[Aug. 29, by Dan Efram]
Well, to answer our headline: We have no idea!
You know the background: Developer Douglas Steiner bought the property last fall for an unspecified residential complex. This summer, workers demolished the structures on the Mary Help of Christians lot on Avenue A between East 12th Street and East 11th Street.
Next, presumably, there's construction of the new building. At this point, you'd figure Steiner reps would have filed the plans with the Department of Buildings... and we could all see the proposal... and await city approval (or not).
Steiner reps did file plans in July. Unfortunately, we just can't see them.
In our six years of blogging and digging through DOB files, we've never seen this before. In the words of an EVG friend who we shared this with, here's where things get interesting. Through the Hub "self-service" thing, architects and engineers "can professionally certify plans for small construction projects (Alteration 2 and Alteration 3) without visiting a Department office."
However! Since bigger projects like the demolition of a church and school for a residential complex include change of use, we don't understand how those would quality as "small construction projects." As our EVG friend theorized, "maybe what's happening is they're just electronically submitting permit applications for like interior demo and debris removal and scaffolding installation."
So given all this, we won't be able to see these applications until they are accepted into the DOB system.
But we got a few possible clues about the space back in May ... when a retail listing at Ripco Real Estate popped up .. then quickly disappeared. From that listing:
Size
11,356 sf - Ground Floor
11,508 sf - Basement Possible
*Divisions possible
Asking Rent
Upon Request
Possession
4Q 2014
Currently
New Construction
Frontage
150’ on Avenue A
70’ on 11th Street
Notes & Highlights:
• New construction at the base of 140 unit market luxury rental building
• Steps from Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village with 30,000 residents
• Close proximity to Tompkins Square Park
• Located in the heart of the East Village and Alphabet City
So, going back to our headline... to answer the question: What can we expect?
Something big.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Permits filed to demolish Mary Help of Christians church, school and rectory
Preservationists call for archeological review of former cemetery at Mary Help of Christians site
Scaffolding arrives for demolition of Mary Help of Christians
The 'senseless shocking self-destruction' of Mary Help of Christians
16 comments:
Something terrible.
Steps from Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village with 30,000 residents*
*Students
several years ago i tried to view plans at DOB and was told that i could not see them until they had been approved.
More Hollywood McTenements!
Mary appearing to three shepherd children?
Something totally clueless.
What happens to the two buildings still standing? I can't imagine Steiner will build around them.
And I fixed the mistake in the headline. WHAT not WHY!
Duh!
Blargh!
We have a year at best to deal with the noise, dust and construction machinery in this and neighboring blocks. It would be nice if there were an 80-20% affordable housing here but it is highly unlikely since no "living" people were displaced on this property. I am not as down as most people are on this blog. I prefer a decent building with some new commercial space (without chain stores or restaurants please) over yet another sports bar which really brings down the quality of life in this neighborhood. Okay I will never get a taxi on the cornier of 12th and A after this building goes up but perhaps small businesses like the privately owned and run restaurants and shops will get more business from these new neighbors. I will miss the flea market and the church was a nice one but all that land was underused and now a couple of hundred people will have a place to live. If you hate people just because they may more money than you have then you should take a good look at your values.
Wouldn't it be ironic if the church of scientology bought the lot and built another church on the grounds... :/
"I prefer a decent building with some new commercial space"
Seriously? What commercial business is this area missing? What can you not buy within 3 blocks of this place that you're not buying online these days. This area is lacking in nothing commercial. The over-saturation of businesses in the area just means that every 2-3 years whatever was in one space is sure to be something else. Such turnover is not good for any community. Why would anyone pray for more commercial space?
The intersection of 11th & A went from being one of the most mellow and quiet to literally being hell on earth. First, this endless 7-11 debacle which is coupled with the destruction of Mary's and the "luxury" monstrosity that is being planned to rise is her wake.
I have to disagree with kfbeau's statement, "but all that land was underused and now a couple of hundred people will have a place to live." It's not like they are giving these apartments to displaced families of the Hurricane but rather it will be the type of assholes who pay through the nose for cookie cutter pre-fab idiotic city living.
It's a bummer what's happened to this once quaint little section of Ave A. Endless construction noise with no regard to current residents. Fuck this, I'm leaving and not coming back. Looking for something better and it's not here.
Apparently the hub was put forth by Bloomberg so that we can't see the filings as usual. I heard that someone has to go to the office, sit there all day and you my refuse to leave until they give you the files, and you have to being a flash drive to get them. It appears to be a new way to keep plans for big buildings out of public view and ease the way for developers to do what they want with no public scrutiny.
make way for an overpriced glass jewel cox filled with yuppie douchebags.
@bow boy
Thanks for taking my comments out of context. If you think there is too many shopping opportunities in this area then how do you explain the big family run appliance store which closed on 14th stree, the lumber and hardware store on 13th, the Italian grocery store near 12th on A, Milo printers a 99 year old business on 12th, and many more that have closed in favor of IHOP, sports bars, and more sports bars. There is a need for more service businesses to replace some of what we lost in the Bloomberg years. It is unlikely that a shoe repair shop will open in this new building and yes it will get a bank branch for sure but as residents we choose or not to patronize whatever goes in the same way anyone with a soul will stay out on that cursed 7-11.
When will all of you people who write every day on this and other blogs that you are leaving and not turning back finally going to go? It is tiresome. Truly tiresome. Philadelphia beckons you. Or. if you truly long for the alphabet city of 30 years ago, maybe Newark.
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