(Photo: Angelo Fabara)
At 21 stories high, the penthouse at The Standard East Village might seem like an odd place for opponents of high-rise construction in the Village to sip cocktails.
But Mark Crispin Miller of NYU Faculty Against the Sexton Plan, which will hold a fundraiser there Tuesday, says there’s no comparison. “The four gigantic towers that NYU plans to cram into the Village will make the hotel, the Standard, look like the Flatiron,” he argues.
It was only a few years ago when protestors were out in force against the then-Cooper Square Hotel, saying it would wreck the East Village’s character. Miller, speaking on behalf of FASP, said the group was aware of the association, but wasn’t worried as the current owner, Andre Balazs, wasn’t responsible for building the structure and was a friend of their cause.
Tickets for the elevated affair start at $100 and bring a chance to rub elbows with the likes of author Fran Lebowitz. Celeb expansion opponents Padma Lakshmi and Susan Sarandon initially were on the guest list, but organizers say they may not make it, due to their busy schedules.
There hasn’t been much news on the NYU faculty rebellion since a July hearing on FASP’s lawsuit alleging the city and university are illegally handing over local parks for the school’s growth plan.
Miller said all parties had submitted further papers for the lawsuit at Judge Donna Mills’ request, and they were awaiting her decision.