Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog

In His Own Words, Architect Gene Kaufman's Plans for the Chelsea Hotel -- Part I

Below is the first 2:42 of Gene Kaufman's presentation at Community Board 4's public hearing on April 4, 2012.  (You will need to turn up the volume on your speakers.)  Here is a draft of the resolution which CB4 will send to the Landmarks Preservation Committee, which plans to hold a hearing about the Hotel on Tuesday, April 10, at 9:30 A.M., Conference Room at 1 Centre Street, 9th Floor.  Additionally, CB4 will send a second letter requesting that LPC delay the process until there is a clearer understanding of the overall plans for the Hotel. 

Patti Smith Intoxicated by Air of Chelsea Hotel

If you watched CBS Sunday Morning News yesterday morning, you saw Patti Smith returning to the Chelsea Hotel, standing in the now artless lobby, and then visiting the room she said she stayed in with Robert Mapplethorpe in 1969. She remarks that it’s just like it was when they lived there.

But it seems that the Chetrits and architect Gene Kaufman fixed room 204 up special for Patti, moving in furniture from elsewhere to make it look like the room had recently been inhabited.  Tenant activist Arthur Nash snapped a photo of the unoccupied room two years before Patti’s visit.

Ironically, the only reason room 204 wasn’t gutted, like all the other unoccupied rooms, is that it was being used as a dump for the toxic waste from the demolition of the Chelsea Hotel!

Help Keep Second Life Chelsea Hotel Alive

The Virtual Hotel Chelsea which was created by Mykal Skall in May 2009 was recently forced to scale back its operations because to keep the Virtual Hotel Chelsea afloat was taking a considerable amount of energy, money, and time of a few dedicated individuals.  Mykal's announcement that he would have to close the Virtual Hotel Chelsea was met with sorrow by supporters inside and outside of the virtual world.  However, sentiments aren't accepted as payment even in Second Life. So, here is how you can use your real life resources to help keep the Virtual Chelsea Hotel going. And be generous, these guys have a lot of restoration to do.

Paypal -  [email protected] just for donations to this project.  It was said to us that if 100 people who cared about the Hotel donated just $20, that would sustain our operating costs for 1 year.  We’ve already started receiving donations and it looks like this can be a reality.  

Sponsorships - We are also seeking creative ways to sustain this project over time, or at least until LL goes belly up some day (at which point we will move it elsewhere for posterity) and are considering the following ideas:

• If you donate at the $200 level you’ll get a virtual bronze plaque on the outside of the hotel!
• If you donate at the $100 level we can place your name on one of the mailboxes!
• If you donate $20 or more, you’ll get a virtual bronze sunflower placed on the stairwell railings!
• You can always stop by the current build by joining SL to see the progress and donate to any of the spinning “Warhol Soup Cans” that you see.
• We can make a virtual version of your business, gallery, etc. in SL near the Chelsea, or corporate sponsorships, (Chetrit, Krauss, et. al. excluded!), or advertising for a monthly fee.
• You could sponsor a “special” virtual item that would remain in the hotel for guests and visitors to see, maybe the baby carriage, a famous author’s desk, or Sid’s bass?
• We are also seeking partnerships from RL musical artists, indy labels, and gallery owners.  This gives your artists a live outlet from the comfort of their own home or studio, and gives us new talent in SL.

Mykal writes "We will be back up and running very, very soon, and can’t wait to welcome our SL dysfunctional family back.  Anyone who was renting at the time of the shut-down will get two months free rent, and we are currently taking reservations for the prime spots.  

We will of course be providing the best of SL’s singer/songwriters on a weekly basis, but also have some new events coming up, such as a regular open mic poetry night, listening parties of albums by Chelsea related artists, and readings of literature by Hotel authors!  

If you have any ideas, comments, or questions, please email me at [email protected], friend me on facebook, and join the facebook group “Virtual Hotel Chelsea” for updates and pictures of the progress, or check us out “in world” by joining Second Life."

 

CB4 Landmarks Cmte Defers Chelsea Hotel Decision Until Chetrit Answers Questions

Michael Butler, Gene Kaufman, and their lobbyist Karen Ann Quinlan appeared at tonight's Community Board 4 Landmarks Committe meeting to present their proposed renovations to the Chelsea Hotel.  They had lots of pretty pictures that didn't reveal much.  When questioned for further details, the group proceeded to stonewall the Committee.  They refused to answer basic questions on issues such as the amount of square footage of the proposed rooftop addition or what its purpose would be.   Kaufman said he did not know the square footage.  However, they would say that the usage would be "hotel related".  Well, that's a relief.  One resident mentioned that other zoning and DOB filings indicated that the addition to the roof would be a bar or nightclub, but Kaufman dismissed this as insigificant, saying that there may be various versions of plans floating around.  

Neither Kaufman nor Michael Butler had any response to the question about how the asbestos abatement will be handled in the proposed new elevator shaft, which is currently an air shaft abutting approximately 22 apartments.

A resident from the Carteret questioned how the hotel will manage the noise from the proposed two new water towers and the HVAC unit.  Kaufman acknowledged that there are noise laws in place and indicated that the Hotel will comply with the laws.  

