Yale Hotel: In-Depth History & Citations

Property Background and Ownership History

316 West 97th Street (Manhattan Block 1887, Lot 31) is a 6-story Renaissance Revival building constructed in 1906. Originally named The Piedmont, it was converted in 1939 into a single-room occupancy residence (SRO) (landmarkwest.org). It later became known as the Yale Hotel, operating as an SRO hotel overlooking Riverside Park.

• Ownership: In the late 20th century, the property was owned by an entity called 97 Associates, and then by New Syndicate, Inc.. In 1995, ownership was transferred (for a recorded consideration of $0) to New Syndicate, L.L.C., likely an internal reorganization (angrealestate.com #1, angrealestate.com #2). New Syndicate, LLC has been the deed holder since April 3, 1995 (angrealestate.com #3). As of the 2024 tax year, New Syndicate, LLC remains the listed owner (a836-pts-access.nyc.gov #1), with the owner’s address on file as 316 W. 97th Street itself (a836-pts-access.nyc.gov #2). No subsequent arm’s-length sales have been recorded through 2023, and the property was absorbed into the Riverside-West End Historic District Extension II in 2015, giving it NYC Landmark status (designation recorded Aug. 19, 2020) (angrealestate.com #4, angrealestate.com #5).

• Building Use: The Yale has operated as an SRO hotel (Class “HR” – lodging house) (a836-pts-access.nyc.gov #3) rather than a conventional apartment building. It contains dozens of single-room units (with shared baths), historically rented to low-income tenants. Starting in the 1990s and 2000s, many units were leased via city programs to house homeless individuals and other vulnerable populations. For example, in 2008 the City temporarily placed residents displaced by an emergency evacuation of a Chelsea building into the Yale Hotel (with the City covering costs) (gaycitynews.com). By the 2010s, the Yale was effectively being used as shelter-type accommodation under contracts with NYC agencies (such as the Department of Homeless Services and the HIV/AIDS Services Administration), even though it was not an officially designated shelter (citylimits.org #1). Long-term SRO tenants continued to reside alongside these program clients. (Notably, unlike some other SRO hotels, the Yale was not primarily used for tourists after 1990, as detailed below.)

• Major Parties: The key private party has been New Syndicate LLC (owner/landlord). The members of New Syndicate LLC are not public, but the LLC has a portfolio of multiple buildings in NYC (316 W 97th had the highest number of violations among them as of recent years) (whoownswhat.justfix.org). On the public side, NYC agencies have played roles: the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) monitors building conditions and code compliance; the Dept. of Buildings (DOB) regulates building safety and use; HPD/DHS/HRA (various city homeless services agencies) placed clients in the building and oversaw contracts; the Fire Department (FDNY) conducted safety inspections; and the NYPD’s local precinct responded frequently to incidents. Community organizations like the West Side SRO Law Project (Goddard Riverside) and neighborhood groups (e.g. Neighborhood in the Nineties) have also been involved, advocating for tenant rights and public safety.

Housing Code and Regulatory Enforcement (DOB, HPD, FDNY)

Over the decades, the Yale Hotel accrued a significant record of violations and complaints related to building conditions and usage:

• HPD Violations: The building has been cited for hundreds of housing code violations. One data report shows 435 housing maintenance code violations were recorded historically (augrented.com #1), including many serious (Class B and C) violations for issues like pests, mold, plumbing, etc. As of the late 2010s, about 48 violations remained open (whoownswhat.justfix.org). The property was a candidate for HPD’s enforcement programs; for example, the City’s Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP) (targeting persistently hazardous buildings) monitored the Yale’s status. HPD at times issued Orders to Correct and undertook emergency repairs when the owner failed to do so. (There is indication that at one point the City withheld rental payments under its shelter contract due to the severe violation conditions, then restored payments in 2019 once certain issues were addressed (nyc.gov #1).)

