Showing posts with label 121 and 123 Second Ave.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 121 and 123 Second Ave.. Show all posts

Friday, April 26, 2019

Explosion-site condoplex rising quickly


[Updated the photos — these are from today]

Work is moving at a brisk pace at 119 Second Ave. at Seventh Street, where a seven-floor Morris Adjmi-designed residential building with 21 condo units and ground-floor retail is quickly rising on the lot.

This week the building made its first appearance above street level...



The plywood only arrived in late January ... with the excavation starting several weeks later.

Compare this pace with that of, say, 11 Avenue C, where, after two-plus years, workers have only just finished the foundation.

Three buildings, 119, 121 and 123 Second Ave., were destroyed on this corner during the deadly gas explosion on March 26, 2015.

The new building will include a commemorative plaque that honors the two men who died that day — Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Locón.

This previous post has more details about what has happened here to date.


[Rendering via Morris Adjmi]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Remembering Nicholas and Moises: the Figueroa family marks the 4-year anniversary of the 2nd Avenue gas explosion

LPC OKs condoplex for gas explosion site on 2nd Avenue and 7th Street

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Remembering Nicholas and Moises: the Figueroa family marks the 4-year anniversary of the 2nd Avenue gas explosion



Today marks the fourth anniversary of the gas explosion that killed two men, injured more than 20 others, and leveled 119, 121 and 123 Second Ave.

Members of the Figueroa family gathered on the corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street today to remember their brother and son Nicholas Figueroa, 23, who died on March 26, 2105, along with Moises Locón, 27.


[Top photos by Steven]

Figueroa, who had recently graduated from SUNY Buffalo State, was at Sushi Park, 121 Second Ave. and the site of the fatal blast, dining with a co-worker. Locón worked at Sushi Park.


[Photo by Lola Sáenz]

The previous owner of 119 and 121 Second Ave., Maria Hrynenko, her son Michael Hrynenko (now deceased), contractor Dilber Kukic and their plumber Anthanasios Ioannidis illegally tampered with the gas line at 121 Second Ave. then failed to warn those in the building before the blast, according to the Manhattan District Attorney.

According to public records, Hrynenko and the other defendants will appear in court again April 26. Records show that Hrynenko and the other accused have appeared in New York County Criminal Court 25 times since February 2016... and the outcome was the same — "adjourned/bail continued" — since their initial appearance.

On March 20, Andrew Trombettas, the plumber indicted in connection to the explosion, was sentenced to probation and community service. He reportedly signed off on required paperwork that went to the Department of Buildings and Con Edison because a friend who actually did the job did not have a license.

Meanwhile, work continues on the retail-residential complex coming to part of the blast site. The new building will include a commemorative plaque that honors Locón and Figueroa.


[Photo by Lola Sáenz]

Previously on EV Grieve:
RIP Nicholas Figueroa

RIP Moises Ismael Locón Yac

A memorial on 2nd Avenue

Birthday wishes for Nicholas Figueroa on 2nd Avenue

A family continues to feel the loss on 2nd Avenue

Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

Thursday, March 21, 2019

Report: Probation for plumber indicted in deadly 2nd Avenue gas explosion


[Aerial photo of 119-123 2nd Ave. from March 27, 2015]

According to the Daily News, Andrew Trombettas, the plumber indicted in connection to the deadly Second Avenue gas explosion in March 2015, was sentenced to probation and community service yesterday.

Trombettas had previously pleaded guilty for his role in rubber-stamping a modification to 121 Second Ave. prior to the explosion that killed two men and injured 20 others on March 26, 2015.

In February 2016, the D.A.'s office charged him with two counts of "Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony."

Per the News:

He was promised a sentence of three years probation and 100 hours of community service in a plea deal made in Manhattan Supreme Court.

The plumber signed off on required paperwork that went to the city Department of Buildings and Con Edison because a friend who actually did the job did not have a license. Trombettas never went to the site.