The Community Board Landmarks Committee felt that they could not properly deal with all of the issues related to the Hotel because of insufficient information.

 The motion was passed to approach Christine Quinn and the CIty Development office to request that Landmarks delay their hearing until all of the matters can be investigated.  As the committee pointed out, landmarking is not done in isolation; the concerns of the community have to  be taken into consideration.  

Kaufman did provide us a bit of definite, however, when he said that the only storefronts that would remain are El Quijote and Donut Planet.  

Change of Venue for CB4 Landmarks Committee Meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 15

On Wednesday, February 15, the Community Board 4 Landmarks Committee will hear the Chetrit group's proposal for changes to the store fronts and to the roof of the Chelsea Hotel.  The proposed plans will be available for viewing.  Please note that the venue has been changed to faciliate the viewing.  It is now at 353 West 30th Street, Community Room, at 6.30 pm. 

Chelsea Hotel Resident Threatens Chetrit with Lawsuit Over Missing Artwork

In an article in the New York Daily News Chelsea Hotel resident Collen Weinstein discusses her unsuccessful efforts to have her husband's artwork, which was removed from the walls of the Chelsea Hotel, returned.  Her lawyer says: " In November, ... the artwork was put on a truck and that his client saw one of the works loaded and "not properly wrapped."  He says Sirkin (Chelsea Hotel Manager Lilly Sirkin) refused to reveal where the art is and that the hotel won't let Weinstein remove a mobile of her husband's that hangs on the 10th floor."

We called the cops that day in November when we saw that Colleen's paintings and other art works from the Hotel were being thrown into the back of a Budget Rental Van. Sargent Fields refused to take a report, saying it was civil matter (since when is it a civil matter when someone steals your property off of your wall and refuses to give it back).  We too (as well an many other residents) were told that if we got a signed letter from Stanley Bard stating that the Hotel did not own the item that was removed from the wall that it would be returned.  Although we provided the proof demanded the work was still not returned, and so far, we've gotten nothing but a run around from Lily Sirkin and Michael Butler. Many other tenants have received the same treatment.  Here's a pic of the license plate number of the Budget Rental Van that hauled the art away in November.  

Patti Smith Plays Guitar While the Chelsea Hotel Dies: "Die In" at Chelsea Hotel 8PM Tonite

We stole our headline from Jeremiah's Vanishing New York.  Jeremiah's brillant idea is to call for a "Die in" at the Chelsea Hotel tonight at 8 pm to coincide with Patti Smith's proposed concert in the Chelsea Hotel ballroom (Richard Bernstein's former apt.).  Patti played last night for the developers and their friends.  And tonight she is going to try to get the tenants on board with the developers program whatever it is. While the concert is going on with probably very few if any residents in attendance protesters will meet outside the Chelsea Hotel, raise lit lighters, and recite the lycris of Patti's song "People Have the Power".  Bring umbrellas in case of rain.  There may be other protests going on as well.  Stay tuned. 
Details about the Flash Mob "Die in" are here and here.
UPDATE:  "DIE IN" logo has been provided by one of the Hotel's artists-in-residence.

Global Media calls on Patti Smith to Cancel Controversial Chelsea Hotel Concert

Nobody seems to be buying Patti Smith's explanation of her involvement with the Chetrit's, and in truth, it does seem kind of evasive, like a non-answer cooked up by PR flacks. She doesn't really seem to address any of the issues we raised in any substantive manner. (She has no understanding of Landmarking issues, while on the other hand she seems ready to make a bogus legal judgment on who the rightful tenants are.) Besides, if she is not getting paid, that just raises the issue of what exactly she is getting out of it. Sorry Patti, but we don't quite buy the line that you are doing it out of the goodness of your own heart. And if she just wants to provide a nice evening for tenants, why did she have a separate event last night for friends and family of the developer? Yes, that's right, she entertained in the Chelsea Hotel ballroom last night at a totally separate event! (See Photo)

Historian Sherill Tippins has some interesting insight into the issue (exceprts from Sherill's Facebook comments around the concert): "Ed Scheetz, one of the co-owners of the hotel, fell in love with "Just Kids" and contacted her.  I think she's telling the truth when she says she wasn't compensated. She doesn't need the money. And when they pitched me, they didn't offer anything and I didn't ask for anything. It was supposedly all about love for the Chelsea. (I swear, I figured out the scam pretty quickly!) With careful guidance from my Chelsea Hotel friends. I think her motive was good, as mine was: The Chelsea was sold, that was a fact. Tragically, the Bards no longer controlled it. But now there was this guy, one among the owners, who had caught a whiff of the magic of the place and wanted to preserve it. The problem is, he's not in charge. When I realized that they couldn't even SEE the current residents in the landscape of their plans, I knew that they didn't get it and that they would create havoc, fail, and eventually leave."

