[Updated] This afternoon in breaking breaking-down plywood news

Workers this afternoon are breaking down the remains of the plywood outside 118 E. First St. here at Houston... days after they removed the sidewalk bridge ... 

Look at all that sidewalk space that was behind the plywood!

The extended plywood has been here for three-plus years during the construction of the luxury 9-story condoplex at No. 118.

As noted, demolition of the former building at No. 118 started in May 2015. So that's seven years of work for this one project...

Updated 6:30 p.m.

More!

At long last, this section of 1st Street is free of a sidewalk bridge

Workers yesterday finished removing the sidewalk bridge surrounding 118 E. First St., the new 9-story condoplex between Houston/Avenue A and First Avenue. 

This has been an active construction zone since the extended plywood, whose wobbly remains are still in place, arrived in April 2018. Demolition of the former building at No. 118 started in May 2015. So that's seven years of work for this one project...

And this doesn't even include the mess this corridor was during the never-ending East Houston Reconstruction Project, which finally wrapped up at the end of 2018 — six years behind schedule. 

A 2015 First Street flashback for you...

Anyway, good news for the Punjabi Grocery & Deli, which has struggled to stay in business during all this... not to mention the adjacent establishment, Hollywood Nail & Spa, and the residents of these buildings... and anyone who walks along this corridor...

FULL reveal at 118 E. 1st St.

Last week, we reported that sales have commenced at 118 E. First St., the 9-story condoplex between Houston/Avenue A and First Avenue. 

Workers have now removed the scaffolding and construction netting from the building, offering a better look at the "collection of four townhouse-style duplexes with direct, keyed elevator access and private outdoor spaces."

Also yesterday, an EVG reader pointed out 118's pièce de résistance on the market ...

Tour de force of 118 E 1st, the penthouse triplex is a stunning space converging between a downtown industrial loft aesthetic that meets a modern architectural vision. Upon stepping off the elevator you are instantly awed by the 15’ ceilings with floor-to-ceiling windows. The dining room is set back with a stunning south-facing terrace, perfect for enjoying an indoor/outdoor environment while overlooking clear downtown views. 

Asking price: $7.2 million. This includes Siberian Marble Herringbone heated flooring in the can bathroom.

Foundation work started on this building in the spring of 2018.

'Townhouse-style duplexes' now for sale at the all-new 118 E. 1st St.

Sales have commenced at 118 E. First St., the 9-story condoplex between Houston/Avenue A and First Avenue.

The scope changed a bit since we first heard of seven units coming to the new development nearly eight years ago. 

According to Real Estate Weekly, No. 118 is now "a collection of four townhouse-style duplexes with direct, keyed elevator access and private outdoor spaces."

And!

The building features a striking modernist façade in Jet Mist granite, and Juliet balconies with irrigated gardens adorn each residence. A sunlit staircase connects the public and private floors. Residents will enjoy virtual doorman service and dedicated storage.

Pricing starts at $5.450 million for a three-bedroom residence spanning the fourth and fifth floors.

It has only taken about four years for this to take shape — foundation work started in the spring of 2018.

The links below have more about the building that was demolished to make way for this new development. As we've pointed out, 118 E. First St. was home some years ago to Darinka, the performance space that Gary Ray opened in 1983 (RIP — 1987). Darinka's many performers through the years included house band They Might Be Giants and cabaret nights hosted by Steve Buscemi and Mark Boone Junior.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• 118 E. 1st St. arrives on the market with so many possibilities and air rights

• 118 E. 1st. St. will yield to a new 9-floor residential building

• Demolition of 118 E. 1st St. begins to make way for 9-story residential building

• Construction starts at 118 E. 1st St., future home of a 9-floor residential building  

Support for Punjabi Grocery and Deli

Punjabi Grocery and Deli at 114 E. First St. between Avenue A and First Avenue enjoyed an uptick in business over the weekend... where some social media reports showed a line to enter the small shop (there currently is a two-person limit inside).

The inexpensive eats favorite reopened on July 10 after being closed for four months during the COVID-19 PAUSE.

As previously reported, there have been concerns through the years about Punjabi's future. The never-ending East Houston Reconstruction Project finally wrapped up at the end of 2018 — just six years behind schedule.

For nearly nine years, the construction zone eliminated parking spaces for cab drivers, who are a sizable share of Punjabi's business, making it nearly impossible for them to stop in for a meal or break. Those who did stop faced getting a ticket. Plus, there has been an overall decline of cab drivers in the Lyft-Uber era.

