A $10M lawsuit could decide the fate of Great Jones Alley

Is the glass half full? Is a spade a spade? Is an alley just an alley or a red-hot amenity for the rich and famous? That’s the argument two building owners are having out in court over Great Jones Alley.

A boutique, 22-unit co-op building at 684 Broadway owns a piece of the small 20-foot wide, 137-foot alley between Bond and West 3rd streets. The other portion of the alley is owned by Madison Realty Capital’s 1 Great Jones Alley, a fancy new condo that just sold its penthouse for $30 million.

Madison has been promoting the alley as a luxe amenity that will function as a private entrance to the building and keep the paparazzi at bay. But the folks at 684 Broadway don’t see it that way, and they’ve filed a $10 million lawsuit against their neighbor in Manhattan Supreme Court to protect their interests, according to the New York Post.

A screen shot of 1 Great Jones Alley’s website

The developer is “not authorized to remove and/or alter the gate that sits at the entrance to the alley … [and] do not have the right to advertise the alley as ‘private’ to potential buyers,” according to court papers.

The also argue that cars are not permitted to idle in the alley without their consent.

“The board believes that part of the alley and gate belongs to 684 Broadway, and felt that they had to file this lawsuit to protect their property rights,” said 684 Broadway in a statement via its lawyer, Robert Brown. Madison did not respond to the Post’s request for comment. [NYP] — Christopher Cameron