Feb. 19, 2015 By Christian Murray
Sunnyside’s trash is about to become another city’s treasure.
The 1931 Aluminaire House, which was going to be erected on the corner of 39th Avenue and 50th Street, is being transported to Palm Springs. The mayor of Palm Springs is a big supporter of relocating it there and has started a fundraising drive in order to do so, according to The Desert Sun.
The structure appeared headed to Sunnyside Gardens, where architects in 2013 planned to build eight residential units behind the aluminum house on the former Phipps playground.
The house was designed in 1931 and is deemed to be of architectural significance. It was designed to explore how materials like aluminum could be used to build low-cost housing.
However, Sunnyside residents rejected the plan—and the house–and believed that the showpiece was out of character with the existing red-brick homes in the landmarked neighborhood.
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, at the landmarks hearing that decided whether it could go up in the neighborhood, said that more than 350 people had contacted his office in opposition to the proposal, with only five voicing their support.
State Sen. Mike Gianaris, at the same meeting, said: “I’ve been in public service for 13 years and I have seen community boards discuss all sort of things…but I have not seen such uniform opposition as with this project.”
The Landmarks Commission rejected the plan in January 2014.
However, the aluminum structure is very much wanted in Palm Springs.
The Mayor of Palm Springs has raised $200,000 of the $600,000 needed to bring it there in just one month.
The funds are needed to be transported the home, which is in a crate, and reassemble it.
At a recent $250 per-person fundraiser to bring the structure to Palm Springs, the mayor of that city reportedly said:
“If you have a product, that is an incredible product, people want to be a part of it. Hopefully, a year from now, we’ll be having one heck of a party in downtown Palm Springs.”
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12 Comments
Just fill the house with potatoes in those 120 degree summers. They’ll bake up just fine.
Has anyone told the Palm Springs Mayor that the iconic Sunnyside Cinema is also available?
Great idea Dana, we could send along Squirts to be the usher.
i admit i loved the aluminaire, but did not like the idea of putting it where phipps playground because, nicer to have playground back, and the necessity of needing real estate return to fund it, with a hybrid with integrity needed with elements of sg and the metal house. very hard design gig. no room for all three on that lot
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glad to see it found a home and i hope becomes a tourist attraction. tiny homes seem all the rage. heard intelligent observation from mary caulfield that one worries about keeping it on the ground with southern coastal weather
You laugh now Sunnyside, but Palm Springs laughs in your face back, this was an opportunity but oh so holy Sunnyside rejected cool and accepted fool
It has no place in Brick and Mortar Sunnyside Gardens.
The front door key is a can opener.
Maybe they can take the whole hood?
Gosh that thing is ugly!
I’m surprised White Castle didn’t buy it and plonk it down somewhere on Northern Blvd with a drive-thru.
This mayor like our mayor must like smoking behind the fence in private.
Can we start a fundraiser to permanently move a couple of “preservationists” to Palm Springs too? They have worn their welcome out here and no doubt can use a change of scenery.