So Punjabi Grocery and Deli fan Jessica Morgulis launched a crowdfunding campaign back on Friday. Nicolas Heller, aka @NewYorkNico, helped amplify the campaign to his more than 400,000 Instagram followers.

As of this morning, the campaign had reached $38,000 of its $50,000 goal.

Meanwhile, cab drivers will still have challenges stopping by ... the taxi relief stand that finally arrived in July 2019 along Houston Street has been removed to accommodate the ongoing construction for a 9-story residential building next door...



This build has been a slow-go to date. The plywood arrived in May 2018, and workers are still in the foundation stages.

As for Punjabi's food, it's better than ever. Here's part of Scott Lynch's recap from two recent visits for Gothamist:

The trays holding everything from vegetable curries to fried samosas to sweet gulab jamun were all stocked full and fresh, the selection as extensive as ever, the prices still astonishingly low.

I ate way too much both times and everything was spectacular. This is all skillfully prepared food, loaded with flavor and much more spicy than I remembered. And, at $7, the combo platter of nicely chewy long grain rice topped with your choice of three vegetable curries—I went with the thick pureed spinach, the barely-sweet squash, and the lively "black chickpeas" — remains one of the best deals in town.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• How you can help Punjabi Grocery & Deli stay in business

• Never-ending construction continues to hurt Punjabi Grocery & Deli

• Taxi Relief Stand arrives on Avenue A; Punjabi Grocery & Deli relieved

• Concern again for Punjabi Grocery & Deli on 1st Street

• At long last a taxi relief stand for East Houston and 1st Street outside Punjabi Grocery & Deli

Concern again for Punjabi Grocery & Deli on 1st Street

Roads & Kingdoms, a web magazine covering food, politics and travel, filed a long read last week on Punjabi Deli and Grocery, the First Street staple that has seen its business diminish in recent years due to a variety of factors.

The piece provides background on owner Kulwinder Singh, who bought the space just west of Avenue A in 1994.

The East Village today is a wildly different neighborhood than it was when Singh started his business, crowded with high-end restaurants and bars, its streets torn up for seemingly endless construction and development projects. In even less time, New York cabbies have seen their livelihoods upended by ride-share apps such as Uber and Lyft. Still, Singh’s Deli has remained a constant in a city, neighborhood, and industry unsettled by monumental change. Those changes could now pose a serious risk to the Deli’s future.

There's a recap of the issues that Singh has faced, such as the never-ending East Houston Reconstruction Project, which finally wrapped up at the end of 2018 — six years behind schedule.

The construction zone eliminated the parking spaces for cab drivers, who make up a sizable share of Punjabi's business, making it nearly impossible for them to stop in for a meal or break. Those who did stop faced getting a ticket. "Business was so bad, it was tough to pay rent," said Singh.

Pedestrians didn't have much better luck trying to enter the shop through the construction maze, as this EVG photo from 2015 will remind you...



A temporary taxi stand finally arrived around the corner on Avenue A in June 2015, though there isn't any word on the permanent one slated for East Houston/First Street.





One positive: the last of the construction equipment that had been stored along First Street — for nine years — was removed by the end of the year...



As for cab drivers...

[O]ver the last eight years, Uber and other ride-hailing apps such as Lyft have disrupted the yellow-cab industry. ... Increasing financial burdens and debt, and the diminishing value of a taxi medallion —which drivers spend years paying off — has led to stress and depression among the city’s yellow-cab community, who have struggled to make a living as they compete for customers with ride-sharing apps at their fingertips. In 2017, the number of registered ride-hailing cabs was four times larger than registered yellow cabs.

Both yellow-cab and ride-hailing drivers frequent the deli, and it is business is usual, though the factions are evident. Ride-hailing drivers have no fixed routines, or breaks, and often stop by after long shifts behind the wheel. Singh has seen the effect this has had on professional drivers first-hand. He says ride-hailing apps incentivize drivers to remain logged-in and to work continuously, sometimes putting in 10-hour shifts without breaks, which takes a toll on their mental and physical health. Thanks to greater competition, yellow-cab drivers now feel pressure to take longer shifts too.

So while there's some positive news that the East Houston Reconstruction Project is complete (so we think!), Punjabi will once again have to contend with an active construction zone. This development wasn't mentioned in the Roads & Kingdoms piece.

A 9-story residential building (with ground-floor retail) is going up in the lot right next door at No. 118, as I've been reporting ...



Construction has gone on — with DOB-mandated Stop Work delays — for nine months now, and there's not much to show for the effort. Based on these previous months, this is promising to be a lengthy job that could potentially further diminish Punjabi's business (sidewalk bridge, construction equipment, etc.).