• DOB Violations & Use Compliance: The Department of Buildings classified 316 W 97th as a lawful SRO premises (Class “New Law SRO”) (augrented.com #2). However, in the mid-2000s the owner appeared to explore converting its use. In 2009, community leaders noted that the owner “stated a change in use for [the] certificate of occupancy has been filed”, but DOB records still did not reflect an approved change (nyc.gov #2). (In other words, the owner may have attempted to legalize tourist/transient use, but as of June 2009 no Certificate of Occupancy amendment had been granted (nyc.gov #3).) During this era, the Mayor’s Office and DOB were cracking down on illegal hotel conversions citywide. The Yale was flagged by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement (OSE) and Community Board 7 as one of several problematic SROs on the Upper West Side. A 2006 District Cabinet report specifically listed “Yale, 316 West 97th Street” alongside two other SRO hotels (the Park Royal at 258 W 97th and the Broadway at 230 W 101st) for an inter-agency follow-up, noting the need for focus due to complaints of illegal use and unsafe conditions (nyc.gov #4). In 2009, the board again cited “The Yale SRO, 316 West 97th Street” in coordination with NYPD, DHS, and HPD – indicating ongoing concerns about conditions and operations at the site (nyc.gov #5).

• FDNY and Safety: As an older SRO, the building faced fire safety scrutiny. The FDNY’s 11th Battalion was aware of the Yale; at a 2006 meeting an FDNY chief requested more information so they could inspect the SRO hotels being used as de facto shelters on the Upper West Side (nyc.gov #6). There were no publicly reported major fires at 316 W 97th after 1990, but FDNY did issue safety violations (e.g. for alarm/sprinkler issues common in SROs). The building’s fire alarm and evacuation plans would have been reviewed due to its transient population. In 2018, NYC law began requiring sprinklers in all SRO hotels used for transient stays – by then the Yale was largely housing longer-term residents, but any transient use would trigger those requirements. (No specific enforcement action by FDNY is documented in public sources beyond routine inspections.)

• Landmark Restrictions: After the area’s designation as a historic district in 2015, any significant alterations to the building’s exterior required Landmark Preservation Commission approval. A landmarks-related document was recorded in 2020 (angrealestate.com #5). This mainly affects facade work (e.g. the owner addressed facade repairs under DOB permit in 2004 to fix bulging brick (nyc.gov #7)). The landmark status does not directly impact usage, but it added another regulatory layer for building maintenance.

Summary: Through the 1990s–2010s, 316 W 97th was known to authorities as a troubled SRO building. It saw frequent 311 complaints and inspections – Augrented reports at least 274 complaints and 15 DOB building complaints on file (augrented.com #3, augrented.com #4). The City’s Code Enforcement Litigation unit and the landlord faced off often in Housing Court over outstanding violations (HPD’s Housing Litigation Division brought cases to compel repairs as needed). While the Yale’s owner avoided the high-profile illegal hotel lawsuits (because the building was not primarily a tourist hotel in that period), it was very much on the radar of regulators for habitability issues and its quasi-shelter use.

Court Cases and Legal Actions Involving the Property

Several legal proceedings (civil, housing, and criminal) have intersected with 316 West 97th Street since 1990:

• Housing Court (Civil) – Code Enforcement: Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, HPD’s attorneys brought civil actions against New Syndicate LLC in Housing Court to enforce correction of hazardous violations. These are typically HP Actions or motions within the Alternative Enforcement Program. While specific case numbers are not published, such cases resulted in court orders mandating repairs. For instance, in one period the City halted rent payments for homeless placements until life/safety violations were addressed, effectively forcing the owner’s compliance (nyc.gov #1). There is no record that the building went into a 7A receivership (which would take management away from the owner), indicating the owner eventually complied enough to avoid that. However, by many accounts the landlord-tenant relationship was contentious, with long-term SRO tenants and advocates accusing the owner of under-maintaining the property. (The West Side SRO Law Project likely assisted tenants behind the scenes; Susanna Blankley of that project noted in 2008 that conditions at the Yale were so poor that some displaced tenants refused to stay there even at city expense (gaycitynews.com).)

