P.S. 64 owner trying to rent building

After failed attempts at developing the former East Village school P.S. 64, landlord Gregg Singer is reportedly trying to rent out space in the landmark building, at 605 East 9th Street at Avenue B. Singer sent a proposal to the Art Institute of New York to use the five-story building as student housing, but the institute’s dean of student affairs said the school does not need it. Singer has been unsuccessfully trying to develop the property since he bought it 10 years ago for $3.15 million in an auction of city properties. He had wanted to turn the building into a dormitory tower, but Department of Buildings officials said he first needs an affiliation with an educational institution. Local residents want the former school to become a community center.