Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog

The Scope of the Chetrits’ Proposed Chelsea Hotel Renovation: Herbert Huncke Finally Gets A Bathroom

Renovation has been ongoing on the east wing of the 7^th floor for several months now, without much apparent progress, and there have been scattered attempts at renovation in other places around the building (including in the room next to ours).  Notices have recently been placed by the elevators on all floors informing tenants that various work will commence this week, including: interior framing, steel bracing, electrical wiring, elevator shaft patching, and installation of concrete floors and plywood sub floors.

            There’s been a lot of confusing and conflicting information about the scope of the renovation, but I’ve been looking at various documents, including the floor plans posted on each floor, task force minutes, DOB permits, and letters from various local politicians.  Here’s what we know:

 

Demolition

 

Demolition work is mostly concluded, with almost all of the unoccupied apartments gutted, though they’ll have to do a bit more in spots—including in rooms recently vacated—as they go along.  Hopefully, they will take care not to spread asbestos dust around the hotel this time.  They are required to perform asbestos abatement and use HEPA filters for all significant work.

 

Hallways

 

Interior framing and steel bracing will be installed starting May 21, or as soon as the Chetrits get the necessary DOB permits.  This will hold up the sheetrock which will cover the existing walls, leaving a space for electrical wires and plumbing pipes.  They are also going to install heating and air conditioning (HVAC) shafts, and for this they will need to lower the ceilings in the hallways, presumably by installing a drop ceiling supported by the sheetrock walls.  The glass globes that Stanley installed in 1997 will be torn out, as the plan is to install “strip lighting” in the new ceilings (sounds dreadful, I know).  The “arch configuration” of the hallways will be maintained, if possible.  A sprinkler system will be installed.  The marble floor will be retained.

 

Stairwells and Elevators

 

The main staircase will not be altered.  (At some point they may open it to the lobby as it was originally.)  The two central elevators will also not be affected.  According to the floor plans, the back staircase will be torn out and a new (apparently larger) staircase will be built in approximately the same location.  It appears that the service elevator will also be replaced by a new one.  And a brand new elevator will be installed on the east wing of the building.   The Chetrits/Gene Kaufman had permits for this work with the DOB, but these appear to have been revoked for the time being.

 

Apartments

 

Radiators will be torn out.  Vents for HVAC will be installed leading from the pipes in the hallway into the vestibule of each apartment.  Sprinklers, the pipes painted red, will be affixed to the ceiling.  All apartments will get new double windows at some point.  Unoccupied apartments are having the interior framing, steel bracing, and sheetrock installed to hide the new electrical wires and pipes.  Occupied apartments will be assessed on a case by case basis to determine if they need new electrical wiring.

 

Bathrooms

 

All rooms will have their own bathrooms, so the days of SRO rooms at the Chelsea are over.  Most of the bathrooms in the unoccupied rooms were demolished, so they’ll need to construct new ones.  Even Herbert Huncke, in 828, will get the bathroom he longed for and always bugged Stanley Bard about, albeit posthumously.   As borne out by the floor plans, none of the new rooms will have kitchens.

 Roof

 

DOB has already denied the plans for the permits for the structure on the roof, due to the hotel being overbuilt, and due to incomplete and inaccurate information on the permit applications so for now the scaffolding which was put up for LPC viewing will come down.  However, according to Chetrit associate Michael Butler, all structures and gardens on the roof will be demolished anyway.

 

Permits

 

There seems to be a hold-up on some of the DOB permits.  For instance, as mentioned, the permit for the elevator and new back staircase, initially granted, has now apparently been revoked.  This could have something to do with the fact that Christine Quinn and several other local politicians sent DOB a letter requesting that they audit the permit applications.  Another permit, this one for renovation of the rooms, has seemingly suffered the same fate.  How this will affect the scope of the renovations remains to be seen.

 

            One thing immediately obvious from the current floor plans is that the new configuration of the hotel will consist of a variety of rooms, large and small, much like the old hotel.  Even some of the small corridors with their warrens of tiny rooms will remain, only now each one will have its own bathroom.  All of which makes you wonder why they bothered with the gutting.  Certainly the thin sheetrock walls will maximize floor space, but besides that, probably the Chetrits had a more extensive renovation planned originally, but have been unable to get the permits they needed.  (They couldn’t get a permit for change of egress, and that may be why they have to retain the small rooms and eccentric configuration.)  Well, the less architect Gene Kauffman is allowed to do, the better.