There has been worldwide interest in this issue, and we'd like to thank all of the bloggers and journalists who have written about Patti Smith and the Chelsea Hotel situation for their support. Oddly enough, none of them seem to be buying Patti's belated explanation for what appears to be a self-serving action. Here is a list of links to some of the coverage:

http://culture.wnyc.org/articles/features/2012/jan/13/patti-smith-cancels-concert-after-chelsea-hotel-residents-protest/

http://gothamist.com/2012/01/13/patti_smith_cancels_private_hotel_c.php

http://animalnewyork.com/2012/01/patti-smith-cancels-chelsea-hotel-performance/

Personal vote for best headline - http://www.observer.com/2012/01/because-the-night-belongs-to-chetrit/

http://www.kennethinthe212.com/2012/01/flash-mob-at-chelsea-hotel-tonight-to.html

http://jameswagner.com/2012/01/the_chelsea_hotel_no.html

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2012/01/a_flash_mob_chelsea_hotel_patti_smith.php

http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2012/01/patti-at-chelsea.html

http://www.dnainfo.com/20120111/chelsea-hells-kitchen/patti-smith-responds-criticism-over-chelsea-hotel-concert

http://evgrieve.com/2012/01/call-for-patti-smith-to-cancel-her.html

http://flavorwire.com/248119/is-patti-smith-supporting-hotel-chelseas-awful-new-management

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/01/why-is-patti-smith-playing-at-the-chelsea-hotel.html

http://gothamist.com/2012/01/10/patti_smith_to_play_private_hotel_c.php

http://gothamist.com/2012/01/11/patti_smith_speaks_out_about_curren.php

http://animalnewyork.com/2012/01/why-is-patti-smith-selling-out-hotel-chelsea/

http://www.cooperativa.cl/recital-de-patti-smith-desato-polemica-en-hotel-de-nueva-york/prontus_nots/2012-01-10/162102.html

http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/65688653.html

http://www.nme.com/news/patti-smith/61369

http://www.contactmusic.com/news/patti-smith-addresses-chelsea-hotel-controversy-in-statement_1282750

http://wcbsfm.radio.com/2012/01/12/patti-smith-to-play-private-show-at-hotel-chelsea-despite-objection-from-residents/

http://www.411mania.com/music/news/218939/Patti-Smith-Criticized-For-Upcoming-Hotel-Chelsea-Show.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/12/nyregion/doubts-over-patti-smith-concert-plan-for-chelsea-hotel-tenants.html

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/10/mcdonalds-fries-preserve-_n_1197517.html

 

http://chelseanow.com/articles/2012/01/11/news/doc4f0d246b31785733066994.txt

 

http://www.dnainfo.com/20120111/chelsea-hells-kitchen/patti-smiths-concert-at-chelsea-hotel-irks-residents

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/patti-smith-show-hotel-chelsea-tune-residents-facing-eviction-article-1.1004188

 

 

http://www.chelseahotelblog.com/living_with_legends_the_h/2012/01/patti-smith-responds-.html

 

http://www.dailynewsme.com/2012/01/patti-smith-says-she-wants-to-help-hotel-chelsea-and-residents.html

 

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/01/patti-smith-says-shes-not-working-for-the-man.html

 

http://eastvillage.thelocal.nytimes.com/2012/01/11/at-hotel-chelsea-signs-of-village-denizens-vanish-while-patti-smith-returns/?pagemode=print

http://www.ok.co.uk/celebrity-news/view/44326/Smith-scraps-Chelsea-Hotel-show-after-backlash/ 

http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00046894.html 

http://savvystews.com/?p=1954

International:

 

http://www.tvi24.iol.pt/musica/patti-smith-chelsea-hotel-concerto-nova-iorque-hotel-chelsea/1316280-4060.html

http://gaffa.dk/nyhed/56291

http://www.thrillermagazine.es/2012/11118/noticias/musica-2/patti-smith-concierto-privado-solo-para-huespedes/

http://www.emol.com/noticias/magazine/2012/01/10/520989/patti-smith-ofrecera-concierto-privado-a-huespedes-permanentes-del-hotel-chelsea.html

Patti Smith Responds via a Publicist with an Official Statement about the Chelsea Hotel

Her response, which still leaves a lot of questions, is published in full below.  Since when can a landmark building be leveled?  Patti, have you actually looked at the "renovations"?  The historic rooms have been gutted.  And, in case you haven't noticed, there are already a lot of artists in residence here and a lot of them are facing eviction proceedings. 

HOTEL CHELSEA

My current involvement with the Hotel Chelsea began some
... months ago when I heard rumors that the hotel would be
leveled. I was devastated and entered in a dialogue with the
architect, through a mutual friend.

He assured me this was not the case and every effort would
be made to save and restore the building, which was greatly
deteriorating. Having witnessed the demolition and
redevelopment of much of our city I was at least hopeful
that the hotel would stand.

Since then my few efforts on behalf of the Hotel have been
unofficial and uncompensated.

My dialogue has continued with the architect. My personal
objectives have always been:

— To offer uncompensated advice as to the aesthetics
of the renovation project.

— To council all concerned to develop positive
communication to the rightful tenants.

— To be available in the future, without fee, in
participating in the development and preservation of the
artistic cachet of the hotel.

— To participate in the development of a possible
artists-in-residence program.

My small performance for the tenants was my own idea. My
hope is that we might have a nice evening and the
opportunity to communicate directly.

I am an independent person, not owned or directed by anyone.
My allegiance is to the Hotel itself, and I have done
nothing to tarnish it. It is very difficult for me to
embrace change, but my great hope is to witness the Hotel
Chelsea find a strong and positive place in the twenty-first
century.

