A lot has happened since the former owner, Gregg Singer, defaulted on the mortgage, declared bankruptcy, and after 25 years, finally relinquished the building at auction. The building is now in the hands of a community-based philanthropy.
Save Our Community Center, former CHARAS / P.S. 64, SOCCC-64 is working to restore the building as a cultural and community center. There is a great deal of work to do; to stabilize the building, develop plans for restoration, and raise the funds needed to repair the tremendous damage done to the interior of the building. The landmarked building has been stripped of all systems, interiors, as well as elements of the façade. Remarkably, the only intact room remaining is the former CHARAS office.
Since the building was auctioned, SOCCC-64 has been hard at work, incorporating as a not-for-profit and working to raise funds towards the renovation, with the goal of creating a sustainable, truly affordable cultural and community center for all. We also want to celebrate the improbable survival of this building and the sustained community activism, creativity and determination that led to this result. We achieved this victory in the face of downright disregard from those who thought we would all eventually go away.
This has been an epic battle against gentrification, greed and corruption that our Lower East Side Community of artists, activists, residents, elected and leaders waged and won!