Chelsea Hotel Phone Booths to be Removed by Chetrits

The enclosed phone booths in the lobby of the Chelsea Hotel represent some of the last remaining booths in the city.  Not only are they historic, they are cool, and serve a useful purpose.  Chelsea Dynasty has announced that the two enclosed phone booths in the lobby of the Chelsea Hotel will be removed sometime in the next two months when the construction begins on the first floor.  Management indicated that the booths will be saved as historic artifacts and perhaps reinstalled at some future time.  We certainly hope that this is the case. No mention of what will happen to the mobile which hangs above the booths. 
The removal of the booths presents a problem for the tenants who use the phones on a regular basis.  One solution proposed by management is to provide low-cost outward bound calls from the in-room house phones for individuals who depend upon the phones located in the lobby. 

(Photo source: Flickr)

Chelsea Hotel Tenants’ Association Reaches Settlement with Chetrits

Legends has obtained a copy of the consent order in the tenants’ association’s lawsuit against the Chetrits (Judith Childs, et. al. vs. Chelsea Dynasty LLC, et. al. and NYC Department of Housing and Preservation).  The Tenants’ Association represents approximately 35 of the 98 tenants remaining in the building, and approximately 31 of the 69 remaining units.  The tenants association sued, basically, to force the Chetrits to remediate the mold and other hazardous conditions in their apartments (some of which resulted from the recent demolition) and to perform any further construction in accordance with the law (this later mainly focused on the spread of dust).  In the settlement, the hotel agreed to various conditions, including:

Housing Violations

 -the hotel must correct all listed housing violations (including mold, lead paint, fire code, and air shaft) in petitioners apartments and public areas, immediately hazardous violations by June 12, 2012, and hazardous and non-hazardous violations by June 30, 2012

 -if the hotel doesn’t correct the violations on time, they can be fined $50-$150 per violation for the immediately hazardous violations, plus $125 per day per violation.  (There are correspondingly lesser penalties for the lesser violations)

 -mold remediation in petitioners apartments and public areas must be done in accordance with Department of Health guidelines, and must be completed by June 30, 2012

 -the hotel must take all necessary steps to eliminate the sources of water leaks into the hotel

 -wood platforms and debris must be removed from air shafts by July 15, 2012.  Openings in the air shafts must be closed or have ventilation as per code

 -an asbestos inspection must be performed, and damaged asbestos insulation must be removed by an asbestos contractor

Demolition and Construction

 -plastic sheeting must be used to isolate and enclose demolition areas, and HEPA vacuums and air scrubbers must be used to keep the dust down.  Surfaces in work areas must be properly cleaned, the dust removed.  Debris must be taken out of the building in sealed containers

 -if dust enters the common areas or apartments, the hotel must clean it up immediately (though they don’t have to stop work).  HEPA air cleaners must be provided for children and people with respiratory problems

 -When work is being performed in the air shafts, the hotel must seal the vents and windows in the apartments affected

 -the windows on the top floor must be covered with plastic sheeting during asbestos removal on the roof

 -the hotel must obtain the proper permits for all work, and all work must be performed according to law

 -72 hours notice must be given before any demolition or construction may begin

 Fire Safety

 -plastic sheeting that blocks emergency exit paths must be removed, and stair doors must be unlocked.
(This correction should be addressed immediately.)

Rent Payment

 -the hotel must acknowledge receipt of all rent checks and cash them immediately (unless this conflicts with their current or prospective litigation strategy or a Jewish holiday)

 Liability

 -Joseph Chetrit and the Chetrit Group LLC are removed as parties to this proceeding (!?!)

A couple of points are important to note here.  For one thing, this settlement only directly affects tenants association members and the few other tenants who joined the lawsuit.  For the rest of us, if we have mold or other problems in our apartments, we will presumably still have to dial 311 and deal with the various agencies if management doesn’t take action immediately.  The good news is, many tenants have had their mold and other problems corrected in this way (it requires persistence, and sometimes the withholding of rent).  The recent asbestos cleanup (made necessary both by Krauss/Elder’s botched removal attempt and the Chetrits’ mishandling of demolition debris) was brought about by tenant activist Arthur Nash calling the DEP, and had nothing to do with this court case at all.

