Living with Legends

Due to continued interest in David Elder’s harebrained scheme to open two bars in the Chelsea Hotel lobby—one in Stanley’s office and the other behind the front desk(!?)—and maybe an Argentinean restaurant somewhere or other in the hotel, we felt it was time to give our readers a summary of what has occurred:

On January 11, Elder appeared before the Community Board 4 Business Permits & License Committee (Chelsea Now Jan 14-27) to ask for a liquor license for the two new bars.  Unfortunately for him, the committee didn’t have enough members to form a quorum, and, in addition, Elder had conveniently failed to post the notice of his application in the hotel.  Consequently, he was obliged to come back at the next Committee meeting on February 8.

  On February 8, Elder failed to show up for the meeting (Chelsea Now Feb 25-March 10).  Had he shown the courage of his money-grubbing convictions, he would have been met with stern opposition from concerned Chelsea Hotel residents.  Undeterred by Elder’s absence, these residents made it clear  to the Committee that they would not tolerate the transformation of the Chelsea Hotel’s famous lobby—which is used by children, the elderly and the disabled—into a noisy hotspot for hipsters.  The Committee gave Elder one more chance to appear and state his case at the Committee meeting on March 8, saying that if he didn’t show this time they would recommend that his application be denied.

Big surprise: Elder didn’t show.  But he got a break, because it seems he called the committee in advance and they allowed him to take his application off the agenda.  The latest on the issue, as reported by Nicole Breskin in DNAinfo, is that Elder has now postponed his application  indefinitely. (We'll be watching to see if the application reappears.)

  In related news, Star Lounge owner Charles Ferri (now in partnership with Noel Ashman, though Ashman sometimes denies it , received a recommendation for a liquor license renewal from the full Community Board on March 3, though not without many important stipulations being appended, including: that the present security firm be replaced; that the line queue west away from the hotel doors; lounge patrons will be kept out of the lobby and away from the front door; no velvet ropes; no outside promoters; no drinking or smoking near the lounge entrance; Ferri will provide a telephone number for complaints; Ferri and the new security firm will meet with residents.

  This at least shows that the Community Board is somewhat responsive to resident’s concerns. — Ed Hamilton