9th Street condo project turns former parking garage into construction zone

Top photo from Thursday by William Klayer 

Work picked up last week at the former Little Man Parking garage (aka LaSalle Parking) on Ninth Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

There are partial demolition permits on file with the city. Part of the existing structure will be used (for residential parting!) in the conversion and vertical enlargement of five to six floors for residential use. 

A tipster on the block told us this: 

Workers arrived this past week and began loading materials onto the roof to build scaffolding. By Friday afternoon, the scaffolding had grown to occupy the sidewalk, bike lane, and part of the street.

Back to the tipster: 

Friday evening was chaotic for a while when an MTA bus could not pass the barricades placed on the street to protect the scaffolding. This caused a roadblock, and the cars behind it honked their horns for about 15 minutes. Eventually, the cars and bus all backed out onto Second Avenue, and traffic flowed across Ninth Street again.

The power is off in the building and as of now there are no exterior lights on the sidewalk so a significant portion of the block is pitch black. Traffic can't see the construction site or narrowing of the street until they are right up on it. 

It's not immediately clear what caused the mini traffic jam on Friday. It's possible someone double-parked and left their vehicle unattended. There should be enough room for buses and box trucks to navigate the construction zone.

Meanwhile, expect more scaffolding this week as workers wrap up the structure's remains.

As for background, the new 74-foot-tall building will include 31,231 square feet of residential space, including 18 units and likely condos, as NYY previously pointed out. Per public notices, Colberg Architecture is the architect of record.

According to public records and the TradedNY account, Arcus Development, operating through Astor Nine LLC, is the new owner of the vacant property. 

The garage has been closed since late April 2023 after the Department of Buildings issued a vacate order on the property following the deadly collapse at the Little Man garage on Ann Street in the Financial District. 

Per the DOB vacate order: "The occupied parking structure with concrete framing observed to be in a state of disrepair at several locations in cellar level... crushed column base observed at several locations in cellar level ... vertical cracks observed inside elevator shaft and on masonry walls."

The address was offered as a "redevelopment project" in August 2023. 

Thanks to Steven for sharing photos of the site.

Signs of construction life at former East Village parking garage that will yield to condos

On our 2025 development watch list: The former Little Man Parking garage (aka LaSalle Parking) on Ninth Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. 

The property changed hands last spring for a residential conversion. We haven't seen any activity here in the past year. 

On Monday, however, an EVG tipster shared these photos, noting some construction activity on the site...

The power is back on, too, as the parking sign is blinking once more...

There are partial demolition permits on file. Part of the existing structure will be used (for residential parting, natch) in the conversion and vertical enlargement of five to six floors for residential use. 

The 74-foot-tall building will include 31,231 square feet of residential space — 18 units and likely condos, as NYY previously pointed out. Colberg Architecture is the architect of record, per public notices. 

According to public records and the TradedNY account, Arcus Development, operating through Astor Nine LLC, is the new owner of the vacant property. 

The garage has been closed since late April 2023 after the Department of Buildings issued a vacate order on the property following the deadly collapse at the Little Man garage on Ann Street in the Financial District. 

Per the DOB vacate order: "The occupied parking structure with concrete framing observed to be in a state of disrepair at several locations in cellar level... crushed column base observed at several locations in cellar level ... vertical cracks observed inside elevator shaft and on masonry walls."

The address was offered as a "redevelopment project" in August 2023.

From parked cars to luxury condos on 9th Street

Plans are now on file to convert the former Little Man Parking garage (aka LaSalle Parking) into a six-story residential building on Ninth Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. 

According to the permits filed last week, the proposed development will feature 31,231 square feet of residential space for 18 units. (Per NY Yimby, that puts the average residence at 1,735 square feet — likely condos.) The newly created complex will also feature a rear yard and 10 enclosed parking spaces.)

Arcus Development purchased the space earlier this spring for $14 million. (Check out their luxury conversions here.)

There is also a new partial demoliton permit —"down to the first floor" — on file with the DOB.

The garage has been closed since late April 2023 after the Department of Buildings issued a vacate order on the property following the deadly collapse on April 18, 2023, at the Little Man garage on Ann Street in the Financial District.

Per the DOB vacate order: "The occupied parking structure with concrete framing observed to be in a state of disrepair at several locations in cellar level... crushed column base observed at several locations in cellar level ... vertical cracks observed inside elevator shaft and on masonry walls."

The address was offered as a "redevelopment project" last August. 

Budget Car Rental and Tori-Bien, a restaurant that specialized in Japanese fried chicken, were also forced to leave their retail spaces at this address due to the vacate order.

Vacated 9th Street parking garage fetches $14 million for likely residential conversion

The Little Man Parking garage (also known as LaSalle Parking) on Ninth Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue has sold for $14 million.

According to public records and the TradedNY account, Arcus Development, operating through Astor Nine LLC,  is the new owner of the vacant property. 

While Arcus hasn't revealed its intentions, Crain's noted that the property "seems poised to become luxury housing."

The garage has been closed since late April 2023 after the Department of Buildings issued a vacate order on the property following the deadly collapse on April 18 at the Little Man garage on Ann Street in the Financial District.

Per the DOB vacate order: "The occupied parking structure with concrete framing observed to be in a state of disrepair at several locations in cellar level... crushed column base observed at several locations in cellar level ... vertical cracks observed inside elevator shaft and on masonry walls."

The address was offered as a "redevelopment project" last August. 

So far, no demoliton permits are on file with the DOB for the 22,000-square-foot structure. (No new building permits either.)

Budget Car Rental and Tori-Bien, a restaurant that specialized in Japanese fried chicken, were also forced to leave their retail spaces at this address due to the vacate order.