Is an 11-story building in Avenue C and East 14th Street's future?

Our Mystery Building Tour continues... on Wednesday, we looked at the activity happening at the long dormant 6 Avenue B ... today, we turn our attention to the corner of Avenue C and East 14th Street...

The R&S Strauss auto parts store here closed in the spring of 2009. And nothing has happened with the building since then (save the addition of more graffiti...)

According to the Massey Knakal Web site, the building was sold in January 2009 for $12.3 million. As the site noted: "The lot measures 114’9” x 88’and has a total buildable square footage of approximately 36,125 sq. ft. for residential use or 68,262 sq. ft. for a community facility, which will likely be the ultimate use of the property."

Turns out the buyer was Arun Bhatia, who currently has plans in place for a dorm at the former 35 Cooper Square. And the developer filed plans for a new 11-story building here on Dec. 23, 2009, per DOB records. The City disapproved the plans later in 2010. They are apparently still pending.

We've heard nothing of these plans the past two-plus years. And, perhaps, this isn't the best time to be building an 11-story residential building here. After all, this intersection suffered the worst flooding in the neighborhood the night of Superstorm Sandy.

[Photo by Jane Israelson Rubin via Facebook]

On that topic, we've asked several people who live nearby if they've seen anyone in this building following Sandy. No one has. So is there, say, 10 feet of water in the basement here?

Regardless, this is another corner ripe for development. As Jeremiah Moss wrote about R&S back in May 2008, this corner represents "an opening for the overall Meatpacking effect that is rippling up and down this main artery to reach deep into the East Village. The site has 'flagship opportunity' written all over it."

Some day, for sure.