Excitement at New York City’s legendary artists hangout, Hotel Chelsea, ramped back up this past week, first when rock ‘n roll legend Patti Smith agreed to perform in a private show for some 100 remaining residents at the property currently being renovated by new ownership, and then suddenly backing out when a disgruntled tenant’s association informed her of its plan to boycott the event and burn copies of her new book at the same time.
The tenant’s association has been complaining loudly over the past few months about the living conditions in the building during the renovation, as well as its disdain for the plans to gentrify the building that has fallen into disrepair after years of neglect.
Then, on Friday it was reported by several sources that new hotel owner, the Chetrit Group, named King & Grove to manage The Chelsea. The Chetrit Group is also an investor in King & Grove, a boutique management company first launched in the Hamptons by former Morgans Hotel executives Ed Scheetz and Ben Pundole, which has designs on expanding to Miami and Los Angeles.
The New York Times reported on Thursday that the Cetrit Group said the Smith concert was canceled due to the actions of “a minority voice” and that they would continue to pursue future cultural events to keep the Chelsea legacy alive.