[Photo by Katie Reifman]
Workers arrived this morning to start erecting the sidewalk bridge and various other things needed to demolish 100 Avenue A between East Sixth Street and East Seventh Street ... The city OK'd a demolition permit in June for 98-100 Avenue A, which housed East Village Farms until Feb. 7, 2012.
Developer Ben Shaoul purchased the former theater turned market in May for $15.5 million, according to public records.
We don't know specifically what will be here... as with 181 Avenue A, Shaoul reps filed the plans in the hub self-service... and they will not be made public until the city approves them.
However, a listing for the retail spaces that we noted in May provides an idea of what Shaoul and company have in mind ... a large retail space with 40 residential units above...
Previously on EV Grieve:
A little bit of Hollywood on Avenue A
East Village Farms is closing; renovations coming to 100 Avenue A
Inside the abandoned theater at East Village Farms on Avenue A
Reader reports: Village Farms closing Jan. 31; building will be demolished
Asbestos abatement continues at 98 Avenue A, Ben Shaoul's latest East Village trophy
*huge, deflating sigh*
ReplyDeleteThis is worse than the church on 12th St. And the new building looks exactly the same as the one planned for there!
ReplyDeleteSuch a bummer. Would have been a great place for a movie theater.
Where will those poor homeless people camped in front go to fly the flag..
ReplyDeleteI crawled through the burnt out shell in the 1950s --I was just a kid-- and never suspected it would last this long. A sad pity but that's life in the Big City, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteLife in the Big City under fascism - no one told me it would be so boring
ReplyDeleteI kept wondering why Ben Shaoul's last name always reminded me of something, and then I remembered. From Wikipedia -
ReplyDeleteShe'ol, translated as "grave", "pit", or "abode of the dead", is the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible's underworld, a place of darkness, a place of stillness cut off from God.
Not 100% exact, but close enough for me. He is, indeed, aptly named.
I was hoping the two portals pasted to the front of the building would somehow protect it from the inevitable.
ReplyDeletea movie theater? walk to 3rd ave
ReplyDelete@Goggla at least the guy is doing something with the empty lot, better then leaving it sit idol with homeless people sleeping outside.
ReplyDeleteand do you honestly think people that have lots of money, like the developer should use all of it for good, and create some sort of community center there for you to enjoy? bulsht
Ugly ugly ugly... I live right around the corner and am horrified to think of all the noise and dust this will bring. Sigh. This demolition will take the sidewalk away from pedestrians and possibly endanger cyclists by encroaching onto the bike lane.
ReplyDeleteFoul Shaoul, I truly wish you ill for the destruction of this community and not even making an effort to blend the new buildings in a little.
if any commentators had enough money to buy any of these up and coming developments in the east village you would ALL do the same thing and build new apts...lie to yourselves all you want, but you would too
ReplyDeleteThe East Village is so dead.
ReplyDelete@fashion - how are you so sure in your opinion that anyone who had the money would do exactly what is being done (aside from the fact that anyone who has that kind of money is a greedy bastard)? Perhaps you should look at the historic make-up of the people in this community and their collective values and realize what they WOULD do... And NO - I, as one, would NOT build apartments. If I had that sort of money I would personally preserve as much of the character of this area as I possibly could. That's just me - however I may have a few people of my "twisted non-greedy" mindset that would do the same out there... I'd most likely buy back or form a collective to buy back CHARAS and put it to community use, yes. Wow - what a fucked up thought - investing in your community for the good of your community (instead of just for your pocket)...
ReplyDeleteWhat Scooby said +1
ReplyDeleteYeah what a fucked up thought. Using a building for the people of the community instead of pushing it aside so the wealthy can move in, or maybe even preserving it as a theater, wow what an insane concept. But no the bulldozer of the shallow must roll in. Churches, hospitals, mom & pop stores...get rid of them so Douchebag and Woo-Girl can move in.
Why does n't city do a deal where he can build the same height but keep the theater in tact
ReplyDeletelike the theater for new city building
@ fashion by he, I do pretty well money-wise and I live in an old fashioned walk up. If I wanted to live in a brand new condo and shop at 7-11, I'd live in New Jersey.
ReplyDeleteYou sound like a tool.
In response to "Fashion by he": The space only became "EMPTY" after Shaoul bought it!!! It was a functioning business before you got here!!! (Which I'm guessing was last week! being generous)
ReplyDeleteThe rendering is awful. How many shadows / sunlight sources?
ReplyDeleteAs acerbic as FbHe is he has a point... whose gonna put up the millions necessary to turn that space into a new Theater 80 and wait decades to get a return; if any?
ReplyDeleteThis nabe is full of "gimmies/I want it my ways" [oddly enough people who have only been here 10 or 20 years and somehow think they own the EV] Nabes change all the time, Park Slope and Wahington Hts are two perfect examples akin to ours.
All we can hope for is that a good percentage of those new apartments are for lower income folks, and NOT with a separate entrance either :/
Whatever happened to repurposing buildings. A lot could have been done with this place instead they'll build a huge banal characterless structure full of apartments most people can't afford. And if they could afford, they'd rent in something that looks like its worth the money.
ReplyDeleteWhat was wrong with it being a grocery store? Oh I know! It's not OMG/Dude/Bro/Vomit friendly!
ReplyDeleteGojira you are on a roll lately! lol
Wow, 2 of the saddest pieces of news in one day; the other being the death of the guy that got punched at Union Square park. Damn...
ReplyDeleteguess business wasnt so good at the supermarket...the past owner felt it necessary to sell...and sell to a man he knew would tear the building down...maybe its not the new owners fault as much as the previous owners
ReplyDeleteps if you dont like 711, just dont shop there and itll go out of business, protesting business before they come into an area is an absurd thing...this is america...pretty sure we live here because of the freedom to open stores anywhere you want
Anyone who put in a movie theater in that location would do just as well to set fire to his money. Why do you think all the ones that were here before are gone now? People's TVs these days are almost the size of Film Forum's screen, they can watch "Breathless" at home!
ReplyDeleteOn the topic of what I'd do if I had the money, I wouldn't buy that place. I'd buy a building, gut it, and turn it into a townhouse. Yep.
And this being America we have the right to protest. Put down the dress and pick up a history book.
ReplyDeleteI have the right to protest these shitty chains and take a stand for the local businesses. These companies have deep pockets and have the potetintial to reshape entire neighborhoods. Maybe when He has some life experience under his belt He won't be so naive.
ReplyDelete