By Patrick Hedlund
DNAinfo News Editor
CHINATOWN — Tenants at an apartment building next door to two structures gutted in a fatal Chinatown fire last month are being told to leave so the landlord can tear it down.
The six-story structure at 289 Grand St. was heavily damaged by the seven-alarm blaze that killed an 87-year-old man, forced the demolition of neighboring buildings at 287-285 and 283 Grand, and closed multiple businesses on the block.
Now the owner has informed tenants that “the building has been vacated and rendered unsafe for habitation,” giving the landlord “no other option but to tear down the hazardous remaining remnants of the building” and “end your lease as of the date of this notice,” according to a May 3 letter sent to residents by owner Wong’s Grand Street Realty.
The landlord cited a provision in the residents’ lease agreements requiring the termination of leases “within 30 days of a fire,” which occurred on April 11.
“Whatever happens to the building is actually not up to any one person right now,” said resident Dinine Signorelle-Wong, whose stepfather owns the primarily rent-regulated building and who has been working with tenants on behalf of the landlord. “I’m trying to advocate [for residents] the best I can.”
Many tenants — who were allowed to briefly return to the building once to gather their belongings — have filed legal actions with the city requiring the landlord to repair the building while maintaining the residents’ rent-stabilized or rent-controlled status.
When a similar fire occurred more than a year ago at a building on James Street in Chinatown, killing three people, local elected officials and the neighborhood advocacy group Asian Americans for Equality helped push the owner to make repairs that ultimately allowed the tenants back into the building, said Christopher Kui, the group's executive director.
“Tenants are very intimidated or very confused,” said Kui, whose group has worked closely with the displaced tenants and the city to ensure residents know their rights.
“Pretty much all the tenants in the building want to go back there to live,” he added.
The Department of Buildings has determined the property to be structurally stable and not in need of demolition, an agency spokesperson said.
Kui charged the owner with using deceptive methods to get the residents out, including encouraging tenants to take back their security deposits, which can legally nullify their leases if cashed.
“They’re trying to misinform the tenants and trying to use this as an opportunity to take away their rent-stabilized and rent-controlled status,” he said, noting that the owner could repair the building using insurance money, as well as a low-interest loan from the city. “We have dealt with cases like this in the past.”
The residents of 289 Grand St. met with AAFE and its lawyer last Friday to discuss their options, and none so far have decided to give up their leases, Kui added.
“The owner has a responsibility to rehabilitate the building,” he said. “Usually the court will make a decision.”
A resident of the building for the past four years, who declined to provide a name for fear of reprisal, said, "it breaks my heart to know that I’m in a situation like this.”
The tenant said the building appeared to be less damaged than the owners said.
“I think they’re bluffing,” the tenant said. “If there’s an order of demolition, there’s an order of demolition. We’ve not heard that.”
Signorelle-Wong stressed that she is continuing to help all the tenants throughout the process, but said some of the units will start being demolished this week.
“What happens to the building is not up to me,” she said.