Patti Smith Sings for Chelsea Hotel Developer Joseph Chetrit

The Bard family has been good to Patti Smith, helping her out at two difficult times in her life.  The first time, in the late sixties when she was a struggling, unknown poet, Stanley Bard gave her and her friend Robert Mappelthorpe a place to stay so they could get out of the drug and vermin infested Allerton Hotel.    The second time, in the late nineties, after the tragic death of her husband, Stanley came through with an apartment yet again.
       It is with great sadness, therefore, that we reprint the following invitation, which showed up in our Chelsea Hotel mailbox just yesterday.       

            Patti must not know that the person sponsoring her upcoming event, Joseph Chetrit, is the same developer who took Stanley Bard’s beloved Chelsea Hotel away from him and his family.  And surely she is unaware that this is the same Joseph Chetrit whose demolition crews recently gutted over a hundred historic Chelsea Hotel rooms.  Finally, if she hasn’t been in some way deceived, we know there’s no way in hell Patti would give a concert in support of a man, Joseph Chetrit, who is presently trying to evict almost thirty Chelsea Hotel residents using both housing and Supreme court.

            We love Patti and her music, and we would love to see her concert, just not under these circumstances.  And so we call on Patti, now that she knows the truth, to cancel this event.

Chelsea Hotel Owner Joseph Chetrit Has a History with Rats

Joseph Chetrit is starting to look like the Pied Piper of Hamlin: wherever he goes, the rats follow.  It seems that in 2007, they even followed him home!  Imagine waking up in your beautiful mansion in Englewood, New Jersey to find one of these fearsome critters staring you down!  Chetrit and his family were understandably upset, and Chetrit even initiated a lawsuit to force Local 79 to remove the 15-foot monstrosity.  It apparently didn’t occur to Chetrit that the obvious solution was to STOP EXPLOITING NON-UNION WORKERS!!! 
            The workers have families too, Mr. Chetrit.  The union maids, bellmen, engineers, and clerks of the Chelsea Hotel all have families.  You remember them, don’t you?  They were locked out of the hotel and you still refuse to pay their severance.  The non-union construction workers who are gutting the hotel, some of whom are reportedly only making $8 per hour, also have families.  How are they supposed to afford gifts for their families this holiday season?

[Note: we couldn’t find a picture of a rat in front of Chetrit’s home, so here’s one in front of OUR HOME.]

Chelsea Hotel Destructo-Porn : Herbert Huncke Room

Here’s what remains of Beat writer Herbert Huncke’s room.  Huncke, who inspired characters in Ginsberg’s Howl, Kerouac’s On the Road, and Burrough’s Junky, lived a hand-to-mouth existence in this rent stabilized room until his death.  He could have never afforded to live in NYC if the Chetrits of the world had had their way.  Underpaid, non-union demolition crews working with Joe and Meyer Chetrit,  Jonathan Chetrit, Gene Kaufman, and Ed Scheetz,  just to name a few of the characters involved , are taking rent-stabilized rooms off the books and destroying important chapters in New York history as they do so. 

The Union Rat is still in front of the Chelsea Hotel to protest this abuse.  Union reps are encouraging concerned citizens and supporters of the Chelsea Hotel to call Mayor Bloomberg and complain about the Chelsea Hotel situation.

Union Continues Rat Protest at Chelsea Hotel

Local Union 79 continues to protest the non-union demolition going on at the Chelsea Hotel. Almost all of the non-occupied rooms have been gutted. Maybe the rat plans to stay long enough to get rent stabilization.

Union Rat Eyes Chelsea Hotel Owner Joseph Chetrit

Union workers erected a large rat in front of the Chelsea Hotel today to protest Joseph Chetrit's use of non-union labor to demolish the interior of the hotel.  Former Hotel workers had long been union members but in August when the Chelsea Hotel was in the process of  changing ownership, the union workers arrived at the Hotel to find they had been locked out.  Then they were given a one day notice and fired.  Though promised a severance package, the maids, clerks, engineers, and bellmen of the Chelsea, many of whom had worked at the Hotel for decades have to this date, received nothing. 

Actually, it was not one but two tenants who were assaulted.  Additionally, we have received several reports of tenants being verbally harassed by the non-union demolition workers.

Joseph Chetrit’s Chelsea Hotel: History and Tenants Under Attack

Since we haven’t posted on the blog in awhile, we thought it was time for an update.  Non-union workers have been busy on almost all floors, completely gutting all unoccupied rooms.  The demolished rooms, now just empty shells, include, on our floor alone: the room where Madonna filmed her Sex book in 1980; the last residence of Thomas Wolfe (seen at right), where he wrote You Can’t Go Home Again in 1938; Dee Dee Ramone’s last room at the Chelsea; and the tiny room where Beat writer Herbert Huncke was living when he died in 1996.  The room where Arthur Miller lived for ten years in the 1960s, writing his great play "After the Fall, has also been wiped out with no regard for its historical importance.

            The construction has been extremely disruptive: residents have been treated to a virtually non-stop assault of noise.  Clouds of dust (which have tested positive for carcinogens) swirl through our halls, and carts of rubble block our doorways.  Several apartments have been flooded, and some residents have had their electricity cut off for days at a stretch.

