96 yr old resisting Carnegie Hall eviction from upstairs apartments.

[Liberal_in_LA]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/12/29/carnegie.tenant/index.html

Carnegie Hall has offered to pay for the rent-control tenants' relocation expenses and move them to apartments which are "equivalent or better" in the neighborhood. The Hall also is offering to pay the difference in rent to each of those tenants for the rest of their lives.

"We have asked Editta to come and look at spaces with us," Carlino told CNN.

But Sherman and her like-minded neighbors are not budging.

There is only one scenario that might work, the grandmother of 25 said.

"They can pay me $10 million. I'm part of history," she said. "You want to tell me they don't have enough rooms? They have a building of rooms. This place is history, and I think Carnegie, the people running it, I don't think they think about that."

[TXDemGal]

1. Bad PR for Carnegie Hall, for sure

I don't care how much they've offered to pay. When you've got a news story about Carnegie Hall trying to force a 96-year-old woman who has lived in the space for 50 years to move out, it just smells bad.

Note how the push for the Carnegie Hall redesign came from its chairman, Sanford Weill, and Weill's son-in-law would be the one designing the new space. Taxpayers would foot part of the projected $150 million bill, because the state granted $5M for the project.

[pitohui]

6. maybe but she's willing to forget all that history for $10 million

nobody in this story sounds like a hero to me

it isn't she's afraid to move or she physically can't move or she can't afford to move or that she lacks $$$ of her own or they've refused to pay the huge difference between the cost of her rent controlled apt and another in the neighborhood -- it's that she's holding out for $10 million

[oldnslo]

8. Everybody has a price, and $10 m just happens to be hers. n/t

[Warpy]

10. She's 96, for crying out loud!

The stress of moving could be all it would take to finish her off.

Why the hell can't Weill's son in law wait a few years? By then the project can be done for less money and most of the remaining tenants will be gone to their heavenly rewards or to nursing homes.

She's right to stick it to them. That ten million bucks might be a start on compensating her 25 grandchildren for the premature loss of their grandmother due to the stress of a move she should never have been asked to make. Or it might be enough that the project can't be done at this time and they'll leave her right where she is.

[pitohui]

11. yeah but the stress of moving won't bother her at all if she gets $10 million?

c'mon, give the lady some credit, you didn't read the article did you, you just assumed since she's 96 she's some sweet innocent biddy and butter wouldn't melt

she's a rich bitch with rich influential friends who is well enough for heavy exercise like jumping rope (!) and is just being a pain in the ass because she sees some money -- all right, a HELL OF A LOT of money -- in it

as for the grandchildren should get $10 million as an inheritance for what? for having the luck of having a rich granny who is going to leave them way more than that anyway -- what do you think all that original art is worth -- come on PLEASE

this is a spat among rich people wanting to extort each other and pretending that one obnoxious rich extortionist is better than another (or that ANY grandchild of ANYone on this planet deserves to inherit millions just for being born) -- come on, it just makes me sick

you're being played like a violin, no thanks!

[Warpy]

12. What part about "compensation for her 25 grandchildren"

did you miss?

What part about sticking it to them so the project gets postponed did you miss?

RDFP

[philosophie_en_rose]

13. I think she knows they aren't going to pay that.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. She is a one-woman Historical Preservation Committee.

Those rooms were originally designated to be subsidized apts for artists.

Now Carnegie Hall wants to use them as studios for lessons. Well that is NOT what they were meant for.

I hope she holds out til she is 120!!!

The push to renovate came from the Hall's chairman Sanford Weill who wants to expand the education classrooms for more than 115,000 music and art students.

Weill's son-in-law, Natan Bibliowicz, has been hired to design the studio spaces above the hall in a $150 million expansion, and taxpayers will reportedly foot part of the bill because New York state granted $5 million to cover design and planning costs, according to the New York Times.

Sanford Weill is the infamous former CEO of Citicorp. Not such a great guy to begin with.
and his SON-IN-LAw is going to get HOW MUCH MONEY to design the "renovation"??? and how much will this cost the taxpayers???

This is another one of Weill's scams....

Hang in there Editta!!!

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

3. Sandy Weill??!!

Let's not beat around the bush: He's a scumbag.

[BrklynLiberal]

5. Yep! I worked for Citigroup. You do not have to prove it to me.

[eleny]

4. Great video, too

She's got her wits at 96. Leave her alone. Seems like she belongs there.

I grew up in NY and never knew there were artists in residence in the building.

[LisaM]

7. She spends her days taking pictures and JUMPING ROPE?

I think they should be paying her to stay there. You go, Eddita! What an inspiration.

[oldnslo]

9. The performances in the hall send vibrations upward,

And it rejuvenates her soul and body. Good for her. Great music is always better than it sounds.

[proud patriot]

14. this reminds me of the movie Batteries Not Included

[Pastiche423]

15. I hope this has the same ending as the movie

I love that movie!