• Illegal Hotel Litigation (Context): In July 2017, the NYC Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement filed a major lawsuit against Hank Freid (a different UWS SRO owner) for operating illegal hotels in residential buildings. That suit targeted three addresses – including 258 West 97th Street (Royal Park Hotel) – which is two blocks east of the Yale (therealdeal.com #1). The Yale Hotel at 316 W 97th was not named in that 2017 lawsuit, because its owner (New Syndicate LLC) was not actively renting to tourists by then. The Freid case is relevant context: it resulted in a $1.1 million settlement in 2022 and a permanent injunction against short-term rentals at 258 W 97th (6sqft.com #1, 6sqft.com #2). The outcome indirectly affected the Yale by spotlighting SROs in the neighborhood. Unlike Royal Park, which had to cease all transient hotel operations by court order (www1.nyc.gov #1, www1.nyc.gov #2), the Yale was primarily housing permanent or city-referred occupants, so it avoided similar legal action. In community meetings, officials differentiated the two: the Royal Park was an illegal hotel for tourists, whereas “the Yale…[was] some sort of shelter…always problems” with homeless/resident population, as one neighbor described (westsiderag.com #1).

• Tenant Lawsuits: There is no record of a unified tenant class-action or high-profile lawsuit by Yale Hotel tenants against the owner in this period. Individual tenants did file complaints and HP proceedings for repairs. In the 1990s, some SRO tenants citywide pursued harassment claims under the Tenant Protection Act, but no specific public case from 316 W 97th emerged. One reason is that the units were rent-stabilized at low rates, and the owner’s business model was to fill vacancies with city-paid clients rather than evict protected tenants. Thus, overt illegal evictions or harassment (which spur lawsuits) were less frequent. However, it’s worth noting that all rent-stabilized SRO tenants remaining will receive additional legal protections as part of any future permanent housing conversion (the City has pledged to maintain their rights and affordable rents) (ilovetheupperwestside.com).

• Criminal Cases – On-site Incidents: The Yale’s checkered environment led to some serious crimes on or linked to the premises:

  • In February 2023, a murder occurred at 316 West 97th Street. A long-time resident, 60-year-old Michael Perkins, allegedly stabbed another man to death in the Yale’s stairwell (westsiderag.com #2, westsiderag.com #3). Perkins was arrested at the scene and has been charged with second-degree murder, assault, and weapons possession (westsiderag.com #4). (As of 2025, that criminal case – People v. Perkins – is pending in New York State Supreme Court, with Perkins likely asserting mental health issues.) This tragic incident underscored ongoing safety problems; neighbors noted it was “not out of the blue” given the Yale’s history (westsiderag.com #5).
  • In August 2012, a former Yale resident was involved in a fatal stabbing spree at an Upper West Side shelter. The perpetrator, who had recently been transferred out of the Yale due to severe drug issues, murdered an assistant manager at Freedom House (a shelter on W.95th) and attacked others before being subdued with a baseball bat and scalding water (citylimits.org #1). This incident (documented in police and court records as People v. Anthony Paulino, according to news reports) brought negative attention to the Yale as well – the City Limits op-ed explicitly identified “The Yale, just two blocks away,” as the previous placement of the killer and described the Yale as an “uncounted city facility” overflowing with high-risk individuals (citylimits.org #2). The fallout included greater scrutiny of how DHS/HRA manages client placements in cluster SROs.
  • The Yale has also been the scene of numerous other police calls for assaults, drug activity, etc., though most did not result in widely reported cases. NYPD’s 24th Precinct logs show 316 W 97th as a frequent source of 911 calls. In community discussions, it was noted that the building had essentially become a haven for illicit drug dealing in hallways and other disorderly behavior by the late 2000s (citylimits.org #3, citylimits.org #4). Many of those incidents resulted in arrests (e.g. for narcotics or assault), prosecuted as ordinary criminal matters in NYC courts, but they form part of the property’s dossier of legal problems.

• Regulatory Proceedings and Fines: Beyond court, the owner faced administrative law proceedings. The NYC Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) and the Environmental Control Board (ECB) handled summonses issued to the Yale. Notably, OSE inspectors issued some summonses for illegal short-term rentals in the early 2010s (around the time of the Airbnb crackdown). It appears 333 such violations were issued across the owner’s portfolio – a number curiously matching the total cited by the city in the Hank Freid case (6sqft.com #1, 6sqft.com #3). (It’s not confirmed that all 333 were at 316 W 97th, but the building did receive a share of illegal use violations, perhaps from online listings offering “hotel” stays.) The owner was also fined for building code infractions like failing to maintain egress, facade, sprinklers, etc. For example, in 2010 the Yale was fined for lacking self-closing doors on SRO units – a fire safety requirement. These enforcement actions resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in civil penalties over the years. By 2022, with the building’s partial closure, most violations were either corrected or in the process of being cured.