            Eviction attempts have heated up, with several new cases being brought against tenants, including families with young children.

            We also recently found out that Chetrit’s silent partner in the demolition of the Chelsea is none other than scandal-plagued hotelier Ed Scheetz, whose girlfriend was discovered dead of an overdose, at his penthouse in the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel.

            Finally, on December 8, at approximately 2 PM, tenant activist Arthur Nash was assaulted on the third floor of the hotel for showing union reps around the building and for attempting to film the non-union demolition crew (both activities protected by the First Amendment).  Approximately ten minutes later, when Nash was leaving the hotel, he found that at least a dozen workers were lying in wait for him outside.  They verbally abused him and his girlfriend, chasing them down 23^rd Street to 7^th Ave., where they assaulted Nash again.  When I attempted to intervene, I was attacked as well.  Both Nash and I were treated at Beth Israel and released.  

Ed Hamilton

Piri Thomas, Author of “Down These Mean Streets Dies” at 83

Piri Thomas, born John Peter Thomas in New York City's Harlem Hospital in1928, grew up poor in Spanish Harlem and wrote the now classic best-selling autobiography “Down these Mean Streets” about his childhood there.   Among his other works are: "Savior, Savior Hold My Hand", "Seven Long Times" and "Stories from El Barrio".   A true artist and social activist who worked with drug addicts, Piri is a former Chelsea Hotel resident and a friend of the late painter Herbert Gentry. 

Thomas married Betty Gross in the 1970s. This second marriage lasted until Betty's death in 1985. Betty Gross is the daughter of Mr. Joseph Gross, one of the three partners who bought the Hotel.  The other partners were David Bard and Julius Krauss.

Thomas’s last years were clouded by a legal dispute with his step-son, Chelsea Hotel minority shareholder David Elder.  Basically, Thomas was the beneficiary of a trust administered by Elder, granting Thomas the income from 16 shares (8%) of Chelsea Hotel stock. (The trust was established by Thomas’s wife and Elder’s mother, Betty Gross.)

In 2002, Elder withheld  $1.2 million dollars in hotel income from Thomas, claiming that the money was part of the principle of the shares.  Elder had a vested interest in doing so, since upon Thomas’ death the shares reverted to him.  While the courts ultimately decided in Thomas’ favor, the dispute went on for years and no doubt cost Thomas much in mental anguish and money to resolve.  The dispute can be seen as a kind of warm up round for the main event, which was Elder and Marlene Krauss’s hostile takeover of the Chelsea Hotel and subsequent ousting of long-time manager Stanley Bard. 

NY Times obit -

The Chelsea Hotel Under the Reign of Joseph Chetrit

If you learned about the ongoing struggle to save the Chelsea Hotel from today's Morning Edition of NPR, welcome.  And, in case the NPR piece left you with the impression that the Chelsea's troubles were a new thing, you should know that the struggle to save the Chelsea has been going on for four years now, ever since the Bards were ousted in a hostile take over.  Over 40 people have been evicted in those years, as a dedicated group of activists have struggled to maintain the Chelsea as a haven for the arts.  There is a lot of information about the Bring Back the Bards campaign on this blog, but in this post we'll talk about what's been happening since the Chelsea Hotel was sold to a group of investors led by Joe Chetrit. 

Chetrit's first move when he took over was to bust the union and to hire non-union workers to manage the desk and clean the hotel.  We now have a skeleton staff and although they keep the place reasonably clean there is no engineer at night, which leads to problems when the water gets turned off.  They've taken all of the art down from the walls of the Hotel, including, the more valuable paintings by artists such as Larry Rivers, Donald Baechler, and Phillip Taaffe.  Although some of these paintings belong to tenants at the Hotel, and were simply on loan to the Hotel, tenants have been required to prove ownership in order to get back their paintings (and as far as we know no one has managed to reclaim their paintings as yet).  And, of course, most obvious to outsiders the Hotel is now closed to tourists.  So if you stop by they will throw you out. 

There have been two evicitions that we know of since Chetrit took over the building bringing to 42 the total number of evictions since the Bard family was ousted.  We expect more to come, as tenants have been receiving a lot of hostile certified mail, including various pay up notices. Also many tenants have had their rent checks refused.  This is a common tactic of harassment used by NYC landlords, and though a judge will eventually order them to accept the checks in most cases, it allows them to get tenants in court. This is a tactic that is most effective against the elderly who may not understand that their rent has not been paid and may spend the money. 

The Chelsea Hotel is now in the process of being "gently renovated," to quote Kaufman.  Workers have been gutting the East wing of the 7th Floor for the past few weeks.  This wing was probably chosen because there are no remaining tenants on that wing, the last being Willem Van Es who died tragically in December 2009. Past tenants of this wing include: William Burroughs, Brion Gysin, John Giorno, Michel Auder & Viva,  Ethan Hawke, Librettist Arnold Weinstein, William Balcom, Jacques Stern, Gus Hall and Ben Lucien Burman.   (Thanks to Sherill Tippins for the list.) We have not received too many complaints about noise or dust, though one tenant was flooded as the result of the construction. (Dedicated readers of this blog can probably guess that it was none other than tenant activist Arthur Nash, way down on the 2nd floor.) From what we've seen the work seems to show little regard for the historical integrity of the Hotel.  It's anyones guess as to which wing of the Hotel will fall prey to the jackhammer next although, as Chetrit has 77 million dollars in loans to pay back, he is probably on a pretty tight schedule.  He has been unloading a lot of properties lately and should have some ready money at hand. 

