From the SoHo Alliance (info@sohoalliance.org)

- Trump SoHo & Re-zoning

Folks have been asking, “What’s up with Trump SoHo? It looks stalled.”  Well, it has been, partly due to the efforts of the SoHo Alliance.

With your generous contributions to our legal fund, the SoHo Alliance has filed suit in NYS Supreme Court to have the building permit for Trump SoHo revoked. We don’t intend having the building dismantled, just to have Trump obey the law.  That is, use it as a hotel, which is permitted, and not as a residential building, which requires a zoning variance.  We had to wait a year for the case to wend its way through the judicial system, but oral arguments are scheduled soon and we expect a precedent-setting decision within a few months. Thanks to all of you who contributed.

 Win or lose, as a result of all the publicity, the City agrees with the SoHo Alliance that the zoning in that area needs changing.  In July, Speaker Christine Quinn convened a meeting with Alliance director, Sean Sweeney, community organizers and City Planning officials.  City Planning confessed that they are just as upset with the height and appearance of the Trump tower as we are, as well as with the deficiencies in the zoning laws that permitted Trump SoHo in the first place.  Consequently, the City is calling for a re-zoning of that part of SoHo, west of Sixth Avenue, which currently lacks height limits and contextual zoning. This was our intention all along!     

Consequently, Community Board 2 and City Planning will be holding a public meeting to hear which uses, parameters and context you want for that part of our neighborhood. The hearing will be next Wednesday, November 5, from 6:00 to 8:00 at 75 Morton Street, west of Hudson and three blocks north of Houston.  Please attend. 

Furthermore, we have discovered substantial misrepresentations in Trump’s Condo Offering Plan.  We recently sent a Letter of Objection to the Buildings Department asserting that Trump fudged the building plans and has overbuilt by some 10,000 square feet!   If the Buildings Department agrees with our two independent experts - and we believe they will - Trump will be in quite a predicament, won’t he?  

 Additionally, Trump recently stated that he is adding a banquet facility and spa on the roof.  These developments would further substantially alter the Offering Plan to the detriment of those who thought they purchased exclusive penthouses and not party spaces.  We have communicated with the NYS Attorney-General’s Office to amend the Offering Plan to reflect all these legal developments, further requesting that the buyers’ deposits be rescindable.  What buyers in today’s market would enter into or continue to remain in contract in the face of all these legal headaches that the SoHo Alliance has unearthed?  Their lawyers would tell them to look elsewhere.  We understand that Trump has not sold a single unit in nine months!  We shall keep you informed of developments as they unfold.

-More Hotels

Impressed by our fierce opposition to arrogant hoteliers like Trump, developers of two new hotels have been meeting with neighbors and SoHo Alliance leadership in an atmosphere of mutual respect.  One, the Crosby Hotel, is being built on the former parking lot on Crosby Street, between Prince and Spring.  The developer has agreed to the neighbors’ requests to close the bar/restaurant at a reasonable hour and to mitigate any noise or disturbance that might emanate from the hotel.

Another hotel being built on the site of the former Moondance Diner was a bit problematic at first, the developers seemingly wishing to re-create the troublesome Gansevoort Hotel that plagued the Meat Market with noise and unruly patrons.  However, over the course of a couple of meetings, both sides are reaching an agreement for a method of operation that will hopefully satisfy everyone.

- Prince Street Mall Defeated

Last spring, the Department of Transportation attempted to turn Prince Street into a tourist mall, closing it down on the weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day, without ever asking us what we thought.  Some 150 SoHo residents attended a Community Board 2 meeting on the issue and defeated this ill-conceived proposal.  The DOT learned its lesson and withdrew the plan.  Hats off to everyone who took the time to attend the meeting or write a letter.

- A.I.R. Requirement Under Fire

There is a movement afoot, primarily by real estate people, to change the zoning in those parts of SoHo that require at least one member of a household be a certified artist.  Apparently, the Buildings Department is not giving permanent Certificate of Occupancies to converted buildings if any of the new tenants lack artist certification.  This zoning requirement has been in place since the SoHo community pushed for it in the 1970s.  Some say it is outdated. But at our past meetings, others have expressed that it be retained.  Before we take a position, please email us at info@sohoalliance.org your opinion on whether to retain or remove the artists’ certification zoning requirement.  Your input will help determine the future of SoHo’s character and housing stock.