In February 2016, the Post reported that Trombettas signed off on 19 other jobs that violated regulations.

The previous owner of 119 and 121 Second Ave., Maria Hrynenko, her son Michael Hrynenko (now deceased), contractor Dilber Kukic and their plumber Anthanasios Ioannidis illegally tampered with the gas line then failed to warn those in the building before the blast, according to the Manhattan District Attorney.

According to public records, Hrynenko and the other defendants will appear in court again tomorrow (March 22). Records show that Hrynenko and the other accused have appeared in New York County Criminal Court 23 times since February 2016... and the outcome was the same — "adjourned/bail continued" — since their initial appearance. There's also a new judge presiding, Michael J. Obus of the State Supreme Court in Manhattan. Justice Kirke Bartley had been the judge of record.

Meanwhile, work is quickly moving along on the condoplex coming to part of the blast site. Here's a look at the lot that will house a Morris Adjmi-designed residential building with 21 condos and ground-floor retail...





The new building will include a commemorative plaque that honors Moises Locón and Nicholas Figueroa, the men who died on on March 26, 2015.

Shaky Cohen's Nexus Building Development Group paid $9.15 million for the empty lots. In a previously recorded transaction, Ezra Wibowo paid $6 million for the adjacent property at 123 Second Ave. There isn't any development planned there for now, according to previous reports.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Updated: 2nd Ave. explosion — landlord, 3 others charged with 2nd degree manslaughter; showed 'a blatant and callous disregard for human life'

Report: Judge says plumber allegedly involved in 2nd Ave. blast should have his license revoked

Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

Monday, February 11, 2019

Explosion-site condoplex now in the pile-driving phase on 2nd Avenue



Work is getting underway in the corner lot on Seventh Street at Second Avenue... the pile-driving diesel hammer is on the scene, which promises for some shaking and pounding noise (as heard here ... here and here, as examples)



And a look through the blogger portals on the plywood...





Ad previously reported, a seven-floor Morris Adjmi-designed residential building with 21 condos and ground-floor retail will eventually rise on the lot.

Three buildings, 119, 121 and 123 Second Ave., were destroyed on this corner during the deadly gas explosion on March 26, 2015. This previous post has more details about what has happened here to date.

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Plywood arrives on 7th Street and 2nd Avenue; excavation expected in 2 weeks



Workers yesterday finished erecting the plywood around the empty lot on the northwest corner of Seventh Street and Second Avenue, the site of the deadly gas explosion that leveled the three buildings here in March 2015.



A worker on the scene told EVG correspondent Steven that the excavation for the new 7-story condoplex will commence in about two weeks...



The Morris Adjmi-designed residential building with 21 condos and ground-floor retail will include a commemorative plaque that honors Moises Locón and Nicholas Figueroa, the men who died in the gas explosion on this site.

My previous post at this link has more about defendants and their latest court date.

Meanwhile, the other lot here, the former 123 Second Ave., remains inactive. That lot sold for $6 million in the fall of 2016, and the new owner has said he's not in any hurry to develop the property.

Shaky Cohen's Nexus Building Development Group paid $9.15 million in June 2017 for what was 119 and 121 Second Ave.

Friday, January 25, 2019

1st signs of the construction to come at the 2nd Avenue explosion site



A jackhammer crew has started to break up the sidewalk this morning on Second Avenue at Seventh Street ... where there are approved plans (as of Dec. 27 by the city) to build a 7-story condoplex on this corner.

The Morris Adjmi-designed residential building with 21 condos and ground-floor retail will include a commemorative plaque that honors Moises Locón and Nicholas Figueroa, the men who died in the gas explosion on this site on March 26, 2015.

Shaky Cohen's Nexus Building Development Group paid $9.15 million for the empty lots.

The previous owner of 119 and 121 Second Ave., Maria Hrynenko, her son Michael Hrynenko (now deceased), contractor Dilber Kukic and their plumber Anthanasios Ioannidis illegally tampered with the gas line then failed to warn those in the building before the blast, according to the Manhattan District Attorney.

