Unfortunately, Andrew Tilley’s corporate Visigoths, using a falsely obtained construction permit, have trashed Bob Dylan’s old room, 211, pulling down walls and ripping out a mantelpiece. The good news is that the Department of Buildings responded promptly when informed of this wanton destruction, determining that the “work” being done in 211 exceeded the scope of the permit (which was just for bathroom and kitchen renovation), and issuing a FULL STOP WORK ORDER covering the entire building. Incredibly, though the DOB issued the Stop Work Order on Thursday evening, the message somehow failed to penetrate Tilley’s thick skull, and workers, in an act of flagrant disrespect for the DOB, were back at it again on Friday and then on Saturday morning, this time in Room 203. The DOB had to send out an Emergency Response Team to shut them down again!
This is the fourth Stop Work Order to be issued since the Bards were ousted in July of last year. The last time Tilley attempted to defy a Stop Work Order, in July of this year, the hotel was slapped with a $5000 fine . This time, the fine will no doubt be more.
Another point that needs to be reiterated is that these two rooms, 203 and 211, are situated on either side of a resident, Arthur Nash, who was assaulted by hotel security for his pro-tenant activism, and who currently has a harassment case against the hotel pending at the DHCR. Of all the 250 rooms in the hotel, do you think it’s a coincidence that they picked these two?
As it stands now, Tilley and company are currently barred from doing any construction whatsoever anywhere in the building. So if you hear a hammer hitting a nail, or a saw sawing through a board, dial 311 immediately. Or, just for variety, dial 911! The police have a list of buildings that are under Stop Work Orders, and they will come and shut down any construction at the hotel as well.
Accompanying this article are photos of Dylan’s room before the “kitchen and bathroom renovation.” Although it’s unlikely that Dylan’s room can be returned to it’s former glory, at least these vandals shouldn’t be allowed to profit from their depraved act of destruction.
Living with Legends 
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