The city claims the beloved Tony Dapolito Recreation Center — a city, state, and national landmark built in stages from the 1900s through the 1930s that’s served generations of New Yorkers — is beyond repair and shouldn’t be fixed. They’ve kept it closed for five years and done little to restore it. They are instead now proposing to demolish the landmarked building, saying it would be cheaper and quicker to build a new center as part of a huge development planned at 388 Hudson Street — a dubious and evidence-free claim at best. They also say they would then develop the valuable site at Seventh Avenue South, Carmine Street, and Clarkson Street, but won’t say with what. That site is part of the Greenwich Village Historic District, overlooks JJ Walker Park, and abuts the Hudson Park Library, and has served nothing other than a public purpose for nearly a century and a quarter.

The city has failed to provide a clear rationale for the need to demolish rather than repair the center, and their unwillingness to say what the site would be used for is a grave cause for concern. The idea that buildings in need of repairs — even historic landmarked ones that serve a vital public purpose — should be demolished rather than restored has far-reaching and troubling implications for our neighborhood and beyond.