The Roads & Kingdoms piece exits on a somber note...

Singh still has five years on his current lease, but as the deli inches toward its third decade, its future is less certain than ever. This institution that, for decades, has transported an immense diaspora back home may soon be yet another file in the archive of a lost New York.

Several readers forwarded me this article, with encouraging words to support Punjabi Grocery & Deli to help keep them from vanishing.

Previously on EV Grieve:
How you can help Punjabi Grocery & Deli stay in business

Here's what the new condoplex at 118 E. 1st St. will look like

Resident concerned over cracks caused by excavation work in lot next door

Taxi Relief Stand arrives on Avenue A; Punjabi Grocery & Deli relieved

Resident concerned over cracks caused by excavation work in lot next door

As noted earlier this week, the city issued a Stop Work Order at 118 E. First St. near Avenue A.

There is a complaint on file with the DOB stating that the excavation work caused an adjacent building to shake, with visible cracks forming.

A longtime resident who lives adjacent to the construction site shared this photo montage, showing the cracks on the building and in the tenant's apartment...



Per the resident: "I am not feeling safe here."

For now, the city will only allow for crews to do "emergency remedial work at rear exposure to install bracing." That work hasn't occurred just yet, the resident said.

Until the Stop Work Order, workers were prepping the lot for a 9-story residential building with seven residences and a retail space.

Previously on EV Grieve:
118 E. 1st St. arrives on the market with so many possibilities, and air rights

118 E. 1st. St. will yield to a new 9-floor residential building

Demolition of 118 E. 1st St. begins to make way for 9-story residential building

Construction starts at 118 E. 1st St., future home of a 9-floor residential building

Here's what the new condoplex at 118 E. 1st St. will look like

A Stop Work Order at 118 E. 1st St.

Back on Friday, workers slapped a Stop Work Order on the plywood at 118 E. First St. near Avenue A.

There was a meeting of the hard hats behind the plywood...



Eventually, the work order was rescinded...



... though the only work allowed for now is, per the paperwork, "emergency remedial work at rear exposure to install bracing."





There is a complaint on file with the DOB stating that the excavation work is causing an adjacent building to shake, and cracks have developed.

No. 118 will eventually yield a 9-story residential building with seven residences and a retail space. We had the first look at the rendering back on May 4.

Previously on EV Grieve:
118 E. 1st St. arrives on the market with so many possibilities, and air rights

118 E. 1st. St. will yield to a new 9-floor residential building

Demolition of 118 E. 1st St. begins to make way for 9-story residential building

Construction starts at 118 E. 1st St., future home of a 9-floor residential building

Here's what the new condoplex at 118 E. 1st St. will look like

Here's what the new condoplex at 118 E. 1st St. will look like

Back on Monday, we noted that construction had started in the empty lot at 118 E. First St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

At that point, there hadn't been any sign of renderings for the 9-story condoplex with ground-floor retail.

However, workers affixed the rendering on the plywood yesterday. And here ya go...



As previously noted, the 9-story residential building will include seven units divided over 12,500 square feet of residential space — most likely condos. And from the look of the rendering, everyone will have a terrace to take in the sights and sounds of the tranquil East Houston Street and Essex intersection.

Warren Freyer's Freyer Architects is designing the building. The developers have been previously ID'd as Acacia 118, LLC, based in Nolita, and fronted by Cynthia Wu and Robert Marty.

Previously on EV Grieve:
118 E. 1st St. arrives on the market with so many possibilities, and air rights

118 E. 1st. St. will yield to a new 9-floor residential building

Demolition of 118 E. 1st St. begins to make way for 9-story residential building

Construction starts at 118 E. 1st St., future home of a 9-floor residential building

Construction starts at 118 E. 1st St., future home of a 9-floor residential building

The extended plywood arrived on Friday at 118 E. First St. between Avenue A and First Avenue...



... as work officially started in the lot that will be home to a 9-story residential building featuring seven units divided over 12,500 square feet of residential space (likely condos). The building will include a small retail space on the ground floor.

Meanwhile, no sign of a rendering just yet. (Warren Freyer's Freyer Architects is designing the building.) Perhaps one will eventually show up on the plywood along with the required work permits.

Not much has happened here in the past 12-14 months since workers demolished the three-story building that was standing here.

As noted in a previous post:

No. 118 was one of five new East Village projects identified by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation as an oversized new development ... "in the neighborhood's affordable housing zones [that] were approved by the city without requiring affordable housing."

