[Photo from August by James Maher]
Back in July, the owners of three business had to vacate their storefronts due to a structural issue in an apartment above in 300 E. Fifth St. just east of Second Avenue.
Since then, Jamie the check-cashing guy, whose family has owned the business for 68 years, had been operating from a secure van outside his shop.
Unfortunately, he wasn't able to make it work as repairs dragged on in the building.
Today is his last day.
The check-cashing business has been at the current address for 58 years … and on East 10th Street for 10 years before that. Jamie's grandparents opened the shop in 1946.
We interviewed him for our Out and About in the East Village feature back in September.
My grandparents used to take me into the store when I was 8 years old. They had four stores. All the brothers and my grandfather had a store. There was another store on Broadway and Bleecker. I was always taken to that store. That was where my grandmother would take me, away from my grandfather and uncle. I was always the guy running up the bills, when everything was pen and paper. On the weekends if I didn’t run out fast enough it was, ‘You’re helping grandma today.’ That was how I got started.
Previously on EV Grieve:
3 small businesses temporarily closed due to structural issues at 300 E. 5th St.
How was it that the building owner(s) was/were not forced to compensate Jamie for this situation?
ReplyDeleteThis is typical of how EV landlords operate over the last 10 years or so. They let their buildings fall into disrepair and then put up scaffolding or some kinda shed that blocks the business.
ReplyDeleteCheck out what Kathy of the former Life Café had to say about her landlords Bob Perl and Abraham Noy:
"Ms. Kirkpatrick, who closed down the cafe in September because of the condition of the building, told The Local she remained frustrated with her landlords.
“Significant work still needs to be done,” she said. “There is scaffolding; a pigeon coop with [crap] falling on the sidewalk; they ripped down my awning; no one can see the cafe; there are sloping floors; they ripped off frontage, exposing ugly brick. . .
It’s been three weeks this weekend since I had to close with a hope and a dream to be able to reopen. I, a single woman warrior, am fighting two Goliaths with deep pockets for Life. . .Had a little bit of compromise been made it would have been a win-win-win situation for all of us involved, the neighborhood, and the future of Life Café,” Ms. Kirkpatrick said today."
Scaffolding came down pretty damn quick after Life Café closed.
Every time Icon buys a building the first thing that happens is the scaffolding goes up. Look at the corner of 9th and A. Café Pick Me-up is barricaded in by scaffolding as are the stores around the corner towards 1st Ave.
Yes. Just check out the Icon scaffolding erected over my favorite copy shop The Source, as well as Cadillac's Castle, Glasgow, Fabulous Fanny, and &Hair Salon on East Ninth between 1/2nd Ave. I'll bet when Glasgow moved in, a bare 3 months ago, they didn't count on
ReplyDeletebeing stuck under a scaffold. That's 5 vital businesses on East Ninth Street being obstructed. This impacts the whole block, which already has 3 empty storefronts. It's like some kind of blight.
Heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteTrixie, I'm with you.
ReplyDeleteYou don't have thecreal full story about 300 e.5th-illegal demolition went on in the basement the night before the "foot through the ceiling"a.m. incident.An employee of maryanns/dshlias restaursnt said the whole builfing shook as someone sledgehammered a wsll in the basement illegslly thst night.The building was ordered vacated because of dsmsge to a supporting wall in the basement, and other dsmage, that was done intentionslly.The owner has along history of extreme "negligence" and makes others bear the financial consequences-hence Jaime having to pay for a van to work out of, the tenant who complsined about the constructionworkers foot through his ceiling suspiciously a few hours after the Iillegsl basement demolition had to live in a shelter.Bldg. owner was of course supposed to put all displaced into hotels, etc.This is a much bigger story thsn I see here.Other buildings and victims are involved. Anyone who can, please contact me at 33maryksi@gmail.com to help get the full story out. Sorry for the multiple postings, but I'm very angry about this, and not too familiar with how to use this website.Thank you and happy new year.
ReplyDeleteEvery store quickly re-opened in the same building on that row, except Jamie's. I told him several times to get an Order To Show Cause to get back into his space and sue for lost income. A good lawyer could light a big fire under the right asses.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why he should close up, as I don't see how he should be paying rent until he gets his space back.
I really hate to see him go. I hope he sticks to his guns....