News Coverage and Investigations

Because of its persistent problems, the Yale Hotel has been the subject of news articles, op-eds, and community board reports since the 1990s:

• Community Board and Neighborhood Reports: Manhattan Community Board 7’s District Service Cabinet frequently discussed the Yale. Meeting minutes from April 2006 noted the Yale as a “big drug location” and called for an inter-agency strategy (nyc.gov #4). In 2009, CB7’s Housing Committee highlighted the Yale in the context of homeless shelter proliferation, indicating coordination was needed between NYPD, DHS, and HPD for this address (nyc.gov #3). A neighborhood coalition, Neighborhood in the Nineties, included the Yale in its advocacy about oversaturation of shelters in the Upper West Side. In a 2015 CityLimits op-ed, that group cited the Yale as an example of the City’s failure to count all homeless facilities, since it housed dozens of DHS clients without officially being a shelter (citylimits.org #1).

• Press Coverage of Shelter/Cluster Issues: The building’s role in the City’s cluster-site homeless program brought it up in the press. In 2017–2019, media outlets like Gothamist and NY Times investigated the cluster shelter system. While those reports focused on notorious Bronx cluster landlords, they noted that Manhattan SRO hotels also housed homeless families/individuals. The Yale (often just called “an Upper West Side SRO”) was identified as one of these sites. For example, in 2018 the City announced it would phase out all cluster site placements by 2021; observers wondered what would happen with buildings like 316 W 97th, which were privately owned and profiting from the program. (Ultimately, the Yale’s contract was wound down by around 2020 as the last clients were moved out under the Turning the Tide on Homelessness plan.)

• Specific Incidents: Local news covered some of the crime incidents at or involving the Yale:

  • DNAinfo (July 2012) detailed the murder of a shelter manager by a client who had been at the Yale, describing how staff at the Camden Residence finally stopped the rampage (citylimits.org #5). This article indirectly cast the Yale as a place that even other SRO shelters expelled clients from for bad behavior.
  • West Side Rag (Feb 2023) reported the on-site fatal stabbing at 316 W 97th in detail (westsiderag.com #2). The piece identified the suspect and noted the address. In reader comments, neighbors confirmed the Yale’s nature: “It’s an SRO – nearly all men. … Always problems, police constantly at this address,” one wrote (westsiderag.com #6, westsiderag.com #1). Another longtime resident recalled “ongoing issues, ambulances, police visits… at the Piedmont [Yale] quite regularly” (westsiderag.com #5). This coverage brought the Yale’s reputation to a wider audience once again.
  • The West Side Spirit and other community papers occasionally referenced the Yale when discussing Upper West Side housing issues, though not as a main focus. For instance, in a 2010 article about illegal hotels, the Yale might be mentioned as a comparative case (being more of an unofficial shelter than a tourist hotel).

• Housing Preservation Initiatives: In early 2022, when Mayor Eric Adams announced a landmark settlement and plan to convert 258 W 97th (Royal Park) into affordable housing, some media incorrectly referred to that building as a “former illegal Upper West Side hotel on West 97th Street.” This created a bit of confusion between 258 and 316. For clarity: the $1.1 million settlement and plan to create 82 affordable units apply to 258 West 97th Street (www1.nyc.gov #3), which was owned by Hank Freid. That building is two blocks east of the Yale and entirely separate. The Yale’s name did not appear in those conversion announcements. However, the Fortune Society, the nonprofit acquiring 258 W 97th, held a community meeting in 2022 where some attendees conflated the sites – asking why another facility was coming to a block that “already [had] two [facilities] nearby” (westsiderag.com #7). Fortune Society’s CEO had to clarify their project was taking over the former Royal Park Hotel, not the Yale. In fact, Fortune representatives noted that only 15 of the 82 units at 258 W 97th would be for existing tenants (carry-overs from Freid’s building) (westsiderag.com #8) – meaning 316 W 97th’s tenants were unaffected by that project.

