners of the building are claiming, is self-inflicted and they can cure it.” Many of the residents and community members spoke of this same issue with Stahl’s hardship application. But Brian Maddox, a representative from Stahl Real Estate said that 124 out of the 190 units are vacant. Ninety-seven of these units, said Maddox were voluntarily surrendered. Stahl hired Cushman & Wakefield, an advisory firm, and they determined that pre-war six-floor walkups can be rented
out anywhere from $600-$800 per month with a $4 million renovation, or for $1,235 with a $17 million dollar renovation. “It’s an economic argument that the rents that could be attained aren’t sufficient to meet operating and owning expenses,” said Maddox. “Tenants were giving them up at that rent which tells you that they aren’t attractive enough even at a cheaper rent. I think Cushman & Wakefield makes it clear that economically they are a challenge whether occupied or not.” Friends of the Upper East Side disputes this argument. Liz
Scams Hit Upper East Side The District Attorney & Department of Aging warn about fraud and financial crimes By Joanna Fantozzi
A
woman living on East 79th Street received an alarming phone call in mid-May from “Captain Tom Piscani” head of financial crime in New York who told her that she was in possession of counterfeit bills. He told her to cash a check from her bank, and meet with a plainclothes
officer in front of the New York Society Library. The bank declined to cash the check, and she instead gave the officer $3,200 in cash. The officer never showed her identification. This is just one incident in a string of police fraud-related crimes that occurred on the Upper East Side in late spring. The victims were all elderly. Another victim gave a detective-impersonator access to her bank account information, and a third sensed something wrong and refused to give the “officer” any money. Patterns of fraud and scam-related crimes committed against senior citizens 65-plus are common. There are more than 700 cases of
elder abuse handled by the DA’s office every year, including abuse, neglect and fraud. There are multiple types of fraud crimes -- from a stranger posing as a police officer, landlord or electrician who convinces the victim to hand over cash -- to phone conversations with strangers posing as relatives pleading for bail money. The 20th precinct on the Upper West Side, in particular, saw several incidents of the “relative’s cry for help” scams earlier in the year. But many times, the elderly victim knows the perpetrators personally. The Manhattan Continued on page 6
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ALSO INSIDE RUPPERT PARK IN DANGER P.4 SURVEILLANCE STATE P.6 SAVE OUR LIBRARIES P.16