According to public records, Hrynenko and the other defendants will appear in court again on March 21. Records show that Hrynenko and the other accused have appeared in New York County Criminal Court 23 times since February 2016... and the outcome was the same — "adjourned/bail continued" — since their initial appearance. There's also a new judge presiding, Michael J. Obus of the State Supreme Court in Manhattan. Justice Kirke Bartley had been the judge of record.

Updated 2:30 p.m.

WIP via Steven...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

Soil testing underway at the 2nd Avenue explosion site

Thursday, December 20, 2018

[Updated] The makeshift memorials at the 2nd Avenue gas explosion site have been removed


[Photo from yesterday]

An EVG reader passed along word that the two makeshift memorials inside the empty lot on Second Avenue and Seventh Street were removed some time late on Tuesday.

It is not immediately known who took away the memorials for Moises Locón, 27, and Nicholas Figueroa, 23, the two men who died in the gas explosion here on March 26, 2015. The memorials first arrived in the fall of 2015, created by the Figueroa family.

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Updated 10:30 a.m.

An EVG reader shared this:

The Figueroa family removed the makeshift memorial. They were asked to because they were told construction on the site will start soon. They took the angels to Maple Grove Cemetery in Kew Gardens and placed them there.

In addition, EVG regular Lola Sāenz created this sign and placed it along the Second Avenue fence this morning...



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In early August, the development team behind the proposed 7-story condoplex at part of the explosion site (the former No. 119 and 121) received approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission for a high-end residential building with ground-floor retail. (The new building will include a commemorative plaque that honors Locón and Figueroa.) However, the project is still waiting for final approval from the Department of Buildings.

Shaky Cohen's Nexus Building Development Group paid $9.15 million for the empty lots.

The owner of 121 Second Ave., Maria Hrynenko, her son Michael Hrynenko (now deceased), contractor Dilber Kukic and their plumber Anthanasios Ioannidis illegally tampered with the gas line then failed to warn those in the building before the blast, according to the Manhattan District Attorney.

According to public records, Hrynenko, who owned No. 119 and 121, and the other defendants will appear in court again on Jan. 8. Records show that Hrynenko and the other accused have appeared in New York County Criminal Court 21 times since February 2016... and the outcome was the same — "adjourned/bail continued" — since their initial appearance.

---



Above photo of Nicholas Figueroa's father tending to the memorials from October 2015 by James and Karla Murray. Posted with permission of the Figueroa family.

Previously on EV Grieve:
RIP Nicholas Figueroa

RIP Moises Ismael Locón Yac

A memorial on 2nd Avenue

Birthday wishes for Nicholas Figueroa on 2nd Avenue

A family continues to feel the loss on 2nd Avenue

Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

Thursday, October 11, 2018

2nd Avenue gas explosion defendants due back in court on Monday



There's another court date for Maria Hrynenko and three other people accused of manslaughter for the deadly explosion that destroyed three buildings at 119-123 Second Ave. in March 2015.

According to public records, Hrynenko, who owned No. 119 and 121, and the other three defendants will appear in court on Monday.



Records show that Hrynenko and the other accused have appeared in New York County Criminal Court 19 times since February 2016... and the outcome was the same — "adjourned/bail continued" — since their initial appearance...



To recap...In February 2016, Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance's office charged Hrynenko and four others with manslaughter and negligent homicide for their alleged role in the blast that killed two men and injured more than a dozen other people in the buildings between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

Vance's office charged Maria and her son, Michael Jr., along with contractor Dilber Kukic and plumber Jerry Ioannidis with manslaughter in the second degree, criminally negligent homicide and assault in the second degree, among other charges. (The final defendant, licensed plumber Andrew Trombettas, was charged with offering a false instrument​,​ for allegedly lending his name and license number to paperwork.)

The five were accused of installing an illegal gas system, which they hid from inspectors, at No. 119 and 121. All five pleaded not guilty.

