Trump SoHo Takes Another Hit (In Brisk Stride)
It's barely two months into 2008, and the Trump SoHo condo-hotel on Spring and Varick streets has already weathered a fair share of obstacles and still managed to sell over half the units. First, one of Donald Trump's development partners was implicated in some shady financial dealings. Then construction worker Yuriy Vanchytskyy died in a tragic accident at the building site only a month after opponents of the 44-story tower had railed against the pace of construction.
Last week, when The Observer's Max Abelson broke the news that 26-year-old Swedish soccer player Zlatan Ibrahimovic had become the first named buyer at the tower, paying $2.5 million for a one-bedroom unit, things seemed to be back on track. But now the Trump Organization (and its partners, including the Sapir Organization) is confronting another potential bump in the road, though this one has been long in the making.
The first public hearing protesting the Department of Buildings' decision to award permits for Trump SoHo will take place next week on Feb. 27. at the New York City Board of Standards and Appeals. By now, opponents' complaints will sound familiar, chief being that the condo-hotel conflicts with zoning regulations that prohibit residential developments in the neighborhood.
Opponents claim the outcome of the legal challenge could determine the future composition of SoHo and similar areas of the city, including the far West Village and Hell's Kitchen. Now that 30 floors have already been built, it seems doubtful that the hearing will have any impact.
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This building is defective! I live very near Trump Soho, and I can see, from my apartment, that the concrete infrastructure is actually already cracking in many places. I think this building is very dangerous and a threat to those around it. And it's a danger to those that might end up living in it. The DOB is not doing their job. They should condemn this building - it's very poorly constructed.
Commenter #1 is an obvious rent-controlled NIMBY.
#1 You are correct. It's unbelievable that the city might allow this building to be completed. I live further downtown, but from where I live, I can see flaws in the construction too. I can see from here that the concrete columns don't look like they were cast straight. The city seems to be turning a blind eye to an obvious potential further disaster. What's up with that? I've written to the DOB to complain and called 311, but it seems like no one wants to address this. Wow! I predict that more people are going to get hurt from Trump Soho!
The writer of this article doesn't know anymore than anyone else what might happen at this hearing. Anything is possible. Trump is a greedy jerk who helped orchestrate a construction timetable that resulted in the death of an innocent man. He must be held accountable for the death of this poor man and not rewarded for his greed. Our country is demanding "change" and one of the changes that people are demanding is that greedy developers like Trump should be squashed.
The point of the legal challenge at the BSA is not to stop the building of a transient hotel. Hotels are as-of-right in SoHo and we co-habitat with them here in SoHo with no problem.
The point of the challenge is that condo-hotels are actually residential use, which are not permitted without a "Hardship" Variance from the BSA.
The point is that Trump is doing an illegal end-run around our zoning laws, while other developers do the right thing.
This is wrong and MUST be challenged
If he gets away with this, might as well throw the Zoning Resolution in the river.
SoHo activists stand for the integrity of our zoning laws. Trumps and his sycophants will break the law to exercise their hubris and greed.
Down with Trump Soho - literally!