The Palms swim and dance club

A vacant Long Island City bank building and adjacent parking lot have been transformed into a dance and swim party venue called the Palms, featuring dumpster pools, cocktails and music, the New York Daily News reported.

Rockrose Development saw a similar project by an arts group called Chashama at the Donnell Library building on 53rd Street and contacted the group about bringing a similar experience to the lot at 26-01 Jackson Avenue and three other possible spaces in the area.

“We wanted to activate the area and get some life going in these empty buildings,” said Patricia Dunphy, a senior vice president with Rockrose, which has a 31-story residential building, the Club by Rockrose, in the neighborhood at 4705 Center Boulevard. “There’s a lot of folks living in Long Island City that are anxious to have things to do.”
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+aRt

Chelsea condo development +aRt has partnered with non-profit groups Chashama and Cannery Works to launch a two-part art exhibition, donating 1,800 square feet of retail space to house the show. The condominium at 540 West 28th Street between 10th and 11th avenues, will be home to the show, “Carnivora,” from Sept. 16 to Oct. 8. Chashama will focus on transforming the donated space for the exhibition, while Cannery Works will help present and market the show. The 91-unit +aRt, which was developed by Ekstein Development & RD Management, launched sales in October 2008 and is slated for occupancy this summer, with 21 active listings available, according to Streeteasy.com. TRD

[more]

+aRt

Chelsea condo development +aRt has partnered with non-profit groups Chashama and Cannery Works to launch a two-part art exhibition, donating 1,800 square feet of retail space to house the show. The condominium at 540 West 28th Street between 10th and 11th avenues, will be home to the show, “Carnivora,” from Sept. 16 to Oct. 8. Chashama will focus on transforming the donated space for the exhibition, while Cannery Works will help present and market the show. The 91-unit +aRt, which was developed by Ekstein Development & RD Management, launched sales in October 2008 and is slated for occupancy this summer, with 21 active listings available, according to Streeteasy.com. TRD

[more]

+aRt

Chelsea condo development +aRt has partnered with non-profit groups Chashama and Cannery Works to launch a two-part art exhibition, donating 1,800 square feet of retail space to house the show. The condominium at 540 West 28th Street between 10th and 11th avenues, will be home to the show, “Carnivora,” from Sept. 16 to Oct. 8. Chashama will focus on transforming the donated space for the exhibition, while Cannery Works will help present and market the show. The 91-unit +aRt, which was developed by Ekstein Development & RD Management, launched sales in October 2008 and is slated for occupancy this summer, with 21 active listings available, according to Streeteasy.com. TRD

[more]

A gallery show at the Chashama space at 679 Third Avenue (Credit: Susu Pianchupattana of Chashama)

The practice of landlords donating space to the arts to enliven a neighborhood is blossoming in New York City. It’s been occurring since at least the early 1980s, when David Walentas, founder of Two Trees Management, donated space to lure artists to Dumbo. Although Chashama and Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, two arts non-profit organizations that facilitate the donation of space to artists, say they’ve noticed no increase in offerings of space with the economic downturn, the quickness and ease with which Downtown Brooklyn Partnership has been able to fill vacant space with art installations, shows that landlords are increasingly open to this practice. [more]