[Photo yesterday by Goggla]
Workers yesterday dismantled the sculpture fence that had lined the empty lot for years (since the late 1980s, per one estimate) here on First Avenue between Fifth Street and Sixth Street.
As I understand it, the fence was created at the former Gas Station (aka Art Gallery Space 2B) on Avenue B and Second Street by Claire Kalemkeris and Johnny Swing in collaboration with Linus Coraggio. (In an email, Coraggio said that he wanted to salvage the fence and place it in the Kenkeleba Sculpture Garden on Third Street between Avenue B and Avenue C where more of his work is on display.)
For now, it appears that at least one section of the fence is lying inside the lot...
[Photo by EVG reader Mona]
Aside from removing the fence, workers — once again — cleared out some of the weeds in the space.
Plans were filed in the spring with the city for a 6-floor building. According to the pre-filing info at the DOB, the building will house eight dwelling units in nearly 7,400 square feet of space. The nearly 1,000 square feet per unit suggests condos. There's another 900 square feet listed for the ground-floor storefront. (The city has yet to approve these permits.)
As previously reported, Florence Toledano was the owner of this lot. In 2013, public records show that the deed for the property was transferred from the Florence Toledano Living Trust to 89 First Avenue LLC. The DOB permit lists Daniel Toledano as the manager of the property. (We do not know the relationship between Daniel Toledano and Florence Toledano. One reader said Daniel is a nephew of Florence.) Andrew Fredman is listed as the architect of record for the new building.
In recent weeks the fence had started to sag... there was an opening in the front...
[Photo from Sunday]
It looked as if someone or something rammed the fence...
[Photo from Sunday]
And someone had written a lyric from "Chinese Rocks" back in the summer...
Updated 5:30 p.m.
EVG reader Rik Rocket shared this photo of the new fence going in...
Previously on EV Grieve:
Will this long-empty lot on 1st Avenue yield to affordable housing?
Drilling and soil testing commences at the long-empty lot at 89 1st Ave.
Permits filed for 6-story building in long-empty lot at 89 1st Ave.
[Photo from 2014]
As of this morning, there is now a cyclone fence there.
ReplyDeleteThis totally sucks. this lot has existed like this for at least 50 years and I wish it had stayed that way
ReplyDeleteMOTHERF*CKING BOOOOOOOO!!!! it was perfect as it was!
ReplyDeleteAnother piece of East Village History gone.
ReplyDeletelike most shitty gentrifying dirty tricks that go down in nyc this sculptural fence removal happened with no warning.it reminds me how trump managed in 2009 to get the very useful 72cnd street exit on the west side highway closed and fenced off overnight because he thought it was déclassé looking next to the shitbox buildings nearby which used to carry his putrid name.
ReplyDeletei was home the morning the 1st avenue fence was getting ripped out. calls and emails from friends and neghborborhood artists started rolling in around 10 am. i was scrambling to figure out where and how to reclaim,relocate and reassemble the fence. by the time
i got the go ahead from from the kenkelaba gallery sculpture garden on east second street and got down there in my van with cutting torches the dumpster had left the station for some brooklyn scrapyard. i was pissed. it was hardly the first time the dumpster had the last laugh with my welded art,the 3 rivington sculpture gardens and most of the gas station/space 2b sculpture garden were also unceremoniously disposed of. so while the stupid culture czars like public art fund shell out fuckloads of money to have vapid blue chip artists display their drek crap around town, a beloved neighborhood sculptural fence gets destroyed because its not even on their radar. i really feel fucking nyc should be giving me a medal rather than stealing my metal. but i feel already honored by the many people that passed by who liked it in the
30 years plus that it stood,and as tough and vicious a town this is no cutthroat real estate shark, dumb city official or
ignorant cultural affairs beurocrat can throw that in a dumpster! linus coraggio,nyc,2017
ps i an compiling a book and film about my lost sculptural ''outstillations'' on the lower east side and would welcome
any pictures of the fence anyone reading this might have, feel free to contact me through linuscoraggio.com