ZERNC@hpd.nyc.gov

November 17, 2005

Gwen,

HPD requires that apartments be filled on a lottery basis, with preference for 50% of the units going to residents of the community board, not community board members. In addition, fair housing laws ensure our lottery system does not discriminate for or against any employment group, including artists. We cannot set aside apartments for specific people, no matter how important their work on a given building has been.

Regarding your questions about the use of the space in Artspace’s proposal, the vast majority would be used as residential space. A portion of the space would likely be used for community use, but that specific use has not been determined yet, so I cannot provide more details at this time.

The building is still owned by the Department of Education, though HPD has a hold on the property.

All proposals that are brought before HPD are given fair consideration. I am not aware of the two other groups you mention who wanted the space in 1999, but if you give me the specific details, I would be happy to look into any decisions that were made by HPD at that time.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks,

Carolyn Zern of HPD

Thank you for this information, I will post it the website.

I am sorry I think this is a poor use of a public space I have written a letter to the mayor I will send you a copy. I appreciate your help in wanting to save the building. I want to save the building AND see it used for a a need for all of the community, a public school. I think CBJ Snyder if he were alive today would support this vision, I love his work and ideas regarding public education and poor children. This view is just as important toady as it was 100 years again in places like my neighborhood of East Harlem.

Please keep me post as to any new developments.

Thank you,
GWEN GOODWIN

From: GWE2000@aol.com [mailto:GWE2000@aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2005 1:13 PM
To:Zern, Carolyn [mailto:ZERNC@hpd.nyc.com]
Subject: Fwd: PS 109

HI Carolyn,

I sent this letter a few times. You have clarified the CB11 confusion; could you answer the rest of the questions in this letter?

Thank you,