Photo via Twitter of rally to save PS23
Appearing to give in to public pressure, Mayor Bill DeBlasio is allocating $80 million to rebuild a historic building in Manhattan Chinatown gutted by fire in January, reported PIX11.
The move comes despite the fact that demolition had already begun on the first two floors of the building which formerly housed the archives for the Museum of Chinese Americans and such non-profits as a senior center run by the Chinese American Planning Council, the United East Athletics Association, and the H.T. Chen & Dancers.
Neighborhood activists just last Saturday had organized a protest to save the building which is listed as a point of interest in Chinatown and Little Italy by the National Register of Historic Places.
“In January, Chinatown lost the beating heart of its community: 70 Mulberry Street,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio to PIX11. “We’re working hand-in-hand with the community to preserve this building’s rich history and bring it back to life again.”
Bowery Boogie reports it is uncertain whether the building will be razed and rebuilt or gutted and redeveloped with a tower topper.
“I welcome the news of Mayor DeBlasio budgeting $80 million for 70 Mulberry and have a unique opportunity to bring this community commodity into this century and for decades to come,” tweeted Karlin Chan, a community organizer behind the protests.
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