After decades of fighting, the former PS 64 building — which for some time, following the closing of the school, housed the CHARAS/El Bohio Cultural and Community Center — on 605 East 9th St. will be restored and turned back into a building for the community.
The building was sold in January 2024 to an anonymous philanthropy, widely believed to be local hedge fund manager Aaron Sosnick, through the entity 605 East 9th Community Holdings.
On Jan. 23 of this year, the consulting firm leading the restoration project held a public information session, providing an update to the community on how work is proceeding.
Or, well, it wasn’t much of an update. Quamid Francis, Founder and Principal of Q Impact Solutions, who led the presentation, told the audience there were no real news to share since the last session, a few months earlier. They had settled on a name for the project, he said: “Creative Community Collective.” The name was met with some skepticism from the community, with multiple people asking for
CHARAS to be preserved in the new building’s name. “Don’t erase CHARAS. It’s already got a name,” one local resident wrote on a paper put up on a wall inviting attendees to leave their thoughts.
The reason the project hasn’t moved forward is simple: there is no money. Francis explained that they are in early, informal talks with potential investors, but it’s a process that will take some time. Given this lack of financial clarity, the timetable for the overall project is uncertain, but seems to be between four and six years.
“I am having a lot of conversations with institutional investors, individual philanthropists. Very early stage conversations, socializing the idea of what we’re trying to do here: create a space that center on arts, education, public interest and access,” Francis said. “It’s super early, but there’s interest. People are signaling interest, saying, ’Let’s talk again in a couple months, let’s see where you are.’ And so that’s the positive news that people are buying into the overarching vision that I shared. And we’re hoping that some cash inflow will start to come as soon as possible.”
Some minor work has been done at the site. Because of the state of disrepair the building had been left in by the former owner, some emergency facade stabilization had to be conducted. The pigeons have also been cleared out.
Once finished, the building will house cultural activities of all kinds; while nothing is decided, Francis noted artist studios and galleries, dance rehearsal space, podcast studios, performance theater, office space for nonprofits, housing for artists, and other cultural uses are all on the table.
“There’s a lot of work ahead, but I think together as a community, if it is going to be a community building, we can do it together,” Francis said.
The building has a storied history: designed in the beginning of the 20th century by C.B.J. Snyder in French Renaissance Revival style, it housed PS 64 between 1906 and 1977. The community organization CHARAS took over care for the building from the city in 1979 and made it into El Bohio, “the hut,” which became a cultural cornerstone in the Lower East Side. Spike Lee showed his work there while at NYU.
In 1996, the city decided to sell The Hut. In protest, community activists coordinated to release 10,000 crickets to disrupt the auction in 1998, but the building was eventually sold to Gregg Singer. Singer evicted CHARAS in 2001, but when his plans to redevelop the site were thwarted by the city, he instead left the building to deteriorate. It was landmarked
The good news is that, according to the architects also presenting at the information session, they knew what they were doing when they built the school in the early 1900s and the structural integrity remain sound.
Some community members were concerned about the “anonymous” owner and what the leadership structure would be, citing fears that the building’s historical significance and the community’s wishes wouldn’t be respected.
But among the community members who seemed to know who the new owner of the building is, there was less concern. Ana Sepúlveda, associate director at Performance Space New York (which operates out of another former public school, PS 122), noted that other projects supported by the same philanthropist have been positively received by the community.
“I am hopeful. I’m sure that they have the best intentions at heart, and figuring something like this out is not easy,” Sepúlveda said.
On it’s restoration projects website, it’s stated, “C3 is more than a restoration project—it’s a commitment to preserving the spirit of collaboration, creativity, and community service that has defined former PS 64 for over a century. The goal is to shape the building into a multi-use arts, educational, and community hub that remains publicly accessible while serving both the Lower East Side and the broader needs of New York City and beyond.
During this pre-construction phase, C3 serves as the platform through which we engage the community, invite feedback, and chart a path forward together. As we continue the rebuilding efforts, we invite you to join us on this journey. Whether you’re a longtime advocate for preserving former PS 64 or new to the community and conversation, your input is vital to making sure that C3 reflects the community’s values and needs.”
