From 1010 Wins:
NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – There’s been a victory of sorts for a group of residents in Midtown who are trying to prevent the old Park Savoy Hotel from reopening as a homeless shelter.
Members of the West 58th Street Coalition filed suit in July to stop the shelter from opening, claiming the building is a fire hazard.
On Wednesday, a court issued an injunction preventing the city from moving forward until the group’s appeal can be heard.
The group’s attorney Randy Mastro says they have two former city officials who say the building is not safe.
“One a former fire department captain and commissioner, another a former Manhattan borough commissioner from the Buildings Department, have sworn under oath that this building in its current condition is ‘a fire trap’ and ‘a disaster waiting to happen,’” Mastro said.
The officials say the old hotel’s dangerous because it has only one exit and a single narrow staircase that doesn’t exit to the street.
“We brought this case as a matter of public safety, because this building is unsafe and doesn’t comply with the city’s current building codes,” Mastro said.
The City, however, says it has updated the fire system and sprinkles and that the building is grandfathered in because it’s more than 100 years old.
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