Forgotten But Not Gone: Does David Elder Still Have Skin in the Chelsea Hotel Game?

We thought it was rather odd that Joseph Chetrit’s Chelsea Dynasty Corp., who had said that they were going to start renovating the hotel immediately had not filed for any permits with the DOB.  Finally they got their act together and filed an application, and guess what we found:  surprise, surprise David Elder may still be involved in the Chelsea Hotel!   He is listed on the permit application as a vice president of the Chelsea Dynasty Corp.! 

Well, that explains the conversation I had with Elder last week.  I asked him if, now that the Chelsea was sold, he was going to take his millions and go back to California.   “No,” he said, “I think I’ll stay in New York for a while.  It’s really cool here.”  I guess so, when you can sale a company and still remain vice president.

Questions remain, such as: does this have any bearing on the curious fact that Marlene Krauss and David Elder allegedly turned down David Bard’s reputed offer of 80 million in favor of Joseph Chetrit’s 77 million? Could it be that Marlene Krauss and David Elder reserved shares in the new company for themselves?

And was David Elder the one who thought up the Chinese Restaurant inspired name of the Chelsea Dynasty? 

Or, is Elder’s listing as a vice-president simply a mistake on the part of DOB? (Click the image to view it full scale.)

  

 

Chelsea Hotel Lobby Desecrated for Fun & Profit

 
 

 

Chetrit's Chelsea Hotel Partner has over 8,000 Housing Violations on One Property

Once again, Tom Acitelli at the Observer puts the spotlight on Chetrit's Chelsea Hotel business partner, Clipper Equities.  "David Bistricer, one of Clipper’s principals, has a checkered past as a residential landlord, with several—and we mean several—housing violations to his name."  One of Bistricer's properties in Brooklyn has over 8,000 housing violations.   Here's some insight into how he get's away with those violations.  Oh, and he also doesn't like it when the olds decide to party in the halls.

The Whitewash of the Chelsea Hotel Begins

Tom Acitelli of the Observer, was here at the Chelsea Hotel on Thursday, too early to observe the Chelsea’s art collection being removed from the walls, stairwells and halls, being carted off to god knows where.  Of   course not all of the artworks that were removed belonged to the Hotel.  Some belonged to the individual tenants and they have been told to contact the Chelsea Dynasty Corp. and provide proof of ownership to negotiate the return of their belongings.  Chelsea Dynasty?  Sounds like a bad Chinese takeout joint. 

Hotel Chetrit

 

Union Reps Report that the Chelsea Hotel Has Not Yet Been Sold

Hotel staff have completed their meeting with the Union officials.  The union reps report that they are to be notified as soon as the deal has closed.  There are indications that Chetrit's inability to secure financing has put the deal in jeopardy.

UPDATE -- Industrial Sabotage at the Chelsea Hotel & A Guest Who Was a Hold Out

Union workers who were assembled in front of the hotel this morning confirmed that cement has been poured down the sewage pipes at the Chelsea Hotel in an attempt at sabotage.  Union workers were not allowed to go back to their jobs and are being kept out of the basement.  Fox news was interviewing people in front of the Hotel, including a guest who had been holed up in their room past the deadline for leaving yesterday.  We have no idea what the sabotage means for tenants.

Now union workers are being allowed into the building to meet with union officials.

Twilight of the Chelsea Hotel

It’s eerily quiet in the Hotel today.  They cleared the last of the tourists out of their rooms yesterday – though some of them did not go quite willingly.  One family called the cops because staff removed their bags while they were out.  And another guest flipped out and had to be taken to Bellevue.  Besides that a vandal kicked out a window in the fire door on the first floor – probably Sid’s ghost, upset over recent developments.  (Note the abandonded maid's cart in the photo. Our bathrooms were not cleaned yesterday. ) Finally, someone apparently sabotaged the pipes filling the basement with sewage.  And through it all, manager Arnold Tamasar, with nary a tequila shot in sight remained at his post like a trooper.  Here he is yesterday afternoon being served with papers in yet another law suit, this one involving allegations of wrongful termination.  And, no, as of this writing we don’t yet know if the sale went through or not.   Click the link to view the video.

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Chelsea Hotel Guests Being Told More Than Chelsea Hotel Tenants

Here's an e-mail which was sent to a guest who used an online booking service to reserve a room at the Chelsea Hotel.  It's the sort of information that residents had to learn through rumor and heresay.  It's interesting to see what kind of Hotels we are now being compared too. We've sunk to a new low under Marlene Krauss.

You have a reservation with Hotel Chelsea, located in New York.

We've just been informed by the management of the Hotel Chelsea that they will undergo a change of ownership.
We've been further informed that the new owners will close the property to undergo a year long renovation project. Unfortunately this circumstance is outside of our control.