An obituary posted last August at the Pizzi Funeral Home website stated that Michael Jr. died on Aug. 25, 2017. He was 31. A cause of death was not disclosed for Hrynenko, who was also called Mischou.

In early August, the development team behind the proposed 7-story condoplex at part of the explosion site (the former No. 119 and 121) received approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission for a high-end residential building with ground-floor retail.

The new building will include a commemorative plaque that honors Moises Locón and Nicholas Figueroa, the men who died that March 26, 2015.

Shaky Cohen's Nexus Building Development Group paid $9.15 million for the empty lots.

The third site, which was not owned by Hrynenko, sold for $6 million in 2016, but there aren't any development plans for that property, 123 Second Ave., yet.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

Soil testing underway at the 2nd Avenue explosion site

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

LPC OKs condoplex for gas explosion site on 2nd Avenue and 7th Street


[Rendering via Morris Adjmi]

The development team behind the proposed 7-story condoplex received approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) yesterday for the empty lot at Second Avenue and Seventh Street — site of the deadly gas explosion in March 2015.

Last month, the LPC had a few suggestions for the Morris Adjmi-designed residential building with 21 condos and ground-floor retail. Chief among the asks: A commemorative plaque to be incorporated into the design that honors Moises Locón and Nicholas Figueroa, the men who died in the explosion.

Curbed has the report from yesterday:

The building’s facade is now a lot brighter than the previous iteration. In addition, the curvy corner windows have now disappeared and have now been replaced by the more traditional windows broken up by masonry that are more common to the East Village. In addition, Adjmi has also designed a plaque that would rest next to the retail space on the front facade of the building, facing Second Avenue.

The defendants in the case, including Maria Hrynenko, the former owner of No. 119 and 121, are due back in court on Sept. 6, according to court documents.



Previously on EV Grieve:
Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

Soil testing underway at the 2nd Avenue explosion site

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Report: LPC wants some revisions to the proposed condoplex for 2nd Avenue and 7th Street

The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) reviewed the proposal yesterday to erect a 7-story condoplex on the Second Avenue gas explosion site at Seventh Street.

The 21-unit conodplex with retail space reportedly isn't too far off from what the LPC will approve. Here's part of the coverage via 6sqft:

After reviewing the plans ... and deciding that the proposal is “close, but not quite there,” they’ve sent [architect Morros] Adjmi and Yaniv Shaky Cohen’s Nexus Building Development Group back to the drawing board over concerns regarding the windows, storefront, and coloring. Neighbors and those affected by the tragedy are also calling for a commemorative plaque to be incorporated into the design.

And about a way to commemorate the two men who died in the explosion — Moises Ismael Locon, 27, and Nicholas Figueroa, 23:

[T]he one thing everyone seemed to agree on is the necessity for a commemorative plaque. Adjmi said the owner originally considered a tree to serve as a marker, but the LPC would like to see him work with the community on this addition.

The lot sits within the the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District, and requires the LPC's approval to move forward.

Read more from yesterday at Curbed.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

Soil testing underway at the 2nd Avenue explosion site

Here's the 1st look at the new building proposed for the 2nd Avenue explosion site

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

LPC to review condoplex proposal for 2nd Avenue gas explosion site


[Rendering via Morris Adjimi Architects]

During its weekly meeting today, the Landmarks Preservation Commission will review the proposal to erect a 7-story condoplex on the Second Avenue gas explosion site at Seventh Street.

As Curbed reported yesterday:

Presentation materials that will go before the LPC offer a glimpse at what [the developer] has planned for the structure: The building itself will rise 78 feet, though the bulkhead will take that up to just under 100 feet. The facade would be made from custom L-shaped bricks, cast stone, and corrugated zinc, all in muted shades of gray and beige. Some apartments would have corner exposures, and there would be one penthouse with roof access.

