Sample Letter to the Mayor

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
City Hall
New York, NY 10007

Dear Mayor Bloomberg,

I am writing to ask you to support the effort in our neighborhood to save an architecturally and historically important building, P.S. 64, from imminent destruction.

P.S. 64 is located at 605 E 9th Street (Block 392, Lot 10), just east of Avenue B. Construction of P.S. 64 began on June 12, 1904, three days before the Slocum disaster killed over 1,300 people, the vast majority children, for whom this school was originally intended.

C.B.J. Snyder, New Yorkıs master architect of public schools, designed P.S. 64 to fit brilliantly within this once desperately poor immigrant neighborhood. Its Beaux-Arts extravagance was a promise of plenty to its poor students and their families. Its H-plan design, large classrooms and oversized windows allowed light and air for these children of crowded tenements. Its outdoor electric lighting and indoor auditorium enabled the then largely Jewish immigrant community to participate more fully in the task of Americanization. Much of the 100 year history of P.S. 64 is described at mayormikesos.org.

P.S. 64 was sold at NYC auction in 1999, without being protected by Landmark designation prior to the sale. A very sad mistake. The East Village is substantially underrepresented by landmarked buildings, much to the detriment of the social, cultural, historical and architectural importance of this community.

P.S. 64 remains in fine condition. The current owner, 9th and 10th Street L.L.C., represented by Singer Financial Capital and its president, Gregg Singer, has been issued a "renovation permit" for "repair and restoration" to the façade by the Department of Buidlings - calling for the destruction of all Beaux-Arts detail above the ground floor. This permit (DOB Permit No. 103420870-EW-OT, Job #103430870) was sought in a clear effort to destroy the landmark qualities of the building.

P.S. 64 must be designated as a NYC Landmark before this treasure is lost. More than 2200 letters have been sent to Mr. Robert Tierney, at the Landmarks Preservation Commission, to save P.S. 64. More than 5,300 signatures have been given to Mr. Tierney and each of our locally elected city, state and national representatives, encouraging them also to seek the landmark designation of P.S. 64. And as you know, thousands of postcards have been individually written and mailed to you, asking you to do the same.

Mr. Singer purchased the building for $3.15 million, and has recently sought to sell it for $50 million. He has made no improvement to the building, but instead, has let it languish. We can't imagine that the City intended this sort of financial gain when it sold City assets only a few years ago.

The City, of course, needs to be fair to the current owner. In addition to saving P.S. 64 as a landmark, one solution is for the City to purchase and return P.S. 64 to the community as an arts education and community facility.

Please visit mayormikesos.org to view PS 64, read more about its history and the support given this important effort.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,