The floors continue to stack up and glass has started to glimmer from the Trump Soho condo-hotel, but that hasn’t stopped local preservationists from ringing the bell in another round versus The Donald.
The Soho Alliance filed an appeal with the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals to overturn a Department of Building’s ruling permitting operation of what will be a 46-story building at the corner of Spring and Varick Sts.
Calling it a “Trojan horse of a transient hotel,” the Alliance argued that it will really be a mixed-use residential building, which is not allowed in a manufacturing zone.
“Soon, not only Soho, but much of the west side of Manhattan and manufacturing zones throughout the city will be blighted by these abominations,” read a statement from the Alliance announcing the appeal. “More crass glitzy commercialism will follow. Welcome to the Wild West!”
While a restrictive declaration has been issued stating that residents can live in the units no longer than 29 days consecutively for no more than a total of four months per year, residents fear Trump and his partners will not enforce the restriction on their high-paying tenants.
“[I]n reality, many will probably live in them year round,” said Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, which supports the Soho Alliance but is prevented by its charter from joining in litigation. “It’s appalling that the city is now going to spend taxpayer dollars to defend Trump’s right to violate the law in court.”
— Patrick Hedlund