The Historic Districts Council has weighed in on the proposal, saying the building “could fit in quite well in the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District”; however, HDC takes issue with the corner windows, which they call “extremely out of place,” and the color of the cladding.

Last month, CB3 endorsed a resolution by its Landmarks Committee, as The Villager reported.

The committee’s recommendations also called on [architect] Morris Adjmi ... to create a "permanent, prominent bronze marker honoring those who died at the location" — Moises Ismael Locon, 27, and Nicholas Figueroa, 23 — and telling the story of the event, with review from Locon’s and Figueroa’s parents.

Shaky Cohen's Nexus Building Development Group filed plans in February for the development.

According to the Nexus website, 119-121 Second Ave. "is a high-end condominium building ... with seven floors including 21 apartments and a retail space. Residential units are one, two and three bedrooms."

Cohen paid $9.15 million for the empty lots at No. 119 and 121 between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

The defendants in the gas-explosion case, including Maria Hrynenko, the former owner of No. 119 and 121, are still waiting to go to trial.

According to The Villager last week:

A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, Jr., said the case had been "administratively adjourned" to July 27. There is currently no trial date set for Hrynenko and her three co-defendants.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

Soil testing underway at the 2nd Avenue explosion site

Here's the 1st look at the new building proposed for the 2nd Avenue explosion site

Monday, June 18, 2018

Reminders tonight: CB3 presentation on the proposed condoplex for 119 2nd Ave.



Tonight, CB3's Landmarks Committee will review an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for the new residential building proposed at 119-121 Second Ave. — the site of the deadly gas explosion site from March 2015.

You can read my previous post about the 7-story, 21-unit condoplex here.


[Rendering of 119-121 2nd Ave.]

Ahead of the meeting, amNew York asked Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP), for his thoughts on the structure, which would rise in the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District.

"It looks a little bit more like a new building on Bond Street or in SoHo than something that would necessarily make sense in an East Village historical district."

And...

"The proposed design doesn’t do anything to mark or reflect that there was this terrible disruption on this site before."

Berman believes there's a way to make "a nod or gesture to the tragic event."

CB3's Landmarks Committee hears the proposal before it eventually heads to the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission. The CB3 meeting starts at 6:30 tonight at Grace Church School, 46 Cooper Square. There will be time for public comment on the project...


[Photo by Dave on 7th]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

Soil testing underway at the 2nd Avenue explosion site

Here's the 1st look at the new building proposed for the 2nd Avenue explosion site

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Here's the 1st look at the new building proposed for the 2nd Avenue explosion site



This coming Monday, CB3's Landmarks Committee will review an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for the new residential building proposed at 119-121 Second Ave. — the site of the deadly gas explosion site from March 2015.

Ahead of that meeting, CB3 has posted the 39-page application on its website. (PDF here.)

The materials include renderings via Morris Adjimi Architects of the proposed building...






[View from along 7th Street]

As previously reported, Shaky Cohen's Nexus Building Development Group filed plans in February for the development.

According to the Nexus website, 119-121 Second Ave. "is a high-end condominium building ... with seven floors including 21 apartments and a retail space. Residential units are one, two and three bedrooms."

Cohen paid $9.15 million for the empty lots at No. 119 and 121 between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

In a previously recorded transaction, Ezra Wibowo paid $6 million for the adjacent property at 123 Second Ave. A source told the Post in March 2017 that this was a long-term investment. "He’s not in a rush to build or develop."

The lot sits within the the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District. CB3's committee will hear the proposal before it eventually continues on to the Landmarks Preservation Commission. (The CB3 meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. on Monday at Grace Church School, 46 Cooper Square.)

The meeting notice arrived on the fence at the property yesterday...


[Photo by Chris Rowland]

Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa died in the explosion on March 26, 2015. The defendants in the case, including Maria Hrynenko, the former owner of No. 119 and 121, are expected to go to trial in September.