As a result, Hotel Chelsea will be closing immediately and will be unable to accommodate your reservation.

We completely understand the frustration this may cause. We have included several suggestions of similar properties below:

Flatiron Hotel Toshi
http://www.booking.com/hotel/us/new-york-1141-broadway.en-us.html?aid=310138%3Blabel%3Dcallcenter-bcrider%3Bsid%3Df45ba8e0992aeca08dc151092ec3656e%3Bcheckin%3D2011-08-01%3Bcheckout%3D2011-08-04%3Bsrfid%3D0e8eb8a8687891ac2e680501bb674993X1

Hotel Pennsylvania
http://www.booking.com/searchresults.en.html?aid=310138&label=callcenter-bcrider&si=ho&ss=Hotel+Pennsylvania&hotelids

Hotel Marrakech
http://www.booking.com/hotel/us/marrakech.en-us.html?aid=310138%3Blabel%3Dcallcenter-bcrider%3Bsid%3Df45ba8e0992aeca08dc151092ec3656e%3Bcheckin%3D2011-08-01%3Bcheckout%3D2011-08-04%3Bsrfid%

Comfort Inn Chelsea
http://www.booking.com/hotel/us/c-inn-chelsea.en-us.html?aid=310138%3Blabel%3Dcallcenter-bcrider%3Bsid%3Df45ba8e0992aeca08dc151092ec3656e%3Bsrfid%3D045b9b95002d224e5863e05e5564b2c0X1

Please know that we recognize the inconvenience and frustration this closure may cause to you. We have agents on duty 24 hours a day, every day if you would like to personally speak with someone to help you re-book.

Kind regards,

Marlene Krauss to Joseph Chetrit: Put Up or Shut Up:July 31 Deadline For Sale of Chelsea Hotel

     Like the giant squid and the sperm whale, or perhaps more like the crocodile and the python, two redoubtable real estate reptiles are locked in a primordial death struggle that will decide the fate of the Chelsea Hotel.  Soon, one combatant will sink, lifeless, to the bottom of the putrefying construction-pit sludge, while the other limps off to lick its (perhaps also soon-to-be fatal) wounds.
     The two sides, represented by Chelsea Hotel iron lady Marlene Krauss and potential buyer Joseph Chetrit, have been negotiating the sale of the hotel for months.  By law, if they don’t close by July 31, the deal is voided.  Though we have no way of seeing into the inner workings of the negotiation process, among the possible reasons it’s taking so long are:
         1. Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme victim Krauss doesn’t have the agreement of the full Chelsea Hotel shareholders’ board;
         2. the recently embattled (and presumably cash poor) Chetrit is still trying to attract investors who will loan him the money—reportedly “over 80 million” —needed to buy the hotel. 
      Both seem to have lately been waging an intense PR campaign: plumber’s daughter Krauss shrilly trumpeting the sale of the hotel in the press, hoping to present it to the board as a fait accompli that they dare not oppose; while Chetrit, who has recently split with his brothers/partners and had several high-profile properties foreclosed on, runs around loudly proclaiming that he’s rich, rich, RICH!!!—even whipping out his checkbook on one occasion to prove that he could easily dash off a check for $100 million .
            Excuse me, Joe, but can’t you just write whatever numbers you want to in those things? 
            Though Krauss and Chetrit seem to be on the same page in their willingness to conclude the deal, in doing his due diligence, Chetrit—whose corpulent bulk was spotted in the lobby last week, sweating profusely despite the AC—has most likely begun to have second thoughts about this property, and to see its numerous downsides -- too numerous to list here!.
          In short, though he desperately needs to make this buy so he can look like a player again, we are beginning to think that Chetrit wishes he had his reported $15 million down payment back.  Though this is admittedly speculation, we think the competition has boiled down to a battle of wills between TMS Magnate Krauss, who wants to push the sale through at all costs, and Morrocan Mogul Chetrit, who would probably like nothing better than to back out of this deal without losing face—or, more importantly, his shirt!  Oh well, he’s gotta like the donut shop, at least. -- Ed Hamilton
      

Chelsea Hotel to Close In an Apparent Ploy to Bust the Union

In what’s shaping up as a rather eventful week at the Chelsea Hotel, staff members have been told to stop taking reservations after August 2.  So if you want to spend one more night at the Chelsea Hotel before it closes, now is your last chance.  
               Though this latest move could mean many things (such as the chance to do construction under reduced scrutiny), the most obvious is that it will give Chetrit (if he closes the sale of the hotel) a way to bust the union.  Although, as required before the sale negogitations could go forward, the notoriously anti-union developer met with representatives of Hotel Workers Local a couple of weeks ago, signing a union contract good until July 2012, it looks like he’s now having second thoughts.  Either that, or he planned this all along, knowing he could render the contract meaningless with this stratagem.

Chetrit can afford to do this because the hotel has made so little money under Marlene Krauss that it will not really affect the income.  As everything the hotel takes in is going out in expenses, Chetrit could actually end up making more money just by cutting staff.

