ALERT: The Architects who have permission to destroy PS 64
WHAT ARCHITECTURAL FIRM prepared the drawings and is the applicant of record for the PERMIT to strip old PS 64, former Charas of its historic architectural detail ????
ANSWER: Gilsanz, Murray, Steficek, LLP [“GMS”]
129 West 27 Street, 5th Floor
NY, NY 10001
212-254-0030
http://www.gmsllp.com
Philip Murray is the GMS partner responsible for the project detailing the stripping the historic architectural detail. His partners are Ramon Gilsanz and Gary Steficek.
WHAT IS BEING DONE?? — All our locally elected politicians; US Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez,
City Councilmember Rosie Mendez, NYS Senator Martin Connor, NYS Assemblymember Sylvia Friedman,
and CB3 Chair David McWater have recently written to GMS, expressing their concern that GMS is professionally leading the way in a project that will “deface” an important building.
To see their letters: http://www.evccnyc.org/architect.letters.php
GMS has won awards from both ACEC (American Council of Engineering Firms) and from AIA (American Institute of Architects), and has performed public and cultural work as a part of your practice.
Politicians have written to GMS about concerns that the work detailed in GMS’s plans is intended, at least in large part, to deface a building many elected officials, historic preservation groups, respected architects and tens of thousands of community residents have called to be designated as an
individual landmark of the City of New York.
According to the ACEC, ³Consulting engineers shall not permit the use of their name or firm nor associate in business ventures with any person or firm which they have reason to believe is engaging in fraudulent or dishonest business or professional practices.²
According to the AIA, in Rule 2.104, ³Members shall not engage in conduct involving fraud or wanton disregard of the rights of others.²
Also according to the AIA, in E.S. 1.3, Natural and Cultural Heritage: ³Members should respect and help conserve their natural and cultural heritage while striving to improve the environment and the quality.²
It seems clear from the June 6 Landmark Preservation Commission [“LPC”] hearing and the lead article in “The Villager” (June 7 – 13) that the owner of old PS 64 , former Charas (represented by Gregg Singer), is threatening that it will strip the architectural detail from the building if it is designated a landmark.
As reported in “The Villager”, Andrew Alpern, who escribed himself as an architectural historian, held up drawings of old PS 64 stripped of all its architectural detail and said, “A [landmark] designation here could not withstand scrutiny when made with the knowledge that the owner has the right
to complete the work on that approved [permit] – work that would leave the building in a SCALPED and DENUDED state” (emphasis added).
We encourage our elected officials to immediately meet with Philip Murray and his partners at GMS, Ramon Gilsanz and Gary Steficek, to discuss the importance of the ACEC and AIA guidelines identified above, and to more completely convey to Philip Murray, Ramon Gilsanz and Gary Steficek the importance of old PS 64, former Charas to the East Village community and all of New York, before it is sadly destroyed according to detailed plans prepared by GMS.
East Village Community Coalition
http://evccnyc.org