An item in Page Six has refocused our attention on this development parcel at 215 Chrystie St., across the street from Sara D. Roosevelt Park. According to the Post, Ian Schrager confirms that his Public Hotels brand is coming to the Lower East Side site. The first Public opened in Chicago in 2011. From Schrager’s web site:
PUBLIC is a new class of hotel. Its fundamental attributes are innovative, sophisticated, authentic style; spot-on, personalized empathetic service; lasting comfort with complete functionality, all at a tremendous value. For the first time, this type of hotel experience will be available for everyone and anyone who wants it. What is unusual is that it is inclusive, rather than exclusive. Ian Schrager has taken the best from the luxury set, the best from the boutique/lifestyle set and the best from select service and created a new breed of hotel where everything has been rethought and every original idea updated. This brand will be defined by the unique experience it creates rather than by a business classification or price point.
Schrager purchased the parcel from developer Ruby Schron in 2012 for $50 million. One of Schrager’s partners, HFZ Capital Group, boasts on its web site that the “approximately 380 room” Public Chrystie House will be a “social destination with approximately 50,000 square feet of restaurant and bar area.”
The construction plans have yet to be approved by the Department of Buildings. The proposal from architect Beyer Blinder Belle calls for a 28-story tower. The hotel is going to be on the lower floors with luxury apartments (one or two to a floor) beginning on the 19th floor. In 2012, Community Board 3 voted to support the hotel project after Schron agreed to extend an affordable housing contract for 10 Stanton, the residential project adjacent to 215 Chrystie. A gallery, Sperone Westwater, unsuccessfully sued to stop the hotel/condo development from going forward.
28 stories is just wrong, wrong, wrong. No more afternoon/evening sun in the Sara R. Park. I’m sure that the owners’ proposal was planned to trim down through negotiations, but CB3 did nothing. I bet the champagne flowed after that meeting. CB3 makes me so furious.
There are far too many hotels being built in the neighborhood. I can guarantee that the hotel occupancy levels in the city do not justify it and many will be converting to residential, hopefully sooner rather than later. Any chance these new buildings along Sara R. Park can be mandated to chip in for upkeep and renovations? Could definitely use some sprucing up.