               Which brings us to the most painful part of this post, the human toll that such a move will inevitably have, a consideration that Krauss and Chetrit seem constitutionally unable to comprehend.  For it looks as if at least some union employees, many of whom have been around for years and even decades and are a valued part of the Chelsea Hotel family, will be laid off.  Chetrit would then presumably contract out the remaining jobs, or perhaps keep a skeleton staff  of the non-union employees.  Then, after a year, once the union contract has expired, Chetrit will simply  reopen the Chelsea as a non-union hotel.  (Staff were told that reservations would begin to be taken again in a year—though a lot can happen in that time.)

We hope that this is not the case, as it would be a loss that the hotel can ill-afford if it is ever to return to its former glory.  Union reps were at the hotel today, meeting with lame duck manager Arnold Tamasar, and employees were told they would hear more on Monday.  We will let you know when we learn the details of this unconscionable plot, though keep in mind that the sale of the hotel has not yet been finalized.  But don’t be surprised if you see a big fat rat outside the hotel sometime soon.  Besides Chetrit, I mean.

 

Painting by Alpheous Philemon Cole, Former World’s Oldest Man, Among Recent Art Casualties

As we stated in our post yesterday, a number of paintings were removed from the hotel on Wednesday, July 20, reportedly thrown carelessly into the back of a van and taken to an unknown location.  An artist who saw her painting being removed was able to rescue it as it was being carried out.  She reported that the paintings were being taken from Stanley’s office, which has been used for storage since our illustrious proprietor’s ouster in June 2007.  Now we have received credible reports that all the work that was in the tourist rooms has also been removed.

               One significant casualty is a painting by the artist Alpheous Philemon Cole that hung behind the desk for many years until it was removed sometime during the tenure of the new management and put into storage.  Cole, born in 1876, moved into the Chelsea at the age of 81, and lived here for 35 years until his death in 1988, at the time the world’s oldest living man at the astounding age of 112!  (Whenever anbody  asked Stanley Bard about all of the tragic deaths that had taken place at the Hotel he would invaribly deflect the question by citing the case of Alpheous Cole, the world's oldest living man, as more representative of the Chelsea Hotel experience.  Below is Claudio Edinger’s portrait of Cole, which was taken a few years before the painter’s death.)  Cole’s painting was spotted being heaved into the van along with the others.  Unfortunately, we have been unable to find a photo of the painting, reportedly a portrait of a young man.  Our readers could be of help here: if you have a photo or any information about the painting, or other paintings that you think may have been removed, please let us know.  Your help will be greatly appreciated.

               We have a few lingering questions.  Was management authorized to remove these paintings?  Were the artists contacted?  Where are the paintings being stored, and are they being stored properly?  Will artists who fear their work was among the paintings removed be allowed to visit the site to reclaim it?  Not all of the paintings hanging on the walls of the rooms were owned by the hotel, as evidenced by the artist who rescued hers.  Many had merely loaned their work to the hotel.  At the very least, management needs to provide a list of the works that were removed from the hotel. -- Ed Hamilton

(Photo Source: Photo by Claludio Edinger.)

Missing Chelsea Hotel Painting Fetches $1.4 Million at Sotheby’s

In a recent, distressing trend at the Chelsea, art works have been disappearing from the walls, some of them never to be seen again.  These fall into a few distinct categories:

1. Evicted Art: several resident artists removed their canvasses after they were evicted.

2. Trashed Art: at least two significant art works were discovered in the trash on 23^rd Street: a framed sketch of Arthur Miller by the artist Rene Shapshack; and a painting by a resident artist that once graced Stanley Bard’s office (the latter reportedly worth about $10,000).

3. Stolen Art:  paintings by two deceased artists, Herbert Gentry and Arthur Weinstein, have been reported stolen by their widows.  Gentry is a world-renowned artist, and his painting was worth upwards of $50,000.

4. Mystery Art: several canvasses have disappeared with no trace, including two by the Japanese Artist Hiroya, one a large collaborative canvas that was very popular with tourists, the other a Dee Dee Ramone tribute.

5. Sold Art: the reclining nude by Akbar Padamsee that had long hung above the door to the lobby (see photo of lobby above), and that disappeared in late 2010, has recently resurfaced.  Turns out it was auctioned off by Sotheby’s in March to an unnamed collector—for a whopping $1.4 million! 

 Padamsee’s canvas was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in Montreal in 1960, and, according to Sotheby’s catalog, entered a “private collection” shortly thereafter.  Though it is not specified in the catalog, that would presumably be the collection of Stanley Bard, ousted manager of the Chelsea Hotel.
 
We are also very concerned as to the fate of two angular canvases by the Australian artist Brett Whiteley, (seen above the desk in 2008  and in 2010 in the photos) whose work has recently been commanding prices in the millions of dollars.  The last time we caught a glimpse of these paintings, they were stacked against a wall in Stanley’s office; but now, according to an  anonymous tipster, several paintings were observed being carted out of the hotel last Wednesday and taken away in a van.  Probably we will see them up for sale at Christie’s soon enough.

            For now, residents are left to stare forlornly at blank spaces on the discolored walls of our lobby and stairwell as we mourn the looting of our proud artistic tradition.  At the very least, part of that $1.4 million windfall should be used to compensate the widows whose husband’s stolen paintings formed an integral part of that tradition.