According to their investigation released in February 2016 (find the letter to the mayor here), the city approved new developments "with greater square footage than allowed for market-rate developments, without requiring any affordable housing either on-site or off, as mandated by law."

We also heard from a dismayed next-door neighbor when construction started in the lot on Friday.

I am now going to lose 70 percent of light in my place. The kitchen, bathroom and a bedroom will all have shaft windows. I am not even going to rant about another luxury condo absurdity but to lose all this light feels tragic. It is stunning that nobody considered this or there was no hearing in place.

Previously on EV Grieve:
118 E. 1st St. arrives on the market with so many possibilities, and air rights

118 E. 1st. St. will yield to a new 9-floor residential building

Demolition of 118 E. 1st St. begins to make way for 9-story residential building

Demolition watch: 118 E. 1st St

Workers have pretty much taken care of the former three-level tenement at 118 E. First St. between Avenue A and First Avenue...



Through the blogger portal you can see that the front steps now lead to ... nowhere really... the pit...



As previously noted, the existing structure is yielding to a 9-story residential building. In total, there are seven units divided over 12,500 square feet of residential space (likely condos). The building will include a small retail space on the ground floor.

Still no sign of a rendering via Warren Freyer's Freyer Architects. You'll have to make do with the zoning diagrams on file with the city ...



No. 118 was one of five new East Village projects identified by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation as an oversized new development ... "in the neighborhood's affordable housing zones [that] were approved by the city without requiring affordable housing."

According to their investigation released in February 2016 (find the latter to the mayor here), the city approved new developments "with greater square footage than allowed for market-rate developments, without requiring any affordable housing either on-site or off, as mandated by law."

Previously on EV Grieve:
118 E. 1st St. arrives on the market with so many possibilities, and air rights

118 E. 1st. St. will yield to a new 9-floor residential building

Demolition of 118 E. 1st St. begins to make way for 9-story residential building

Sidewalk bridge arrives at 118 E. 1st St., where a 9-story building is in the works

An EVG tipster shared this photo from yesterday ... when workers erected the sidewalk bridge and started putting up the necessary equipment to demolish the existing three-level structure at 118 E. First St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

As previously noted, the existing structure is being demolished to make room for a 9-story residential building. In total, there are seven units divided over 12,500 square feet of residential space, as NY Yimby first reported. (Given the size — about 1,800 square feet, NYY figures these will be condos.)

The building will include a small retail space on the ground floor.

No sign just yet of a rendering via Warren Freyer's Freyer Architects.

Speaking of signs, though — this one appeared in a window here back in November...



Previously on EV Grieve:
118 E. 1st St. arrives on the market with so many possibilities, and air rights

118 E. 1st. St. will yield to a new 9-floor residential building

Demolition of 118 E. 1st St. begins to make way for 9-story residential building

Something to think about (aka, Hello darkness my old friend)

Not much seems to be happening over at 118 E. First St. between Avenue A and First Avenue... As previously noted, the existing structure is being demolished to make room for a 9-story residential building.

In total, there are seven units divided over 12,500 square feet of residential space, as NY Yimby first reported. (Given the size — about 1,800 square feet, NYY figures these will be condos.) There will also be about 250 square feet for retail.

The city approved the plans in November 2015.

In the meantime, this note appeared the other day on one of the windows...

"Please think about the darkness you are going to create with your development."

Freyer Architects are designing the building. We haven't seen any renderings yet (other than those zoning diagrams from our last post on this address).

Previously on EV Grieve:
118 E. 1st St. arrives on the market with so many possibilities, and air rights

118 E. 1st. St. will yield to a new 9-floor residential building

Demolition of 118 E. 1st St. begins to make way for 9-story residential building

A sign of peace at 118 E. 1st St.

Can't say for sure when this happened here at 118 E. First St. between Avenue A and First Avenue... someone painted a giant peace sign on the front of the building. (I don't recall seeing it on Friday afternoon. Anyone?)

In any event, might be a good time for a quick recap on what's happening here. As previously noted, the existing structure is being demolished to make room for a 9-story residential building. In total, there are seven units divided over 12,500 square feet of residential space, as NY Yimby first reported. (Given the size — about 1,800 square feet, NYY figures these will be condos.)

And it looks as if the city approved the plans back in November...



...while I haven't seen any renderings, perhaps these zoning diagrams on file with the city about what's to come will hold you over...



And as noted in a few previous posts about this address, No. 118 was home in the mid-1980s to Darinka, the performance space operated by Gary Ray that featured They Might Be Giants as its house band.

