Fight over P.S. 64 conversion reignites in the East Village

City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez wants the city to use eminent domain to take back the building

City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez and the P.S. 64 building
City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez and the P.S. 64 building

In August, the city approved developer Gregg Singer’s controversial, $40 million plan to convert a former Alphabet City public school into a college dormitory. Now City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez wants Mayor de Blasio to use eminent domain if necessary to return the landmark P.S. 64 building to the neighborhood.

“We don’t need a dorm — we’ve never wanted a dorm,” Mendez told the New York Post. “When the building was sold to this developer . . . he was supposed to develop it. He has not. The city can negotiate to get the building back.”

Sign Up for the undefined Newsletter

The 100-year-old building overlooking Tompkins Square Park was abandoned in the 1970s and later transformed it into a hub for artists and activists. Singer bought the building at auction in 1998 for $3.15 million. [NYP] Christopher Cameron