The Bottom Line on the Bottom Line: You Are a Classroom

A Manhattan Civil Court judge has ruled in favor of New York University (NYU) in its eviction proceedings against the Bottom Line:

Barring a last-minute reprieve, the Greenwich Village club will be evicted within five days.

The Bottom Line had fallen $185,000 behind in rent. NYU said the venue’s $11,250 monthly rent is half its market value; the school also cited a need for classroom space.

“We never wanted to go to court,” NYU said in a statement. “But it is simply not right to have a not-for-profit educational institution subsidizing a for-profit entertainment business.”

Sirius Satellite Radio has offered to pay the $185,000 in rent, contingent on NYU granting the club a long-term lease. AT&T and Springsteen have also pledged funds. [Billboard]

Money only seems to be part of the issue, since the back rent has been offered by several sources IF NYU will offer a long-term lease. They will not because they say they need the space and they aren’t getting market value anyway.

You can still make your voice heard through the Save the Bottom Line site or through the Bottom Line’s site:

Today is a dark day for the arts in the City of New York. Despite the protests of artists and citizens throughout the world, the court has granted New York University’s demand for the eviction of The Bottom Line. As a result of NYU’s action, the music that has played for nearly 30 years at 15 West 4th Street will soon be silenced.

Since June, we have presented New York University with numerous proposals in the hopes that this day would never come. As recent as two weeks ago we sent a counterproposal to the onerous terms which NYU submitted to us; alas, they never had the courtesy to respond. Indeed, just last week the judge offered to mediate a resolution between NYU and The Bottom Line. Sadly each and every one of these solutions has either been ignored or rejected by NYU.

Over the last month many concerned private and corporate citizens including: Sirius Satellite Radio, Bruce Springsteen, Mel Karmazin, Richard Wissack and AT&T have all offered financial commitments to help demonstrate to NYU that they were the custodians of something much more valuable than a piece of “undervalued real estate.” In fact, in a cultural and historic sense this piece of real estate might be the most valuable property in their portfolio.

Even in this 11th hour, when the court has already ruled, we are still calling upon John Sexton, the President of NYU to use his good offices to help bring about a more reasonable solution to this situation. Not to act means everyone loses. We believe his silence will reverberate far into the future, as would his leadership if he chooses to act. His silence will be considered when future students choose what university they wish to attend, because what school you choose says much about who you are. His silence will be remembered by alumni, when they are deciding about contributing to their alma mater. It will be remembered by the people of New York City who will remember that NYU is more interested in swallowing their neighbors than preserving their neighborhood’s quality of life. And Mr.Sexton’s silence will be considered by that “next Einstein” the University so hopes to attract, because he or she will know that as much of an elite University education takes place outside the classroom as within it. After all, it was the first Einstein who said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

Our hope is that in the time we have left a concerned member of this community, city, state or nation who may have influence far beyond ours will be able to persuade NYU to reevaluate their position so that they realize that the university will be diminished by eliminating one of the most important classrooms on their campus. Any other university in this country cannot match this classroom where art, culture and history are taught by a distinguished faculty past and present including Professors: Bruce Springsteen, Miles Davis, Bill Monroe, Count Basie, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Bill Evans, Richard Price, Aaron Copland, Tony Bennett, Ringo Starr, Emmylou Harris, June Carter Cash, Patti Smith, George Jones, Doc Watson, Lou Reed, Kris Kristofferson, Alan Ginsberg, Joan Baez, Ravi Shankar, Jerry Garcia and Dizzy Gillespie.

As for The Bottom Line, if NYU does not grant us some type of reprieve (which only they can do) we will be able to present live music only until the Marshall silences us by executing New York University’s warrant of eviction.

….December 6, 2003
IT’S NOT TOO LATE:
WHAT YOU CAN STILL DO TO HELP SAVE THE BOTTOM LINE

While the court has ruled on NYU’s behalf granting their request for eviction, it is NYU who can still come through and decide to keep The Bottom Line open. We need a voice that is louder than our own to convince NYU what this club means to their community and to the people of New York City. We ask you to raise a greater voice on our behalf.

Please write letters to the following people asking them to get involved to save The Bottom Line and then forward this message to your friends and ask them to do the same:

NYU President John Sexton
[email protected]

Hillary Clinton

or
[email protected]

Chuck Schumer

Jerome Nadler
[email protected]

Mike Bloomberg https://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html

Things like this are always sad, but I can also see it from NYU’s perspective – there’s only so much space in the city and it’s all very valuable.