0
15465
10500
9
The Paper of Record for Greenwich Village, East Village, Lower East Side, Soho, Union Square, Chinatown and Noho, Since 1933
June 21, 2018 • $1.00 Volume 88 • Number 24
Seward Co-op’s vote on air rights leaves developer ‘bewildered’ BY SYDNEY PEREIR A
I
n a historic vote at the Seward Park Co-operative, residents voted ‘No’ to selling $54 million worth of air rights to developers building at a nearby lot. The decision has rattled some residents who fear that fees to cover the co-op’s financial troubles will
skyrocket. The air rights would have gone toward developing two buildings next to the former Bialystoker Nursing Home, at 228 East Broadway. The Ascend Group and Optimum Asset Management were planning to construct buildings 22 SEWARD continued on p. 12
Worn down by Croman, Caffe Vivaldi, bohemian gem, is calling it quits BY GABE HERMAN
C
affe Vivaldi, a beloved Village institution for 35 years, will be closing its doors for good on June 23 due to ongoing difficulties with notorious landlord Steven Croman. “Our legal and financial difficulties with our landlord
came to a head this spring,” said a message recently posted on the cafe’s Web site, referring to a new lawsuit filed against it by Croman. “To continue to fight would be self-destructive in many, many ways for the business and for all of us.” Since it was opened in 1983 VIVALDI continued on p. 11
PHOTO BY TEQUILA MINSKY
Council Speaker Corey Johnson joined a Foley Square rally Monday for release of Pablo Villavicencio, an undocumented immigrant from Ecuador arrested June 1 while delivering pasta to For t Hamilton Army base. Villavicencio is married to a U.S. citizen, with whom he has two young daughters, above with Johnson. Earlier the same day, Councilmember Margaret Chin rallied for the release of Xiu Qwg You — also married to an American, with whom he has two young kids — who was detained May 23 after inter viewing for a green card. The two are being held in the same Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.
Elevators are a win; L fight still on track BY LINCOLN ANDERSON
V
illage and Chelsea residents, along with disabled advocates and local politicians, hailed a major victory on Monday morning when they announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has agreed to install handicap-accessible elevators at the L subway station at Sixth Ave. and W. 14th St. But members of the 14th St. Coalition — which includes
Three shot in Bleecker bar...... p. 3
a broad swath of Village and Chelsea block associations and residents associations in large apartment buildings — said there is still a long way to go to address their concerns about the mitigation plan for the city’s L-train shutdown plan. In fact, they say, they are being stonewalled: They specifically repeatedly blasted Polly Trottenberg, the commissioner of the city’s Department of Transportation, for turning a deaf ear and show-
ing a veritable Robert Moseslike haughty disdain for their concerns. “We’re glad the M.T.A. responded,” said Julianne Bond, co-chairperson of the coalition, speaking at Monday’s press conference outside the Sixth Ave. station. “We are extremely disappointed in the D.O.T. The D.O.T.’s refusal to answer even basic questions is arrogant, disgraceful and disrespectful.” LTRAIN continued on p. 6
Kids call for speed cameras by schools.............p. 2 ‘Russiagate’ player hands over e-mails.............p. 8 www.TheVillager.com