475 Kent Tenants to Bloomberg: Let Us Back In!
In the wake of this week’s meeting with the DOB and FDNY, the tenants of 475 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg submitted a written appeal to Mayor Bloomberg today (cc’ing about every pol in town along with the Mayor of London) to let them back into their homes and workspaces. “As the vacate enacted by the…
In the wake of this week’s meeting with the DOB and FDNY, the tenants of 475 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg submitted a written appeal to Mayor Bloomberg today (cc’ing about every pol in town along with the Mayor of London) to let them back into their homes and workspaces. “As the vacate enacted by the FDNY on January 20th drags on, many of us risk bankruptcy and the complete destruction of the businesses and careers we have spent the last decade building at 475 Kent Ave.,” closes the first paragraph of the letter. Full text on the jump.
DOB, FDNY Deliver Bad News to 475 Kent Tenants [Brownstoner]
475 Kent Avenue: How It All Began [Brownstoner] GMAP
Big Showing From Pols at 475 Kent Vigil [Brownstoner]
Closing Bell: Moving Out at 475 Kent Avenue [Brownstoner]
‘Commune of Creative Types’ in the Burg is Emptied Out [Brownstoner]
February 8, 2008
To:
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
Dear Mayor Bloomberg,
The situation for the 200+ tenants of 475 Kent Avenue has become desperate as our livelihoods and businesses are increasingly threatened. Everyday that our work places are shuttered we miss a deadline, lose a client or a contract and fail to make a sale of the goods and services that support our lives. As the vacate enacted by the FDNY on January 20th drags on, many of us risk bankruptcy and the complete destruction of the businesses and careers we have spent the last decade building at 475 Kent Ave.
Whether or not the state of 475 Kent posed immanent threat to human life on the night of January 20th, 2008, it certainly does not today. In fact, our building is safer than most factory buildings in the city. It is of solid fireproof construction, has two means of egress, has working standpipes and Siamese connections, emergency exit lights, fire extinguishers and smoke detectors.
The architectural plans for the building are being filed with the DOB today and the work to rehabilitate the sprinkler system will be underway by next week. We need access to our studios NOW. Upholding the vacate order is unreasonable and is now truly endangering our lives as many of the tenants face financial ruin. What we are headed for now is a real emergency. We have had architectural and fire-safety experts survey our building and they have deemed that it is safe for inhabitants and for fire fighters. Fire Guards are often employed in buildings where sprinkler systems are not in place or are being repaired. We have had Fire-Safety companies report to us that Fire Guards have been used in buildings without working sprinkler systems for up to two years. In case it wasn’t clear, our building is constructed of one-foot thick cast concrete, a non-combustible material.
It is absolutely untenable for us to wait for the completion of work on the sprinkler system to gain access to our studios. Even if this work could be expedited in 3 – 4 weeks (and most estimates put it at 2 – 3 months) we cannot afford to be out of work for a moment longer.
Mayor Bloomberg, we need you to get us back into our studios and back to work NOW. We have architects and fire-safety experts who are willing to file expert opinions regarding the safety of our building. We call on you to do everything in your power to save our businesses and the lives we have built at 475 Kent Avenue.
The Tenants of 475 Kent Avenue
CC:
Kate Levin, Commissioner NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
David Yassky, NY City Council Member
Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn Borough President
Joseph Lentol, NY State Assembly
Vito Lopez, NY State Assembly
Martin Connor, NY State Senator
Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senator NY
Charles Schumer, Senator NY
Barack Obama, Senator IL
Ken Livingston, Mayor of London
Boo hoo hoo, poor tenants of 475 Kent!
See that sugar refinery that just blew up and killed a bunch of people? Well, that coulda been you guys! So as far as I’m concerned, between that and the fact that you’ve been squatting in an illegal building for well over a decade, you’re luck has been used up.
Go get your shit out of the building so the landlord can get to work on converting it to a luxury property that is LEGAL. If you want to move back after that, I’m sure you’ll be welcome.
But puh-lease, stop your whining and bitching already. You knew the day was coming when the other shoe would drop.
And honestly, I can’t believe the landlord hasn’t tried to burn down the building yet.
This predicament that they are in doesn’t happen to those of us with sense.
Why? Because we don’t rent illegal apartments.
And to those that say they should sue the landlord for “letting” them rent these illegal apartments: you are everything that is wrong with the litigation system in this country
This is an awful situation for the tenants. The same thing can happen to anyone due to a fire or other disaster. In these cases one has to summon up the courage to put the past behind and start over. Being a victim of a house fire is no easier than this. At leasr these people can salvage their possessions.
I would be very surpised if the building ever goes back to the way it was before, people are wasting time and energy that they could spend on finding a new home and settling in. The important thing is to be alive and healthy. Even in NY a building is not worth it. Move on. I know it is difficult but it must be done.
The letter seems kind of demanding… maybe tone it down to asking politely next time..the mayor doesnt owe them shit
The point of the letter was they formed a media committee @475 and here it is.
I feel sorry for the tenants but they should sue the landlord. Good luck with that.
I thought the point of the letter was that some residents actually use their space for commercial purposes, in compliance with the buildings legal use, and their businesses are in jepoardy due to the evacuation. I know there are several film and photography studios, at least one sculpture studio, and a fine art print shop all located in the building.
what’s BS about the tenants crap is that there are so many artists that purposely DO NOT illegally rent. they sacrifice to specifically rent commercial space to work and then live in a residence. they are acting like it was there only option. AND IT WASN’T.
also, they knowingly gave money to an obvious crook. it’s disgusting to fund to the landlord. god knows what that guy will pull next.
i work in a creative field and have supported artists for my whole career. really honorable people do not behave like these jerks.
AND, the risks the people with children took in living in that building. it’s horrible. GROW UP and put your children first and move somewhere else.
Let’s pile on and spend lots of time criticizing a bunch of people who thought they were moving into a legit building with a code-compliant owner who then got booted out onto the street. Then, let’s spend a lot of time getting real high and mighty because we “work in top New York contemporary gallery” or because we have the convoluted and meandering view that “If they actually have talent, they can make money and pay market rent for legal apartments. Nobody gets a free ride because they claim to be an artist.” Then,we can dump on the developers, the City, the politicians and everyone else, simply because this is an anonymous board and, what fun it is.
They should Sue everybody because its never their own fault