Daniel MaurerA plan to convert the former P.S. 64 building into college dormitories was denied on Monday by the Department of Buildings, documents show.
The application, filed in February, sought a permit to convert the 110,000-plus-square-foot building at 605 East Ninth Street into a college dormitory and to relocate the floor area in order to add a mezzanine. The cost of construction was estimated at $16 million.
Until 2001, P.S. 64 housed the CHARAS/El Bohio community center. Since then, it has been one of the neighborhood’s largest and most conspicuous vacant properties.
The building’s owner, Gregg Singer, said the disapproval was “just part of the process.”
“All applications are denied until you go to the Landmarks commission,” he said. He was unsure when he would be bringing his application before the commission.
In February, neighborhood activists once again voiced their desire to see the building used for non-profit organizations and low-income housing.
