Finally Community Board 5 Meeting to Save Hotel Penn!

Last week's meeting of the local Community Board 5 in New York City resulted in a 6-1 vote to pursue landmark status for the Hotel Pennsylvania, home of the HOPE conferences, and a magnet for tourists from all over the globe for nearly a century. This means the matter will be heard in front of the full board this coming Thursday. A strong turnout is essential and those who can't attend can still participate.

The fight to save the hotel faces an uphill battle for a number of reasons. It simply is not luxurious enough for many tastes. The rooms are not generally huge as they are quite old. And while the outside of the structure is quite impressive, much of the inside has been changed and refurbished over the decades. Many New Yorkers simply don't see the need for another old structure to be preserved. But New Yorkers are also the least likely to benefit from the hotel in the first place. People from all over the world stay there when visiting New York because of its remarkable accessibility (right across the street from Penn Station) and prices that are about half that of other hotels. It is very unlikely we would be able to find another venue in New York to hold HOPE conferences that wouldn't cost many times more. The same holds true for all sorts of other events that have chosen this particular hotel. So, regardless of what many think of the architecture and the current condition of the place, there is history and there is significance. Most of all, there is a need. That need will certainly not be filled by yet another huge financial tower.

If you'd like to speak at the meeting on Thursday, it starts at 6 pm and will be at the Fashion Institute of Technology at 227 West 27th Street at 7th Avenue, Building "C", Haft Auditorium, 2nd Floor. People who wish to speak on behalf of the hotel's preservation will have three minutes in which to do so. You must sign up upon arrival if you wish to do this. For those who can't attend (including those of you from overseas who make the hotel your home when coming to HOPE), there are two ways in which you can participate. You can send mail to us and we will bring a printout to the meeting on Thursday or you can email the community board directly expressing your concerns. Please be nice and articulate. These people can be very helpful.