Bowery arts venue shuttered over $1M in overdue rent

A five-floor arts and events venue at 169 Bowery owes over $1 million in back rent, according to the landlord, who had the doors padlocked by the city last week. The landlord also alleged that the venue, Collective Hardware, doesn’t have the permits necessary to hold public events and parties, the Post reported. Rony Rivellini, a founder of Collective Hardware, said the organization paid rent through January 2009 and offered to pay another $725,000 last week. “We need a new lead investor, a white knight, so to speak,” the organization recently said in a letter to supporters. [Post]