Donald Trump was cheerleading Wednesday morning for the Trump Soho condo hotel, now at 12 stories and going to 45, while more than 75 shouting and whistling protestors demonstrated across the street.
“I’d like to thank all those protestors outside for making this project so successful,” Trump reportedly said. Trump and his partners, the Bayrock Group and Tamir Sapir, say they have received 3,200 applications for the 400 or so condo units.
The demonstrators blew shrill whistles and chanted “Trump must go” for building what they say is an illegal and oversized project at Spring and Varick Sts.
The opponents acknowledged there was no chance to prevent completion of the project but still hoped to force Trump Soho to operate as a legal transient hotel rather than what they believe will be a residential building. Buyers into the Trump Soho condo will not be able to live in their units for more than 120 days a year, according to a restrictive declaration that Trump signed with the city Department of Buildings.
But Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, said, “D.O.B. has enough trouble keeping buildings from falling down. And we’re expected to believe they will monitor all 400-plus units at Trump’s condo to guarantee that his jet-set residents don’t stay more than the legally allowable number of days.”
Sean Sweeney of the Soho Alliance also knocked City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who helped negotiate the city agreement. “Who’s out, who’s in? Where the hell is Christine Quinn,” Sweeney chanted.
Quinn was at a hearing on the fatal Deutsche Bank fire but released a statement saying the Council is looking into limiting the size of neighborhood towers built in the future.
— Albert Amateau