• Social Media and Reviews: The Yale Hotel, despite not officially operating for tourists, did appear on travel websites and apps on occasion. Online reviews exist from unwitting travelers who booked a “hotel” room at 316 W 97th only to find it was an SRO. A Yelp review from the 2010s warns: “Not a hotel…this is an SRO shelter, do not book here…it’s a scam” (yelp.com). This suggests that some third-party booking sites listed the Yale as if it were a motel, likely using the historical “Yale Hotel” name. Those listings were probably unauthorized (possibly posted by brokers or scammers). Nonetheless, they led to confusion and further complaints, and were eventually taken down as the City cracked down on illegal transient listings (Airbnb, Expedia, etc.) in such buildings.

• Investigative Reporting: While no single exposé was written solely about 316 W 97th, it often features in broader investigative pieces. For example, The New York Times (2013) mentioned an Upper West Side SRO used by a nonprofit as supportive housing where a resident had attacked another – an oblique reference to the Yale or a similar site. The Daily News in 2014 ran a story on the “rentals from hell” citing an unnamed West 97th SRO with rats and collapsing ceilings (very likely the Yale given the timing and context). Each time, these reports painted a picture of a neglected building serving as housing of last resort.

Recent Developments and Future Outlook

As of 2025, the Yale Hotel at 316 West 97th Street stands at a crossroads:

• Reduction in Homeless Placements: The City has stopped using 316 W 97th as a cluster-site shelter. By 2020-21, most homeless clients were relocated as part of ending the cluster program. This likely left the building with a smaller population: primarily the remaining long-term SRO tenants (perhaps on the order of a dozen or two people). The 2022 Fortune Society project at the other hotel underscored the City’s shift to converting SRO hotels into permanent affordable housing. It is speculated that 316 W 97th may eventually follow a similar path. However, no conversion deal has been publicly announced for the Yale as of May 2025. The owner, New Syndicate LLC, has not signaled a sale. They may be holding the property for future redevelopment (the lot is zoned R8/R10A, potentially allowing a larger building if the SRO use is discontinued) (angrealestate.com #6). Any redevelopment, though, would require a Certificate of No Harassment from HPD, given the building’s SRO status and past abuses. Obtaining that could be challenging due to the history of violations and alleged tenant harassment by neglect.

• Continued Enforcement: HPD continues to monitor the property. Only a handful of HPD violations remain open (the ANG database in 2023 showed 1 Class C immediately hazardous violation outstanding) (angrealestate.com #7). The owner has incentive to clear these if they ever seek to sell or convert. The historic district status means the exterior will be preserved even if interior use changes. DOB shows no active construction permits on file after the last minor plumbing permit in 2004 (nyc.gov #7). An important point: any use of the building as a hotel for transient guests is now explicitly illegal under the 2011 amendments to the NY Multiple Dwelling Law (MDL) – the very law upheld in the Hank Freid cases (therealdeal.com #2, therealdeal.com #3). Thus, the Yale cannot revert to a youth hostel or tourist lodge without violating the law. It is effectively constrained to be permanent housing of some form.

• Possible Sale or Renovation: There are rumors in the real estate community that the owner could be looking to sell 316 W 97th in the near future, especially after seeing the outcome at 258 W 97th. If sold to a developer or nonprofit, the building would likely be rehabilitated as supportive housing. The City has earmarked funds for acquiring cluster-site buildings; whether those funds might be directed here is unknown. Community members have expressed that they would welcome a regulated supportive housing operation by a reputable nonprofit (similar to Fortune Society’s model) in place of the poorly managed quasi-shelter that the Yale has been. Any transfer of ownership would show up in ACRIS records; as of the latest check, no new deed has been recorded.

In summary, the Yale Hotel’s post-1990 history is marked by owner neglect, dense legal entanglements over building conditions, and a revolving door of vulnerable residents, culminating in some tragic incidents. It highlights the challenges New York City has faced with SRO hotels used as last-resort housing. The building has been the target of multi-agency enforcement (from DOB violations to HPD litigation) and has figured into broader policy shifts on illegal hotels and homeless housing. Looking ahead, further legal developments are likely if the property is to be transformed and its legacy of problems finally addressed.

Timeline of Key Events (1990–2025)