            For another thing, as far as we can tell, the Chetrits only agreed to do things that they were required to do by law anyway.  So the main effect of this agreement is to take enforcement out of the hands of the various city agencies and put it in the hands of the court.  I seriously don’t know if this is better or worse—better, I’m hoping—though enforcing compliance will no doubt involve the further use of lawyers and consequent further expense.

            Furthermore, the settlement doesn’t seem to apply to any future problems, so even tenants’ association members will have to call 311 for these when they arise—or else go to court again.

            Finally, head honcho Joseph Chetrit and his main corporation, The Chetrit Group, are let completely off the hook!  For us, this provision would have been a deal-breaker, both for the reason that Big Joe is the man ultimately responsible for the health-endangering demolition of the hotel, and for the fact that he and The Chetrit Group have the deep pockets.  It’s a question for the lawyers as to whether or not this settlement limits individual tenants’ association members’ ability to sue Joseph and his Corp. for damages (such as those related to health problems). -- Ed Hamilton

No Room on The Inn: DOB Denies Permit for Proposed Chelsea Hotel Rooftop Addition

Good news from DOB: according to Matthew Katz of dnainfo.com they have denied the Chetrit's a permit for the rooftop addition due to inconsistent and inadequate information about the plan provided by the Hotel's current owners. The problem, it seems, is that the building is overbuilt. Basically, it has too many square feet
and is too tall for the space, according to current zoning regulations. (The current building was grandfathered in.) So any proposed additions would only add to the problem. Look for the Chetrits to attempt to get around this problem in one way or another. We spoke with CB4 Chair Corey Johnson about this issue over the week-end and he promised to monitor the situation. We look forward to working with him on this and other issues. In other issues, a judge ruled today that the Chetrit's must clean up the hazardous conditions (including lead, mold, and asbestos) plaguing the Hotel by the end of July. The Chetrit's had ignored previous court to clean up the mess. Hopefully we won't all be evicted by then. http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20120507/chelsea/hotel-chelsea-too-big-for-rooftop-extension-buildings-department-rules

Local Politicians Visit Chelsea Hotel to Denounce the Chetrits

CB4 Chairman Corey Johnson addresses the Hotel's concerns at press conference earlier today in front of the Chelsea Hotel. State Senator Tom Dunane, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, New York State Assembly Member Richard Gottfried, and CB 4 Chairman Corey Johnson were all present.  Several politicans mentioned issues related to the Tenant's Association Lawsuit against the Chetrits, addressing such concerns as asbestos abatement, mold, hazardous conditions during construction and demolition and in general poor living conditions for the tenants.  Johnson addressed the proposed rooftop addition taking issue with the fact that the Chetrit's will not identify what it's for (obviously a club of some sort) and saying the roof will be overbuilt.  He also characterized this obscuring of information as typical behavior for the Chetrits.

Also discussed was the matter of evictions of tenants, and it was mentioned that there are 15 eviction proceedings in court at this moment (some cases have been settled recently when tenants agree to move out).

 

 

Worthless, Uncool, Quasi-Mystico-Artistico “Cultural” Event to be Held at Chelsea Hotel

As if we needed reminding that the Chelsea is over!  After Patti Smith retained her integrity by cancelling her management-sponsored concert for the Chelsea Hotel tenants, King and Grove (the management company run by Ed Sheetz and Ben Pundole) vowed that they would continue to hold “cultural” events at the hotel.  We are pleased to announce that they have kept their word.

            Oddly, Chelsea residents, who had planned to protest Smith’s concert with a die-in and book burning, were not invited to this Thursday’s planned event.  However, a number of residents have spoken and/or corresponded via e-mail with organizers Glenn O’Brien and Bill Powers, explaining the problem to them and politely asking that they reconsider holding their event at the Hotel.



Based on the available evidence, we are forced to conclude that this event will be some kind of quasi-religious ceremony for people seeking absolution from the sin of collaborating with the despoilers of the Chelsea Hotel.  Expect a big turnout!

[Note: in case you don’t recognize the picture, that’s Pope Ondine from Chelsea Girls.  He is looking down from that great confessional in the sky.]