Developer Responds to Criticisms About Grand Prospect Hall Hotel Plan...
“More than 200 residents have signed an online petition urging Grand Prospect Hall owner Michael Halkias to shave at more than half the height from his 110-foot building proposal so that it complies with the 50-foot limit imposed in 2005. But Halkias is having none of it. ‘I don’t need anybody to tell me what…
Unless his design is awful I don’t see how a hotel would ruin the immediate neighborhood. It’s right next to a huge, pollution-spewing, loud expressway and it’s a pretty ugly area. About the threats, the guy is classless, but surely you have to understand what he’s saying. He expects to make a certain amount of income on the property. If he can’t build a hotel of a certain size then it doesn’t make it financially worth it to build any hotel at all and if he can’t build the hotel then he has to make money by renting it out to bands and other events. Older, large structures like this do have to be profitable. It’s how the owners can keep them in good shape and keep them from turning into dust.
Benno, I was there. It was great. And I was very happy that the festival moved from its old location uptown. I can only hope they’ll stay in Brooklyn.
Actually, doesn’t that say “ethic” concerts up there (athough the original article does say “ethnic”)? Still, the idea of threatening people with ethicists made me smile 🙂
http://journal.davidbyrne.com/2011/01/11611-golden-festival.html
looks like a fun time.
This is old news. Last time he threatened to bring in rap concerts. Seems he’s now learned some people you can insult, and some you can’t.
Problem with this guy is he seems to think he can do everything himself, from marketing to design. And he’s not doing it very well. He needs to get a real PR company.
Cuz, assuming he answers some of the community’s legit questions (HVAC, garbage, etc), there really isn’t a good reason to deny a hotel on a block like this that overlooks a highway. imo, of course.
I bet the neighbors would vote for more balkan music vs. tearing down the houses on the block behind it to make room for service driveways.
Testing, new poster here, just awaiting my posts to show up. I assume, I just have to watch for them.
And 3,000 people isn’t bad at all in terms of revenue, that’s usually more than some snooty wedding.
I hope they eat their words and have this parking structure shelved.
I think having an “entnic crowd” is great..thats what NYC is all about. A Balkin festival sounds fun. Its a lot better then having an 11 story eyesore.