NYC-WTC_000230715

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Battery Park tenants outraged over hard-line landlords © > By PAUL H.B. SHIN larly high in River Watch at 70 A spokeswoman for Brodsky Tisch. 62, an attorney with a will be credited once a building MiLYNEwsswf^ifEB Battciy Place, where the land- called the policy “fair.” three-bedroom apartment in the is ready for occupancy, the Web Tenants bf atileast two Battery lord slipped letters under the "If a tenant has special circum­ 232-unit building, site said. Park City apartment buildings are up in arms at their landlords for imposing hefty penalties on lease-breakers after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. doors of 200 apartments Wednes- day telling tenants they must pay three months’ rent to break their leases. "1 had wanted desperately to stances, we would speak to them about it,” said Sandi Rotkoff, leasing manager for Urban Asso­ ciates, which manages River Charles Singer, director of mar­ ket research for Rockrose, said his company’s terms are more le­ nient than others’. Timothy Carey, president of the Battery Park City Authority, which oversees the 92-acre com­ plex, said the agency is working with state and city officials to I tn Watch for Brodsky. The Lefrak Organization, grant relief to Battery Park City’s People who live in the water- ’*”’.*«* ha*e which owns the 1,712-unit Gate- front community said the penal- “y tenants ex- More fights loom way Plaza complex, isn't letting Q.OOO^esidents. ties would force many to live in a X Joshua Tenants of River Rose at 333 tenants break their leases or of- © 'war zone” as the neighborhood Rotkoff, 25, a tenants committee Rector Place are also banding to fering rent reductions, renters > recovers from the aftermath of ,, , r. fight their landlord, Rockrose De­ said. ihe twin-towers collapse nearby. landlord, the Brodsky Or- velopment, ,, , , gamzation, has offered to reduce Gateway sustained the most Many people there are con- rents by 15% through April, but Rockrose recently halved the damage among residential prop­ Q penalty for breaking a lease to

g cerned about air quality. Restnc- those at a tenants meeting Tues- erties in Battery Park City, and tions on access to the neighbor- uniformly rejected that as one month's rent and offered a only one of its six buildings has hood, which is built on state- not enough of an incentive for 25% rent reduction until current reopened. Two more are sched­ o owned land, and the loss of sub- them to endure months of hard­ leases expire. uled to open tomorrow, accord­ ing to the company’s Web site. EO way service, stores and restau- ship, Rockoff said. But as at River Watch, the HI rants have drastically reduced Tenants have talked of a rent terms were presented unilateral­ Rents are being waived for the H the quality of .life, tenants said. strike but have yet to take legal ly by the landlord, which out- time its buildings are being re­ 1^ ’ Emotions are running particu- ■ ’f •• 1 !• I j f .f sr I •! *.I. n..i • steps. .i’.-t.3^ A. If. lb I I ■ ,:1 t < , A,. '.It raged tenants, said Howard .................................. ............................................. ............................................I . .-I 1. w paired, and one month’s rent t, w •/« b ’fl' Mil II < « ll'iB II. •> It.) VO w

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NYC-WTC_000230715