Here’s news that Times Square has been praying for:
The vacant and decrepit former Hotel Carter at 250 W. 43rd St. is to be sold in an all-cash auction in the Manhattan sheriff’s office on May 6, according to a legal notice in The Post last Friday.
What matters to Times Square business and theater owners is that the 25-story eyesore, which closed six years ago, might end up in responsible hands. The Carter’s owners, members of the Chetrit family, were under siege by creditors over unpaid loans and by city agencies that cited the building for more than 100 safety violations.
It left some unanswered questions, such as exactly what specifically prompted the action and why the offering originated in a Brooklyn court. (City sheriff Anthony Miranda didn’t respond to an e-mail).
“Let’s hope we get an owner who can get something good built,” said Times Square Alliance president Tom Harris.
The property on one of the area’s least attractive blocks was known as “the dirtiest hotel in America” and was the scene of several gruesome crimes. Neighbors complained that dark, ugly scaffolding provided a haven for drug dealers after dark.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