Previously.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

Soil testing underway at the 2nd Avenue explosion site

Monday, April 2, 2018

Report: 2nd Avenue gas explosion trial to start in September



Three years after a gas explosion killed two men and leveled three buildings on Second Avenue at Seventh Street, the case will finally go to trial on Sept. 24, according to The Villager.

Per the paper: "Ahead of the projected trial date, both parties will suggest questions for jury selection on June 25, the judge on the case, Kirke Bartley said on Friday."

As previously reported in February 2016, Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance's office charged landlord Maria Hrynenko, her son, Michael Jr. Hrynenko (now deceased), along with contractor Dilber Kukic and plumber Jerry Ioannidis with manslaughter in the second degree, criminally negligent homicide and assault in the second degree, among other charges.

The final defendant, licensed plumber Andrew Trombettas, was charged with offering a false instrument​,​ for allegedly lending his name and license number to paperwork.

The five were accused of installing an illegal gas system, which they hid from inspectors, at 119 and 121 Second Ave. All five pleaded not guilty in 2016.

In February, Nexus Building Development Group filed plans to build a high-end condo at 119 Second Ave. Nexus paid $9.15 million for the empty lots at No. 119 and 121 between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. Public records show that Maria Hrynenko's companies — MAH Realty and Kiev Realty — were the sellers.

Monday, March 26, 2018

Today is the 3rd anniversary of the deadly 2nd Avenue gas explosion


[Photo from Friday]

Here are a few of the key dates since March 26, 2015...

February 2016 — Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance's office charges landlord Maria Hrynenko and four others with manslaughter and negligent homicide for their alleged role in the blast that killed two men and injured more than a dozen other people. There buildings — 119, 121 and 123 Second Ave. — were also destroyed.

Vance's office charged Hrynenko and her son, Michael Jr. Hrynenko, along with contractor Dilber Kukic and plumber Jerry Ioannidis with manslaughter in the second degree, criminally negligent homicide and assault in the second degree, among other charges. (The final defendant, licensed plumber Andrew Trombettas, was charged with offering a false instrument​,​ for allegedly lending his name and license number to paperwork.)

The five were accused of installing an illegal gas system, which they hid from inspectors, at 119 and 121 Second Ave. All five pleaded not guilty.

September 2016 — 123 Second Ave. sells for $6.6 million.

June 2017 — Hrynenko files a lawsuit, claiming that her management company was "careless and reckless" in its work. In the spring of 2015, as investigators focused on her actions, a lawyer for Hrynenko said that Con Edison bore responsibility for not shutting off the gas during the visit to the property earlier that day.

• June 2017 — Nexus pays $9.15 million for the empty lots at No. 119 and 121 between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. Public records show that Maria Hrynenko's companies — MAH Realty and Kiev Realty — were the sellers.

• August 2017 — An obituary at the Pizzi Funeral Home website states that Michael Hrynenko Jr. died on Aug. 25. He was 31. A cause of death was not disclosed.

October 2017 — City officials unveil the new street blades that co-name the northwest corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street after Moises Locón, 27, and Nicholas Figueroa, 23, who died in the gas explosion.

February 2018 — Nexus Building Development Group files plans to build a high-end condo at 119 Second Ave.

Postscript:

Hrynenko was expected to be back in court this past Friday. Records show that Hrynenko and the other accused have appeared in New York County Criminal Court 12 times since February 2016 with the same outcome — "adjourned/bail continued."

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Maria Hrynenko due back in court on March 23


[The former 119-123 2nd Ave.]

On Tuesday, Nexus Building Development Group filed plans to build a high-end condo at 121 Second Ave., where one of three buildings were destroyed in the deadly gas explosion in March 2015.

Last June, Nexus paid $9.15 million for the empty lots at No. 119 and 121 between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. Public records show that Maria Hrynenko's companies — MAH Realty and Kiev Realty — were the sellers.

In February 2016, Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance's office charged Hrynenko and four others with manslaughter and negligent homicide for their alleged role in the blast that killed two men and injured more than a dozen other people.

News of the proposed condo prompted questions about the pending trial against Hrynenko and the others.

According to court documents, Hrynenko will be back in court on March 23 — almost three years to the date since the explosion leveled 119-123 Second Ave.

Records show that Hrynenko and the other accused have appeared in New York County Criminal Court 12 times since February 2016... the outcome was the same "adjourned/bail continued" ...



As previously reported, Hrynenko and her companies have been hit with at least 28 civil lawsuits.

Meanwhile, last June, Hrynenko filed a lawsuit, claiming that her management company was "careless and reckless" in its work. In the spring of 2015, as investigators focused on her actions, a lawyer for Hrynenko said that Con Edison bore responsibility for not shutting off the gas during the visit to the property earlier that day.

Vance's office charged Maria and her son, Michael Jr., along with contractor Dilber Kukic and plumber Jerry Ioannidis with manslaughter in the second degree, criminally negligent homicide and assault in the second degree, among other charges. (The final defendant, licensed plumber Andrew Trombettas, was charged with offering a false instrument​,​ for allegedly lending his name and license number to paperwork.)

The five were accused of installing an illegal gas system, which they hid from inspectors, at No. 119 and 121. All five pleaded not guilty.

An obituary posted last August at the Pizzi Funeral Home website stated that Michael Jr. died on Aug. 25. He was 31. A cause of death was not disclosed for Hrynenko, who was also called Mischou.

Kukic, Ioannidis and Trombettas will appear in court on March 23 with Maria Hrynenko.



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Read the previous coverage here.

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Report: high-end condo in the works for 2nd Avenue explosion site


[EVG file photo]

Shaky Cohen's Nexus Building Development Group has filed plans to build a high-end condo at 121 Second Ave., where one of three buildings were destroyed in the deadly gas explosion in March 2015.

Nexus Building Development Group paid $9.15 million for the empty lots at No. 119 and 121 between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

As The Real Deal reported, Nexus reps filed a permit application with the DOB today. According to the permit, the building will feature 2,100 square feet for commercial use with 21,000 square feet for residences.

Here's how the Nexus site describes the project:

...121 Second Avenue is a high-end condominium building designed by Morris Adjami, with seven floors including 21 apartments and a retail space. Residential units are one, two and three bedrooms.

Size: 7 floors, 21 Residential units

Developer: Nexus Building Development Group in partnership with Immobiliare Capital and Premier Equities

Architect: Morris Adjimi Architects

Marketing and Sales: The Tavivian Team from Douglas Elliman

The permits list 119 as the address for the new building while the Nexus site lists the address as 121.

There aren't any renderings for the building just yet.



In a previously recorded transaction, Ezra Wibowo paid $6 million for the property at 123 Second Ave. A source told the Post last March that this was a long-term investment. "He’s not in a rush to build or develop."

Previously.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

Soil testing underway at the 2nd Avenue explosion site

Thursday, October 12, 2017

About the scaffolding at 125 2nd Ave.



On the topic of the Second Avenue explosion... several readers have asked about the scaffolding that arrived at the end of September on the south-facing wall at 125 Second Ave.

A reliable source told me workers are will be repointing the building, and it has nothing to do with any possible new construction in the now-empty adjacent lots.

As for those parcels... late last spring, Shaky Cohen's Nexus Building Development Group paid $9.15 million for 119 and 121 Second Ave. at Seventh Street. To date, there haven't been any new permits filed at the DOB.

In September 2016, the lot that housed 123 Second Ave. sold for $6 million. The buyer was reported as Ezra Wibowo under the LLC 123 Second Ave. Corp. His plans? "[I]t’s a long-term investment. He’s not in a rush to build or develop," a source told the Post last March.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

Saturday, September 2, 2017

Michael Hrynenko, Jr., awaiting trial for his role in the 2nd Avenue gas explosion, dies at 31

Michael A. Hrynenko, Jr., a key figure in the Second Avenue gas explosion investigation, died on Aug. 25. He was 31, according to an obituary posted Aug. 27 at the Pizzi Funeral Home website.

A cause of death has not been disclosed for Hrynenko, who was also called Mischou.

He was the son of Maria Hrynenko, the landlord of 119 and 121 Second Ave., two of the three buildings destroyed by the deadly blast on March 26, 2015. He lived on Seventh Street before moving to Rockland County in 2014, according to published reports. (His father, Michael, owned the Kiev Restaurant on Second Avenue and Seventh Street. He died in 2004.)

In February 2016, Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance's office charged Maria and Michael Jr. along with contractor Dilber Kukic and plumber Jerry Ioannidis with manslaughter in the second degree, criminally negligent homicide and assault in the second degree, among other charges. (The final defendant, licensed plumber Andrew Trombettas, was charged with offering a false instrument​,​ for allegedly lending his name and license number to paperwork.)

The five were accused of installing an illegal gas system, which they hid from inspectors, at No. 119 and 121. All five pleaded not guilty.

In announcing the charges in February 2016, Vance singled out Michael Hrynenko, who served as a building manager, and Kukic for their actions on March 26 at 121 Second Ave., the site of the restaurant Sushi Park.

As the Post reported at the time:

The two were caught on ​building surveillance ​video ​the day of the deadly blast and fire ​responding to a fumes complaint from the ground-floor sushi restaurant, then quickly running to fiddle with their hidden basement gas set-up — literally sprinting through the restaurant without warning a single patron, officials allege.

Moments later, restaurant-goer Nicholas Figueroa, 23, and restaurant worker Moises Lucon, 26, were fatally engulfed in the blast, which also injured two dozen others, among them Kukic and Michael Jr.

The criminal case has yet to go to trial while the multiple civil actions are still making their way through the courts.

To date, Maria Hrynenko and her companies have reportedly been hit with 28 lawsuits.

In June, Hrynenko filed a lawsuit, claiming that her management company was "careless and reckless" in its work. In the spring of 2015, as investigators focused on her actions, a lawyer for Hrynenko said that Con Edison bore responsibility for not shutting off the gas during the visit to the property earlier that day.

"Maria would not have sent her son in there if she knew the building was going to explode," the lawyer, Thomas M. Curtis, said in 2015, according to The New York Times.

The Hrynenkos were expected to appear on Sept. 12 in New York Supreme Court in front of Justice A. Kirke Bartley Jr., per court records.

Updated 12:24 p.m.

Giovanni shared this link from the Orangetown Daily Voice from February:

A Sparkill man accused of drunkenly crashing his car and failing several field sobriety tests immediately after is facing a felony count of driving while intoxicated, according to police.

Michael Hrynenko, 31, was taken into custody about 4:50 p.m. Monday after officers responded to a reported one-car crash in a parking lot off Route 303, according to Orangetown police.

According to authorities, Hrynenko was found behind the wheel of the crashed car and appeared to be drunk. He submitted to several field sobriety tests at the scene, which he's accused of failing, according to police.

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Read the previous coverage here.

Sunday, July 30, 2017

Report: Explosion victims seek to freeze Maria Hrynenko's assets

Victims of the deadly Second Avenue gas explosion are now looking to freeze the assets of former landlord Maria Hrynenko, who last month sold two of the three properties destroyed in the blast on March 26, 2015.

The Post today reports that Hrynenko and her companies have been hit with 28 lawsuits.

Per the Post:

The legal motion asks that a judge forbid Hrynenko from “removing, destroying, selling, assigning, gifting, encumbering and otherwise disposing” of cash from the sale.

As I first reported in June, Shaky Cohen's Nexus Building Development Group, Inc., paid $9.15 million for both lots — 119 and 121 Second Ave. To date, there haven't been any new permits filed at the DOB.

The DA charged Hrynenko and several others, including her son, with involuntary manslaughter and other alleged crimes. The criminal case against her has yet to go to trial while the multiple civil actions are still making their way through the courts.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner