Wednesday, May 25, 2011

High-rise for 75 First Avenue back in play

Looks like Revival Week continues. (For example, there's the hotel on the Bowery and Orchard Street back in action on long-dormant sites.)

Meanwhile, there's activity again at the long-dormant site at 75 First Avenue next to the Rite Aid on East Fifth Street. Workers repaired and painted the plywood here...


There's also a new permit on file.


When we last looked in on this development, DOB permits noted that a 14-story, 30-unit condo/apartment building was in the works. Thomas O'Hara was listed as the architect. According to his site:

This cutting edge design with angled balconies and glass facade is designed to attract young cutting edge crowed of the east village.

Here's what it was intended to look like:



HOWEVER, O'Hara is no longer listed as the architect. According to permits, the site is still owned by Ozymandius Realty on West 14th Street. 75 First Avenue is listed under the company's current development projects, though there isn't further information about plans.

So this is one to keep an eye on. There will be a 14-story building of some kind here. And will this revive those Rite-Aid-is-closing rumors?
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14 comments:

  1. RhinoAveCMay 25, 2011 at 9:17 AM

    With using crowed instead of crowd are they referring to this meaning of crow:

    "an inarticulate cry of pleasure"

    ReplyDelete
  2. Uncle WaltieMay 25, 2011 at 9:35 AM

    This particular Rite-Aid must be the most user unfriendly drug store in the city. No tears will be shed over its demise.

    ReplyDelete
  3. blue glassMay 25, 2011 at 9:52 AM

    yes, and the crow is a pretty big very noisy bird.

    just what we need a "young cutting edge crowed..." either way, crowd or crows, we do not need more cackling masses of young inconsiderate, loud, puking drunks living here.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousMay 25, 2011 at 10:12 AM

    I thought that they weren't allowed to go up that high because of zoning restrictions? Anybody know?? I thought that the Theater For The New City highrise was the last.

    ReplyDelete
  5. EV GrieveMay 25, 2011 at 10:14 AM

    I thought all this was OK'd before the new zoning?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Roger_PawMay 25, 2011 at 10:23 AM

    Agreed with Uncle Waltie. SURLY doesn't even begin to describe the attitude of the cashiers there.

    I used to be a cashier (for years) so I know what the job entails but seriously(!), customer service ain't their forte.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Bowery BoogieMay 25, 2011 at 10:52 AM

    it's like developers all met in a clandestine room to say "let's jumpstart everything..."

    ReplyDelete
  8. robMay 25, 2011 at 11:55 AM

    I don't see how this can be built under the "Sliver Law" which requires that single lots must not rise above 100 feet on wide streets in residential zones, including R7-2, which was the zone when this project was trenched.

    The site was begun -- the trench was dug -- prior to the rezoning, so it should follow the old zoning. The old zoning also wouldn't allow such height unless the developer had bought air rights from an adjacent lot like the Rite Aid. If they did buy those rights, then the Rite Aid's development potential is limited. So the Rite Aid may be around for a while unless something similar like Walmart moves into it.

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  9. Laura Goggin PhotographyMay 25, 2011 at 12:58 PM

    Ugh, please, no. Too bad we can't make this a garden. First Ave needs some greenery.

    ReplyDelete
  10. glammaMay 25, 2011 at 1:44 PM

    i am absolutely dreading this monstrosity. can someone please explain how the height restrictions do not apply here??? who can we complain to about this?

    ReplyDelete
  11. The Intern of EV GrieveMay 25, 2011 at 1:55 PM

    That Rite Aid is pretty bad on a customer service scale, but I also get the impression that there are a lot of residents from surrounding buildings that depend on its pharmacy and have relationships with the pharmacists. I wonder about those people, when places like this close.

    ReplyDelete
  12. really swell guyMay 25, 2011 at 3:16 PM

    EV Greiev Intern: Why waste your time wondering about the needs of people, wonder about the needs of capital and you'll be ok.

    ReplyDelete
  13. AnonymousMay 25, 2011 at 6:56 PM

    I used to live on that block and closely followed the goings-on on the site via the DOB website. When I saw a high-rise was going to be built I found a new place to live and moved away.

    Anyway, if memory serves, the developer was initially given a slap on the wrist for demolishing the prior building without attaining permission to do so, but got a much more serious stop-work order after the neighboring building was destabilized and started to fall over - so the developer had to stop work on construction to prop it up.

    After that, some clever soul got another stop-work order put on the project because there is a school on the block - which entails specific zoning issues.

    I often wondered if the real reason the lot remained vacant was that the developer's money fell through.

    Anyway, even though I don't live there anymore, I loved that block and hope the developer's scheme to put up this monstrosity continues to flounder.

    ReplyDelete
  14. MattMay 26, 2011 at 12:54 PM

    Oh, barf. I really don't have a problem with high-rises (more places for people to live is a good thing), but absent any sort of central planning, which we mustn't have because markets gotta do what markets gotta do and no billionaire mayor's gonna give the invisible hand the finger, etc., block those cocks. It's not like there isn't some existing 12-story towers in that neck of the woods -- Ageloff and Village View are right next door. But cowboy developers can't be allowed to just put up fugly finger buildings all over the place like it's Williamsburg in 2004 or something.

    ReplyDelete

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