UPDATE: Dec. 9-17, 2004 Recent offensives in Lloyd Goldman's ongoing war on the arts community

UPDATE : DEC. 9 - DEC.17, 2004

THURS. DEC. 9, 2004

ON THURSDAY, DEC.9, LANDLORD AND BILLIONAIRE REAL ESTATE SPECULATOR LLOYD GOLDMAN'S DEMOLITION CONTRACTOR, BACKHOE SERVICES INC., ACQUIRED A PERMIT WHICH WOULD ALLOW THEM TO ATTACK STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS OF THE 111 FIRST STREET ARTS CENTER, PRESUMEABLY FOR SAFETY-RELATED REASONS. IT IS GOLDMAN'S STATED INTENTION TO DEMOLISH THE ART CENTER AND REPLACE IT WITH YET ANOTHER LUXURY HI-RISE TOWER, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE DISTRICT IS NOT AND NEVER WAS ZONED TO PERMIT SUCH CONSTRUCTION. THE PERMIT WAS ISSUED WITHOUT THE SITE PLAN REVIEW BY THE PLANNING DEPT. REQUIRED FOR ALL DEMOLITION IN THE POWERHOUSE ARTS DISTRICT.

MON. DEC.12, 2004

POLICE ANNOUNCED THE ARRESTS OF TWO EMPLOYEES OF BLDG MANAGEMENT CO., OWNED BY LLOYD GOLDMAN, FOR OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE IN THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION OF THE RECENT ARSON AT 111 FIRST STREET WHICH CAUSED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF DAMAGE TO THE WORK AND POSSESSIONS OF A NUMBER OF ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE. OTHER SUSPICIOUS CRIMINAL ACTS OCCURING AT THE BUILDING INCLUDE TWO CAR BASHINGS AND A CAR THEFT. ALL THE TARGETED VEHICLES BELONGED TO 111 ARTISTS.

ON MONDAY MORNING BETWEEN 9:00 AND 10:00 MAYOR-ELECT HEALY'S OFFICE WAITING ROOM FILLED WITH BETWEEN 20-25 DETERMINED AND ANGRY ARTISTS, HISTORIC PRESERVATIONISTS, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, REPRESENTATIVES OF ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, AND OTHER CONCERNED CITIZENS. THEY WERE THERE TO PROTEST THE MAYOR-ELECT'S INABILITY OR UNWILLINGNESS TO RESTRAIN ROGUE LANDLORD LLOYD GOLDMAN AND HIS DEMOLITION CREWS.

WED. DEC. 15, 2004

RESPONDING TO A CHALLENGE BROUGHT BY ATTORNEYS REPRESENTING THE ARTISTS, A RULING WAS ISSUED BY JUDGE MAURICE GALLIPOLI ON THE MORNING OF WED., DEC.15, ORDERING A REVIEW OF THE PERMIT AND A COOLING-OFF PERIOD FOR DEMOLITION. ASSESSMENTS BY ENGINEERS NOT ON GOLDMAN'S PAYROLL WERE EXAMINED AND STRINGENT LIMITATIONS WERE PLACED ON THE SWEEPING DEMOLITIONS GOLDMAN'S ENGINEER HAD ORIGINALLY REQUESTED.

THIS IS PRECISELY THE SAME SCENARIO THAT WAS LEVERAGED INTO THE TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF OF THE HISTORIC LANDMARK BUILDING AT 110 FIRST STREET AND THE HISTORIC "OLD GOLD" SMOKESTACK AT 111 FIRST THIS PAST SUMMER, IN OPEN DEFIANCE OF FORMER MAYOR SMITH AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL WHO PERSONALLY INTERVENED TO TRY TO SAVE THEM. THE CITY HAS SOUGHT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS TO NEGOTIATE A SETTLEMENT WITH THE ARTISTS AND MR. GOLDMAN WHO REMAINS UNCOOPERATIVE, INTRANSIGENT AND DEFIANT IN HIS DEMANDS.

THE CITY-COUNCIL MEETING WEDNESDAY EVENING WAS DOMINATED BY SPEAKERS WHO, LIKE HENRY SANCHEZ, CAME TO REMIND THE CITY COUNCIL OF ITS TWO EXTRAORDINARY UNANIMOUS DECISIONS-- TO LANDMARK THE OLD WAREHOUSE DISTRICT, AND TO IMPLEMENT THE LONG-AWAITED POWERHOUSE ARTS DISTRICT REDEVELOPMENT PLAN -- AND TO URGE THEM NOT TO ABANDON THEIR COMMITTMENT TO THAT PROJECT AND THE VISION IT REPRESENTS.

IT WAS POINTED OUT BY PAINTER ELIZABETH ONORATO, AND CONFIRMED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT SMITH, THAT THE MOST RECENT TALLY OF FINES GOLDMAN HAS TO DATE ACCUMULATED FOR CODE VIOLATIONS AT THE ARTS CENTER IS 7.8 MILLION DOLLARS. THIS AMOUNT ALREADY EXCEEDS CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATES OF THE BUILDING'S VALUE, PLACED AT APPROXIMATELY $6 MILLION BY DEVELOPER AND CONSULTANT PETER ABELES WHEN HE SPOKE AT AN EARLIER COUNCIL MEETING THIS YEAR.

FRI. DEC. 17, 2004

BY FRIDAY, DEC. 17, ATTORNEYS FOR THE 111 ARTISTS WERE BACK IN COURT SEEKING ONCE AGAIN TO STOP BACKHOE SERVICES FROM EXCEEDING THE LIMITS OF THEIR LATEST DEMOLITION PERMIT. THE PERMIT WAS AGAIN REVISED WITH EVEN MORE SPECIFICALLY DELINEATED LIMITATIONS.