City set once again to remove the curbside structure outside Pinky's Space on 1st Street

The Department of Transportation has issued a Termination notice for the "abandoned" curbside structure outside the now-closed Pinky's Space, 70 E. First St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

The flyer, dated May 31, states that the owners have 24 hours to remove the abandoned structure, or the city will do it and charge the business ... 

... which never reopened after the city tore down its previous outdoor space last October. The removal of that 30-foot-long structure, which had morphed into an assemblage of paintings, furniture and plants, plus a chandelier and disco ball, exacerbated the cafe-art gallery's financial challenges. (More background here.) 

Pinky's closed after the incident to regroup with plans to reopen in early 2023. They also created a less-intricate outdoor space, which has mostly been dismantled in recent months.

In January, owners Mimi Blitz and Wesley Wobles sued the city for $615,000 for the removal "without any warning whatsoever" and "without cause, legal authority or due process," per the lawsuit. (The story was well-covered, including at the Post, 1010 WINS and PIX11.) The city told a different story, as Gothamist reported. 

A for-rent sign arrived on the storefront earlier in the spring. At the time, Wobles said in an email that the landlord would let them return if they made good on the back rent that dates to October.