Time To Help Save The Brooklyn Lyceum...Again

Image via Brooklyn Lyceum

This building has been part of my personal Brooklyn landscape for over 2 decades. When I moved in up the block from the then-crumbling relic in 1992, it was not The Brooklyn Lyceum; it was a boarded-up, gated mystery. “Public Bath No. 7.” Watching the NYC Marathon on 4th Avenue, you could haul yourself up to the landing and hang on to the iron fence for a better view. Other than that, as long as I’d known, it stood unused.

Public Baths in NYC were built as part of a progressive movement to improve the health of poor tenement dwellers. Public Bath No. 7 is one of a very few still standing. It was constructed in 1910, closed in 1937, and landmarked in 1984. And it housed other things on and off in between. Its architect, Raymond F. Almirall, also designed the beautiful little library on the corner of Pacific and 4th Avenue. Don’t tell anyone, but I still have a book I took out there in 1987.

So one day in the mid 90s, I’ll say, I’m walking by the building, probably on my way to the R train there, and the gates are open. What the fuuuuuck? It was like that day Willy Wonka opened his factory. Turns out a guy named Eric Richmond bought the place at public auction, and did some renovation. There are performance spaces, strange one-offs like batting cages and roller disco parties, and a café, which sometimes closes for months and reopens with no explanation. Every year I’m there for my favorite holiday tradition, a crazy and brilliant, live version of the classic animated Charlie Brown Christmas Special, performed in a freezing space, to packed houses.

 Meanwhile, Richmond has been embroiled in some kind of legal battle with his former architect for many years and once again faces bankruptcy. Or maybe it’s foreclosure. Honestly, I can’t tell. 

I wanna save this place, don’t you? I know they can’t knock it down because it’s landmarked, but I doubt its interior is protected, and of course I’d hate to see it turned into a giant Chipotle or Petco, but Eric, help us out! I’m on the Lyceum’s mailing list, and I got this abso-fucking-lutely incomprehensible email – over 1000 words -- explaining  attempting and failing to explain the case.

Does anybody have a fucking clue what this excerpt means… ?

… In addition, Judge Craig, in another critical decision, found that the Lyceum had waived right to statutory notice of a hearing by merely objecting to lack of statutory notice of that very same hearing, or, in plain English, since we complained we didn't get adequate (or required) notice from the federal Attorney (William Curtin) that we were no longer entitled to that notice.  This type of decision is similar to others in our case whereby strong judicial words cover up a "Potemkin" decision, one that only appears to be what it purports to be. We told the judge that absent proper notice the court should refrain from deciding anything until there was proper notice. Her response has always been: "take it up on appeal."

Right? How about five bullet points, Eric? Boil it down for us so we can understand and so we can care. Because when you send me this kind of email, and ask me to sign a petition that I also can’t understand, I’m kind of annoyed. WHAT I AM I SIGNING? And then I’m kind of just like, ugh, whatever.  And then I’m like, well, we could use an Old Navy over here…