Previously on EV Grieve:
118 E. 1st St. arrives on the market with so many possibilities, and air rights

118 E. 1st. St. will yield to a new 9-floor residential building

Demolition of 118 E. 1st St. begins to make way for 9-story residential building

Demolition of 118 E. 1st St. begins to make way for 9-story residential building

Work is underway here between Avenue A and First Avenue, where the existing 3-floor building will be demolished … and a 9-floor residential building will rise…



As NY Yimby first pointed out last November, a developer operating under the name of Acacia 118, LLC is behind the project.

Per NY Yimby...

As with many new projects in neighborhoods that once only supported rentals, 118 East 1st will likely be condos, with its seven units divided over 12,500 square feet of residential space. The average size is a quite hefty 1,800 square feet, with duplexes on the top and bottom and full-floor units in between…

The city has yet to approve the plans for the new building.

This development can't sit well with the owner of Punjabi Grocery & Deli next door. Owner Jashon Singh has reported declining sales these past five years with the ongoing East Houston Reconstruction Project outside his front doors.

The work on East Houston, reportedly three years behind schedule, is expected to wrap up in August. Just in time for the new construction at No. 118.



The new building will also include a 250-square foot retail space on the ground level.

Thanks to EVG reader Gacin for the photos

Previously on EV Grieve:
118 E. 1st St. arrives on the market with so many possibilities, and air rights

118 E. 1st. St. will yield to a new 9-floor residential building

118 E. 1st. St. will yield to a new 9-floor residential building

[Photo via Streeteasy]

Back in May, we pointed out that the 3-floor building at 118 E. First St. just off of Avenue A and East Houston was on the market for $5.15 million.

Among other things, the brokers were selling the space as either a development site with an additional 9,000 square feet of air-rights … or a "cash flow opportunity" with three apartments and a retail space.

Not surprisingly, the building's new owner has opted for the development site in the form of a 9-floor residential building.

Per New York Yimby, who first reported the news:

[A] developer operating under the name of Acacia 118, LLC – based in Nolita, and fronted by Cynthia Wu and Robert Marty – is planning to erect a new nine-story building, with seven much larger apartments.

As with many new projects in neighborhoods that once only supported rentals, 118 East 1st will likely be condos, with its seven units divided over 12,500 square feet of residential space. The average size is a quite hefty 1,800 square feet, with duplexes on the top and bottom and full-floor units in between, according to the building’s Schedule A filing.

As we've pointed out, 118 E. First St. was home some years ago to Darinka, the performance space that Gary Ray opened in 1983 (RIP — 1987). Darinka's many performers through the years included house band They Might Be Giants and cabaret nights hosted by Steve Buscemi and Mark Boone Junior.

Previously on EV Grieve:
118 E. 1st St. arrives on the market with so many possibilities, and air rights

118 E. 1st St. arrives on the market with so many possibilities, and air rights

[Photo via Streeteasy]

There's a new listing for 118 E. First St. ... in that area where East First Street, Avenue A and East Houston all converge.

According to the listing at Streeteasy, the property has a total approximate square footage of 3,900 — with an additional 9,000 square feet of air-rights. The folks at Marcus & Millichap are peddling the building as either "a cash flowing asset, retail-user opportunity or a development site."

Let's have the listing break it down for us...

Cash Flow Opportunity: The property contains a total of three free market apartments and one retail space. The residential portion consists of one three-bedroom, one two-bedroom and one one-bedroom. All three apartments are on month to month leases and tenants are responsible for their own heat. All the residential units have been renovated, are in fantastic condition and offer great details such as exposed bricks and decorative fire places. The 1,300 square foot retail space on the ground floor is currently vacant, with a projected rent of $12,000 per month ($111 per square foot).

Retail User Opportunity: The 1,300 square foot retail space's ideal user would be for a restaurant/bar, with an approximate 800 square foot court yard/garden. The property features highly coveted East Houston frontage and is located directly across from the famed Katz's Delicatessen and steps away from Whole Foods.

Development Site: The property contains an approximate 9,000 square feet of additional air rights. Feasibility studies done over the past couple years have determined a new structure could be built with approximately 12,500 square feet. The property is subject to the "sliver law," however, in the past year there has been Zoning Reports from the city that have ruled 118 east 1st street as being on a "Wide Street," due to East Houston Frontage.

Price: $5.15 million.

In a different lifetime, 118 E. First St. was home to Darinka, the performance space that Gary Ray opened in 1983 (RIP — 1987). Darinka's many performers through the years included house band They Might Be Giants and cabaret nights hosted by Steve Buscemi and Mark Boone Junior.

We've been meaning to do a Darinka post, so we'll revisit this topic again soon.