New residential complex at former Mary Help of Christians lot may include rooftop swimming pool

Details are emerging about the residential complex slated to take the place of the former Mary Help of Christians complex that developer Douglas Steiner bought last fall for $41 million.

Plans filed yesterday with the city show that the proposed new building will stand 7 stories with 158 residential units. In total, the complex will be 164,720 square feet. (The building's address will be 438 E. 12th St., not 181 Avenue A as we originally thought.)

Here's more information (PDF) via the CB3 website:

The Project will contain 22 affordable units that will be designated as Inclusionary Housing units under HPD’s Inclusionary Housing Program. These 22 Inclusionary Housing units will consist of 4 studios, 14 one-bedroom units, and 4 two-bedroom units.

CB3's Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee will hear more about the Inclusionary Housing proposal during a meeting on Nov. 13.

Also, via the CB3 website:

The seven (7) story building will be "U" shaped, with interior units facing onto a landscaped courtyard. The building’s façade will be primarily comprised of brick, with metal panel at the penthouse setback level and storefront at the ground floor retail. The building will have residential apartments on all floors, including garden apartments on the cellar level. The first floor apartments will be elevated approximately 3’ above grade, and will be accessible not only by stairs but also by a rear-opening elevator. Approximately 10,000 square feet at the first floor and 8,000 square feet in the cellar are reserved for retail use. To enliven the courtyard façade and offer outdoor space, twenty-five (25) of the courtyard units will have balconies, five (5) of which will be IH Units.

The entrance to the building will be on East 12th Street, and the building will be staffed 24 hours a day by a concierge. Loading and move-ins will take place through a service corridor and entrance on Avenue A. Resident amenities will be housed in the cellar, opening to a landscaped courtyard, and on the top roof of the building. The amenities program is currently contemplated to include a fitness center and lounge in the cellar, as well as a swimming pool and landscaped deck on the roof. Access to these amenities will be fee-based. The fee will be reduced for the residents of the IH Units.

Find the renderings on this EVG post.

Last summer, workers demolished the structures on the Mary Help of Christians lot on Avenue A between East 12th Street and East 11th Street.



Photos by Bobby Williams.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Permits filed to demolish Mary Help of Christians church, school and rectory

Preservationists call for archeological review of former cemetery at Mary Help of Christians site

Scaffolding arrives for demolition of Mary Help of Christians

The 'senseless shocking self-destruction' of Mary Help of Christians

What can we expect on the former Mary Help of Christians property?

What can we expect on the former Mary Help of Christians property?

[Aug. 29, by Dan Efram]

Well, to answer our headline: We have no idea!

You know the background: Developer Douglas Steiner bought the property last fall for an unspecified residential complex. This summer, workers demolished the structures on the Mary Help of Christians lot on Avenue A between East 12th Street and East 11th Street.

Next, presumably, there's construction of the new building. At this point, you'd figure Steiner reps would have filed the plans with the Department of Buildings... and we could all see the proposal... and await city approval (or not).

Steiner reps did file plans in July. Unfortunately, we just can't see them.



In our six years of blogging and digging through DOB files, we've never seen this before. In the words of an EVG friend who we shared this with, here's where things get interesting. Through the Hub "self-service" thing, architects and engineers "can professionally certify plans for small construction projects (Alteration 2 and Alteration 3) without visiting a Department office."

However! Since bigger projects like the demolition of a church and school for a residential complex include change of use, we don't understand how those would quality as "small construction projects." As our EVG friend theorized, "maybe what's happening is they're just electronically submitting permit applications for like interior demo and debris removal and scaffolding installation."

So given all this, we won't be able to see these applications until they are accepted into the DOB system.

But we got a few possible clues about the space back in May ... when a retail listing at Ripco Real Estate popped up .. then quickly disappeared. From that listing:

Size
11,356 sf - Ground Floor
11,508 sf - Basement Possible
*Divisions possible

Asking Rent
Upon Request

Possession
4Q 2014

Currently
New Construction

Frontage
150’ on Avenue A
70’ on 11th Street

Notes & Highlights:
• New construction at the base of 140 unit market luxury rental building
• Steps from Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village with 30,000 residents
• Close proximity to Tompkins Square Park
• Located in the heart of the East Village and Alphabet City

So, going back to our headline... to answer the question: What can we expect?

Something big.

[Via Off the Grid]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Permits filed to demolish Mary Help of Christians church, school and rectory

Preservationists call for archeological review of former cemetery at Mary Help of Christians site

Scaffolding arrives for demolition of Mary Help of Christians

The 'senseless shocking self-destruction' of Mary Help of Christians

The future of Avenue A is likely going to look something like this

Last Thursday, reps for developer Douglas Steiner filed permits to demolish the now-vacant parcel of Mary Help of Christians that includes the church, school and rectory, as we first reported.

Plans call for some type of residential-retail complex. Now a retail listing at Ripco Real Estate provides a few clues as to what is possibly in store for this parcel of Avenue A between East 11th Street and East 12th Street:



Per the listing:

Size
11,356 sf - Ground Floor
11,508 sf - Basement Possible
*Divisions possible

Asking Rent
Upon Request

Possession
4Q 2014

Currently
New Construction

Frontage
150’ on Avenue A
70’ on 11th Street

Notes & Highlights:
• New construction at the base of 140 unit market luxury rental building
• Steps from Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village with 30,000 residents
• Close proximity to Tompkins Square Park
• Located in the heart of the East Village and Alphabet City

In addition, the Ripco site has a listing for 98 Avenue A, the former theater-turned-grocery that was most recently East Village Farm between East Seventh Street and East Sixth. Currently home to the last skid row in the East Village.


[Photo from Monday by Bobby Williams]

To date, plans (that are still waiting for approval) on file with the DOB show a modest renovation of the existing space. The marketing materials at Ripco shows something far different.



Here is the rest of the listing:

Size
9,767 sf - Ground Floor
5,850 sf - Basement
*Divisions Accepted

Asking Rent
Upon Request

Currently
Vacant (New Residential Development)

Frontage
127'5" on Avenue A

Notes & Highlights:
• Landlord will deliver vanilla box space and new storefront(s)
• New residential building will be above the retail (40 units)
• Unique large piece of retail space available in the East Village
• Steps from Tompkins Square Park
• Surrounded by a mix of local and national retailers and restaurants
• Dense residential neighborhood with 11,471 households in 1/4 mile

Nothing is on file yet with the DOB to indicate either a demolition or new building for 98 Avenue A. Property records show that Suh, Yon, Pak Associates, Inc. is still the owner.

[March 2012 via Bobby Williams]

Previously on EV Grieve:
A little bit of Hollywood on Avenue A

East Village Farm is closing; renovations coming to 100 Avenue A

Inside the abandoned theater at East Village Farm on Avenue A