SAVE CHELSEA

Here are some of SAVE CHELSEA's activities in 2010:

We supported local public schools and successfully advocated for PS11 on West 21st Street to reoccupy its entire school building formerly shared with Clinton Middle School. We participated in the effort to support and locate a new space for the Clinton Middle School to have its own facility in the space once occupied by St. Michael’s School nearby in the West 30's.

SAVE CHELSEA continues to carefully monitor the situation with Bowery Residents Committee, a successful and experienced operator of shelters for the homeless. BRC has leased a building on West 25th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues and proposes to operate a shelter with comprehensive services. A Community Advisory Council has been formed and SAVE CHELSEA is represented by a board member on the Committee. SAVE CHELSEA has taken a formal position on the issue, generally in support of the shelter, but advising that a smaller population be moved in and that increases in population be made only after successful operation with a smaller population.

There was a proposal to establish a Park Improvement District to provide funding for Hudson River Park. The District would have extend the full length of the Park and tax property owners from one to two blocks east of the Park. SAVE CHELSEA did not take a position on the issue but SAVE CHELSEA was deeply concerned that, if a District were to be established, that any tax be fairly imposed, that the purposes for which funds are spent be appropriate, and that Chelsea be appropriately represented on the governing body of any such District.

SAVE CHELSEA noted with regret that The General Theological Seminary reported the selling of more of its land and buildings to The Brodsky Organization. The buildings on the south side of 20th Street, the Gothic Revival row on the north side of 20th Street near The Chelsea Enclave, and the West building, oldest on the Close were sold. SAVE CHELSEA is deeply concerned with the continuing financial distress of GTS and we look to the new leadership team at the Seminary not to continue the flawed financial and fiscal operations that have taken place at the Seminary for some years.

We continue to support Landmarks Preservation Commission designations of additional appropriate sites in Chelsea by sending trustees to testify before the Commission and by writing elected officials in favor of the designations.

We worked with Community Board 4 and civic groups across the City to devise a plan to save local ‘Mom and Pop’ stores from being forced out of business by sharply rising rents.

We continue to monitor the Hudson Yards project in the 30's west of 10th Avenue that threatens to add thousands of luxury residences and millions of commercial square feet without the inclusion of a sufficient amount of affordable housing and expansion of infrastructure. Save Chelsea Members serve on the Community Advisory Council monitoring the impact of this project on the Chelsea area.

DONATIONS: Contributions can be made via PayPal, by clicking here, or by mail. Please make checks payable to Save Chelsea; mail to Save Chelsea, Old Chelsea Station, PO Box 1315, NYC, NY 10113-1315.