Wednesday, November 20, 2019

A 'build-to-suit' opportunity for the long-dormant development site at 14th and C


[Photo from Sunday]

The southwest corner of 14th Street at Avenue C — 644 E. 14th St. — is currently an inactive development site. But there's a new listing for the property that is positioning the corner as a "unique build-to-suit opportunity" ...



According to the listing at Lee & Associates, the site "can be developed as a residential/commercial mixed use building" that's "ideal for schools, health care/medical, not-for-profits, retail." No word on the price.

The 10-story rendering with the listing looks more on the office side of things.

There hasn't been any construction activity at this site since the end of 2017. However, there has been some behind-the-scenes wrangling. This past May, PincusCo examined city records to find that several developers have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to lobby the city for NYCHA air rights. (The new listing notes that "additional FAR" is available.)

According to the PincusCo investigation, Madison Realty Capital hired one of the city’s most active government lobbying firms, Capalino+Company, to approach the NYCHA about the air rights at Campos Plaza II adjacent to this property.

In other recent news about this parcel... in late January, the Commercial Observer reported that Second Avenue Deli owner Jeremy Lebewohl filed a $10 million lawsuit alleging that his five-story residential building at 642 E. 14th St. sustained damages by the foundation work next door at No. 644. No word on the status of that suit.

As for the currently stalled new development, here's what was in the works in September 2016: A 15-floor building with 50 residential units with 8,064 square feet of retail space and 21,575 square feet of community facility space." Those plans never materialized, of course.


[2016-era rendering of the development]

This corner property last housed the single-level R&S Strauss auto parts store, which closed in April 2009.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Development back in play for East 14th Street and Avenue C

More details on the sale of 644 E. 14th St.

Here comes a 15-story retail-residential complex for East 14th Street and Avenue C

Prepping the former R&S Strauss auto parts store for demolition on East 14th Street and Avenue C

City OKs 15-story mixed-use retail-residential building on 14th and C

14th and C now waiting for the Karl Fischer-designed 15-story retail-residential complex

14th and C still waiting for its Karl Fischer-designed retail-residential complex

Report: New owners for the empty lot at 14th Street and Avenue C

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ugly building-to-suit! Whichever hideous building you prefer!

Scuba Diva said...

I, for one, miss R&S Strauss—and I don't even drive.

Morgan Tsvangirai said...

Wait... you're telling me the building with balconies facing a power plant won't be built?? How sad for those potential tenants to miss out on that opportunity

Anonymous said...

I'm just quivering thinking of the luxurious potential here. I can't wait for more people who embrace luxury to move here. Soon we'll have robots to do all the chores and the only people who will need/allowed to be in Manhattan are the quality people of Luxury.

Anonymous said...

Whatever they do they need to get on it ASAP.
This corner is a dead zone...perhaps something with a bodgea on the ground floor? Something.
I loath this corner and hear Jane Jacobs ghost cry every time I have to walk through it.

Anonymous said...

Give us back our sidewalks!!!

Anonymous said...

I live a few feet away on 14th..yea the sidewalk is treacherous, people end up walking on the street...but when they where “leveling” the ground..it shook the out building like an earthquake for days..I Kinda don’t want anything there..we have been under construction for years..L train loading zone with 2 dumpsters that get filled and taken away sometimes at 5am!! (Last night) it’s been a little rough, but it feels like a lot of the construction is calming down on 14th..I hope so

Shawn said...

Considering this corner will have no views, how about a 15 story affordable housing site? 75 units? Bodega on the ground floor?