We first reported that developer Ben Shaoul was adding three new floors of residences at 31-33 Second Ave. back in June 2012...
Here's a quick look at the progress...
The sidewalk bridge is sporting some renderings of the final product, expected in the first quarter of 2014...
Approved plans on file with the city show that workers will remodel the existing commercial space on the ground floor ... remodel the existing apartments on the 2nd and 3rd floors ... and add on top of the existing building. Each floor will contain two apartments. Based on the rendering, the original building will be stripped of all character to make it appear as if it belongs on a train set.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Ben Shaoul planning a 3-story addition at 31-33 Second Ave.
Bracing for 3 new floors at 31-33 Second Ave.
10 comments:
That building had such character. Well...no surprise.
It was a funeral parlor defunct and vacant a number of years..look not even the dead wanted to use the space...reuse of the space for housing market rate or no makes more sense then vacant moving over years to eye sore. When a building comes to the end of its life cycle change is warranted.
Nice to see you on the forum, Mr Shaoul - or are you one of his employees?
Yes buildings need to be repurposed, but pulling all character off the building so that it looks like a strip mall in Topeka is not what that process is about.
People come here from all over the world to live and to visit *because* of the ever changing architecture and infrastructure that reflects the rich history of the city and neighbourhood - NOT to see yet another bland glass building designed by Karl whatshisfuckingname (who lives in Montreal, not here!)
Shaoul is a greedy tasteless no-class tool. Expect there to be another illegal level added to this building which the DoB will do nothing about, because that's apparently how the city is now.
I agree with Anon. 8:14/9:31. That was a pretty little building, and now it is just another characterless brown turd deposited on an increasingly architecturally-hideous city.
I don't think I've ever seen a train set that looked that lame.
No not an employee just someone living blocks away seeing it vacant for years knowing its utility in current form was commercially limited. So now it gets new usage the city is full of bland buildings few rise to the level of the Seagram or Lever building. So this one came down and a bunch of people got employment, construction workers suppliers, architect. Is the developer greedy I don't know but what's the point if he is greedy? It is relative are people on the dole greedy letting taxpayers fund them are business owners greedy selling a service or product. Was the building erected according to code and permits in order if yes leave it alone sooner or later somebody will build something you like then you can erect an easel in front of it and paint it if you like
The point is Shaoul and others like him have histories of bad and illegal practices. Ask tenants who live in his buildings and have been illegally evicted or harassed. Under Bloomberg developers were given carte blanche to build without care or consideration or safety. And neighborhoods pay the price. You can create jobs and build responsibly or do it the Bloomberg way- profit first, people second.
Not me - I won't be painting it here, because I'll be gone.
And the city will be left to suburban bean counters like yourself. Enjoy living in Topeka at Manhattan prices.
To compare: the Hyatt (4th Av/13th) made use of the existing structure to keep some of the integrity and history of the neighborhood. There is a setback, and then they built above it.
It's the ground floor, where the Art Deco-ish facade was, that might have been preserved. Just an observation as someone who is interested in preserving some of the area's character.
(8:14 am here)
The Hyatt is one example Norman Fosters Hearst tower is another example of building on existing platform. Best yet for integration was the eighties use of the Villard Mansion to create the Palace Hotel things can be done a little better then NYU dorm with Saint Ann's church a travesty..
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