10 signatures reached
To: Steve Roth, Chairman of Vornado Realty Trust
Save Hotel Pennslyvania
Hotel Pennsylvania is a beaux-arts 22 story hotel that sits adjacent from Pennsylvania Station on 7th Avenue, occupying the majority of a block between 33rd and 32nd Streets. Like the long gone transit palace for which it is named, it too faces possible demolition. Once known for it's lavish soirees and big band music, featuring the likes of Duke Ellington and Count Basie, the hotel has seen several incarnations and name shifts, including being the original Statler Hotel (for which the muppet Statler, of Statler and Waldorf fame was named). Yet, unlike other landmarks which often age poorly, Hotel Pennsylvania has evolved and changed with New York, catering to clients as diverse as canines from the Westminister Dog Show to hosting the annual My Little Pony convention. However, given the cut-throat nature of the real estate industry, the Vornado Realty Trust, best known for creating an empire of strip malls in New Jersey and generic office buildings, plans to destroy Hotel Pennsylvania. Their plan is to erect an oversized tower that would rise 70 stories, rivaling the neighboring Empire State Building, and casting a shadow over the majority of low-scale buildings that populate this area of midtown. Demolition and construction activity alongside pedestrian traffic would also pose issues for this already very dense part of the city. Fierce community opposition to the demolition in the past was not enough to sway the city council or the landmarks committee.
Yet, a glimmer of hope has surfaced. Given the sluggish economy and Vornado's lack to find a major tenant to anchor their tower, the company has considered renovating Hotel Pennsylvania instead of destroying it. So, I ask you, to help reignite the fight to save Hotel Pennsylvania before it's too late. With this petition, we (we being the greater whole of New York City, and of course you) hope to ensure Hotel Penn's place in history with protective landmark status (preventing any and all future demolition) and to remain as an appreciated part of the built fabric of Manhattan while remaining a sustainable building. The greenest building of course, is a building that is already built and not an expensive glass high-rise tower.
Thank you for your time and your signature.
Why is this important?
Hotel Pennsylvania is a beaux-arts 22 story hotel that sits adjacent from Pennsylvania Station on 7th Avenue, occupying the majority of a block between 33rd and 32nd Streets. Like the long gone transit palace for which it is named, it too faces possible demolition. Once known for it's lavish soirees and big band music, featuring the likes of Duke Ellington and Count Basie, the hotel has seen several incarnations and name shifts, including being the original Statler Hotel (for which the muppet Statler, of Statler and Waldorf fame was named). Yet, unlike other landmarks which often age poorly, Hotel Pennsylvania has evolved and changed with New York, catering to clients as diverse as canines from the Westminister Dog Show to hosting the annual My Little Pony convention. However, given the cut-throat nature of the real estate industry, the Vornado Realty Trust, best known for creating an empire of strip malls in New Jersey and generic office buildings, plans to destroy Hotel Pennsylvania. Their plan is to erect an oversized tower that would rise 70 stories, rivaling the neighboring Empire State Building, and casting a shadow over the majority of low-scale buildings that populate this area of midtown. Demolition and construction activity alongside pedestrian traffic would also pose issues for this already very dense part of the city. Fierce community opposition to the demolition in the past was not enough to sway the city council or the landmarks committee.
Yet, a glimmer of hope has surfaced. Given the sluggish economy and Vornado's lack to find a major tenant to anchor their tower, the company has considered renovating Hotel Pennsylvania instead of destroying it. So, I ask you, to help reignite the fight to save Hotel Pennsylvania before it's too late. With this petition, we (we being the greater whole of New York City, and of course you) hope to ensure Hotel Penn's place in history with protective landmark status (preventing any and all future demolition) and to remain as an appreciated part of the built fabric of Manhattan while remaining a sustainable building. The greenest building of course, is a building that is already built and not an expensive glass high-rise tower.
Thank you for your time and your signature.