District 4 Councilman Daniel Garodnick is the kind of neighbor New Yorkers want. A lifelong resident of Stuyvesant Town, Garodnick is a key player in fighting for tenants in the current real estate dilemma.
“The tenants of Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village should not be the collateral damage of a real estate deal gone bad,” said Garodnick in a statement on January 8.
In 2006, MetLife put the 80 acre complex stretching from 14th to 23rd Street up for sale. The 110 buildings containing 11,250 apartments were built by MetLife after World War II to give the middle class affordable housing.
Garodnick, a fan of “creative problem solving,” and New York Senator Charles Schumer helped fellow residents organize a bid. On October 27, 2006, the tenants and the Apollo Group, another bidder, lost to Tishman Speyer Properties and BlackRock Realty’s $5.4 billion bid.
Having worked litigation for New York-based law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, where he represented thirteen same-sex couples seeking marriage in New York State, Garodnick knew what direction to go in. On January 27, 2007, Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village tenants sued MetLife, Tishman Speyer, and associates for improperly regulating rents. The lawsuit stated $215 to $320 million in rent overcharges and damages were owed. New York State ruled in favor of the tenants.
On January 24, 2010, Tishman Speyer and associates turned the property over to lender CWCapital after a $16 million loan payment default.
CWCapital president Charles Spetka is singing Garodnick’s praises. “We understand that you are an outstanding community leader,” Spetka said in a letter to Garodnick The Observer posted. “We support your efforts to work with the residents and we believe that you will be a strong voice working for the residents to reach such a conclusion.”
Garodnick is also concerned with tenants’ safety: in June 2006, he introduced legislation guarding privacy after electronic keys with tenants’ photos on them tracked their movements. He also worked with the Department of Transportation to improve pedestrian safety after an 83-year-old resident died at an accident on 20th Street and First Avenue.
Garodnick works outside of Stuyvesant Town, too: District 4 includes the Upper East Side, Central Park South, Grand Central, Tudor City, Waterside, Peter Cooper Village, Carnegie Hill, Stuyvesant Town, United Nations, and Turtle Bay.
Since his 2005 election, Garodnick helped find a new school location in the Upper East Side, built a middle-school library, and organized a book drive to fill its shelves in his district, among other actions. He also wrote the Green Energy Code, the Livery Car Passenger Bill of Rights, and the New York City Fair Debt Collection Act.
“We’re really lucky to have someone so willing to fight for us,” said Stuyvesant Town resident Linda.
Photo Credit: The New York City Council and New York Magazine
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment