Temporary sunroof for 154 Second Ave.

[Terry Howell]

We walked by 154 Second Ave., the former Sigmund Schwartz Gramercy Park Chapel between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street, the other day and looked inside the opened plywood. Not much left on the inside! The sun was pouring into the space from where there was a roof.

For a better angle... EVG reader Terry Howell provided an aerial view showing the progress here where workers are adding three new floors for luxury apartments...

And for some contrast... how the building looked in February...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Former funeral home looks to double in size with help from 'the controversial penthouse king of the East Village'

Redeveloped funeral home looking for a few live retail tenants

The walls come tumbling down at 154 Second Avenue

The walls come tumbling down at 154 Second Avenue

We continue to keep tabs on 154 Second Ave., the former Sigmund Schwartz Gramercy Park Chapel between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street ... where workers will be adding several new floors for "luxury rental apartments" ...

[Image from last summer via Off the Grid]

... we recently looked in the door and spotted some interior demolition... but what's going on out back?

EVG reader Terry Howell notes that workers started serious demolition this week. First, it took four guys and a scaffold to get rid of the chimney in the corner...



Per Terry: "Then a jackhammer arrived and the walls came tumblin' down..."









Previously on EV Grieve:
Former funeral home looks to double in size with help from 'the controversial penthouse king of the East Village'

Redeveloped funeral home looking for a few live retail tenants

Taking another look at the 154 Second Ave. rendering

Just continuing to watch the interior demolition at 154 Second Ave., the former Sigmund Schwartz Gramercy Park Chapel between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street.

[Friday]

Plans call for several new floors here for "luxury rental apartments" ... as well as nearly 4,600 square feet of ground-floor space "perfect for: retail store, restaurant," per the Icon Realty listing.

And there's an updated rendering for the building too.

Previously.

[Image via Off the Grid]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Former funeral home looks to double in size with help from 'the controversial penthouse king of the East Village'

Redeveloped funeral home looking for a few live retail tenants

Demolition under way inside the former Sigmund Schwartz Gramercy Park Chapel

Work is under way inside 154 Second Ave., the former Sigmund Schwartz Gramercy Park Chapel between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street. Plans call for several new floors here for "luxury rental apartments" ... as well as nearly 4,600 square feet of ground-floor space "perfect for: retail store, restaurant," per the listing.

Here's a look at the interior demolition late last week via EV Grieve reader Terry Howell...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Former funeral home looks to double in size with help from 'the controversial penthouse king of the East Village'

Redeveloped funeral home looking for a few live retail tenants

Redeveloped funeral home looking for a few live retail tenants

On Monday, we pointed out that workers have the scaffolding and sidewalk shed in place outside 154 Second Ave., the former Sigmund Schwartz Gramercy Park Chapel. Plans call for several new floors here with the help of architect Ramy Issac.

And we spotted a listing (PDF) for the retail space over at developer Terrence Lowenberg's Icon Realty....

There is nearly 4,600 square feet of ground-floor space "perfect for: retail store, restaurant," per the listing. Rent is upon request.

The rendering looks similar to Lowenberg's other current projects at 147 First Ave. and 326-328 E. Fourth St.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Former funeral home looks to double in size with help from 'the controversial penthouse king of the East Village'

Going to the former Chapel, and we're gonna get three new floors

The scaffolding and construction netting is now in place at the former Sigmund Schwartz Gramercy Park Chapel on Second Avenue between 10th Street and Ninth Street.

As Off the Grid first reported last summer, there are plans on file to "Remodel the existing three story building and add 3 stories on top."

According to the DOB, city officials have approved those plans on Jan. 10. Here's the DOB language:

REMODEL EXISTING THREE STORY BUILDING AND ADD 3 STORIES ON TOP OF EXISTING BUILDING. SECOND AND THIRD FLOORS TO BE CONVERTED TO RESIDENTIAL ONLY. FIRST FLOOR TO BE USED AS A COMMERCIAL USE.

And yes — we've run out of headlines.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Former funeral home looks to double in size with help from 'the controversial penthouse king of the East Village'

The end (of the view and daylight) is near

On Monday, we had an update on the former Sigmund Schwartz Gramercy Park Chapel on Second Avenue between 10th Street and Ninth Street. Plans call for an additional three floors here.

A reader sends along an aerial view looking north at the property. As you can see, construction hasn't started yet.

However, when it does, the folks living next door with the south-facing windows will likely lose any view and daylight. Which really sucks.

3 new floors ready to rise from the dead funeral home on Second Avenue

Renovations have started at the former Sigmund Schwartz Gramercy Park Chapel on Second Avenue between 10th Street and Ninth Street. Workers boarded up the front doors last week.

As Off the Grid first reported last summer, there are plans on file to "Remodel the existing three story building and add 3 stories on top."

According to the DOB, city officials have approved those plans on Jan. 10. Here's the DOB language:

REMODEL EXISTING THREE STORY BUILDING AND ADD 3 STORIES ON TOP OF EXISTING BUILDING. SECOND AND THIRD FLOORS TO BE CONVERTED TO RESIDENTIAL ONLY. FIRST FLOOR TO BE USED AS A COMMERCIAL USE.

The architect on this project is Ramy Issac, once dubbed by New York magazine as "The controversial penthouse king of the East Village." Developer Terrence Lowenberg of Icon Realty is behind the project. Icon is currently renovating 147 First Ave.

Check out this history of the Sigmund Schwartz Gramercy Park Chapel at Jeremiah's Vanishing New York.

Here's what the address looked like in the 1940s, via Vanishing New York...

Will a gut renovation and three-floor addition be enough to wipe out the spirits of the funeral home?

Previously on EV Grieve:
Former funeral home looks to double in size with help from 'the controversial penthouse king of the East Village'