Newsday from New York, New York • 14

A14 CITY Return To Its Former Grace $85K rehab for mayoral mansion By Mary Voboril expansive yard, and hours are to be extended to make the mansion more accessible to the public. More tours will be added, Harris said, because "one of our priorities is to make this the people's house, especially when there is no one living there. We want to bring more school groups in, more tourists," in addition to the 5,000 who toured the site last year. The rehab is in line with Bloomberg's intent to use the mansion as, among other things, a kind of "Blair House" for visiting dignitaries, STAFF WRITER Gracie Mansion, the stately but time-tarnished mayoral home with a sweeping view of the East River and Queens, is in the midst of an $85,000 exterior paint job paid for by an anonymous donor, with interior sprucing-up to follow. "It's a gem that needs to be polished," Patti Harris, deputy mayor for administration, said at a Friday briefing at City Hall.

Although Mayor Michael Bloomberg has chosen not to live in the 203-year-old mansion, he "wants it to be in tip-top shape," she added. "It's not that it's terrible, but it's been, you know, lived in for the last 18 years," she said. Five sculptures on loan from the Museum of Modern Art are to be installed in the mansion's expansive and yard, low in 1995, should be painted every three to four years because of its waterfront siting and wood construction, Harris said. Right now, "the paint is just falling apart," she said. Benjamin Moore, the paint company, is donating custom-blended paint that will duplicate the present color.

Other costs will be paid for through private funds as well. Rehab projects include replacing the air conditioning and heating system, which dates to 1966. The average lifespan is 10 to 15 years, and it's been repaired "in a very patchy way," Harris said. Gracie Mansion's last major renovation was in 1984. "Since that time families with young kids have lived there, and it's gotten a lot of wear and tear," Harris said.

The reception rooms in the Wagner Wing, added in the 1960s to give more space for public functions, and the private family quarters will be refurbished for an amount that has not yet been determined. Plans still are in the works, but the aim is to make the design conform to that of the 1800 to 1820 era, which Harris called "the high period of American classicism" in design. "We're figuring out what to do upstairs," she said. "Right now it's pretty empty. You don't want to showcase the upstairs right now." The work is being coordinated with the Gracie Mansion Conservancy, started by Mayor Ed Koch in 1981.

"The big difference is how we're using the house," Harris said. "We have opened up the whole private side of the house, so we wanted it to really be in great shape." Gracie Mansion has been the host site for recognition events and for meetings of the Congressional Arts Caucus, small civic groups, Greek Independence Newsday Photo Ken Sawchuk The Bloomberg administration wants to open up Gracie Mansion to more tours and public events. Exterior work on the house is expected to be completed at the end of June. groups, Independence Day and Three Kings Day which could include the president of first mayoral resident "typical cocktail events," Harris said. was Fiorello Lathe United States, Harris said.

Guardia in the early 1940s, and it In a departure from past practice, city Since Bloomberg's January inaugu- most recently was home, for agencies also use the house for meetral, she she eight ings and retreats. said, knows of no one who years, to Rudolph Giuliani, his eshas overnighted at the house, one of 20 tranged wife, Donna Hanover, and At one point during the briefing, historic houses in New York's Historic their two children. Bloomberg poked his head into the House Trust. The group is to have its Exterior room. He was asked if he liked the pasJune benefit at Gracie Mansion.

scraping and ex- tel color that is to be applied again to sanding, tensive restoration of the columns on Gracie Mansion's aged exterior. Bloomberg lives in a townhouse on the front porch has been going on for "I asked that East 79th Street and has no plans to about two weeks and is slated for question: Why is it yelinto the traditional home of the pletion at the end of June. mayor was com- the admitted. It chomove city's chief executive. The The sen, he said, to replicate the original mansion's -story mansion, painted pale yel- color.

"I happen to like it," he said. Gay Groups to Protest Today at St. Pat's FROM STAFF REPORTS Members of about 10 gay advocacy organizations They decry what they call Heights; the gay Catholic group Dignity USA and plan a demonstration and vigil today at St. the church's chapter; and OutPOCPAC, the Manits New York Catholic church protesting they say is blacks, Latinos, Asians and Pacific Islanders. Patrick's Cathedral, what 'scapegoating' hattan-based organization representing gay connection with the ongoing priest sexual gays Some Asked why the groups have leaders' "scapegoating" of in intend to go inside the church for the decided to demonscandal.

abuse strate now, when the 10:15 a.m. Mass, known as the "Cardinal's Mass" has been ongoing for scandal "There's been a groundswell," Raymond Penko because it is celebrated by Cardinal Edward Egan, months, Penko said, "We've been interested in fig2002 of Queens Pride House, based in Woodside, Penko said. uring out what the strategy of the Vatican and the "We felt we said church is, in order to have an educated 28, yesterday. needed to address the About 100 representatives of the organizations mulated This is and a forCatholic church's scapegoating of people, met last week to plan response. what we consider only APRIL the the church's blaming us in its gay communications who is director of today's programs protest, and said services Penko, for the spond to beginning what of we a short- consider and attacks long-range against plan us." to reto general public that say homosexuality Queens Pride House.

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