Union Market signage up; Oct. 22 opening date set

The Union Market Watch continues on Avenue A and East Houston... The sign arrived on Friday...

A tipster now hears that the opening date is Oct. 22.

Previously on EV Grieve:
About Union Market coming to Avenue A and Houston

Mid-summer now at the earliest for Union Market on Avenue A and Houston

Blockbusters: Union Market coming to 240 East Houston; Discovery Wines looking for new home

Late summer opening date now for Union Market

We continue to watch the northeast corner of Avenue A and East Houston... where workers have been renovating/rehabbing the space for a new Union Market. Various construction issues have delayed the opening, once set for last fall.

Here's the latest, via an email sent to residents of 240 E. Houston:

The contractors for Union Market have nearly completed their foundation work and are moving quickly forward to build out their interior space. The store's exterior work is scheduled to commence in the next week and the UM owners will be installing new brick, full-height glass panels, and a clean, continuous signature awning that should give our Building a much improved look!

In addition, unlike the previous Commercial tenants, the UM contractors will be weatherproofing all seams, to minimize the street-level erosion that occurred in the past. This Board is partnering with UM to make certain the 240 east Houston entrance to our residences is clearly delineated.

The current goal is for a Grand Opening in late August or early September.

We understand the East Village storefront will look similar to the Seventh Avenue location in Park Slope...

[Via the Union Market website]

Previously on EV Grieve:
About Union Market coming to Avenue A and Houston

Mid-summer now at the earliest for Union Market on Avenue A and Houston

Fire-ravaged Gut-renovated apartment at 240 E. Houston now on market

A new listing appeared Friday for a two-bedroom apartment at 240 E. Houston St. at Avenue A... Here are the details via Synergy New York:

Gorgeous GUT RENOVATED 1050 Square foot Penthouse One Bedroom + Home office 2 full bath apartment in Prime East Village Location.Open Living/Dining/Kitchen with brand new stainless steel appliances and W/D in suite, top floor with 2 dramatic skylights make this space bright and welcoming. Private 500 SF roof terrace with stunning views of the city. Master bedroom 12x21 with large walk in closet and built in storage cabin, Large Home office 11x14, 7 East Facing Windows. Beautiful prewar 5 Storey Elevator Building with original details and New York Charm.

The rent is $5,500 a month, and this is what it looks like... Very nice!

GUT RENOVATED? Indeed! Perhaps enough time has passed in which there isn't a need to mention the four-alarm fire that scorched the building in July 2010...

[Josh via Twitpic.]

The morning after the fire...

[EVG reader Chris]

According to multiple published reports, the fire was caused by the "unapproved use of electrical wiring," according to a FDNY official, who explained that residents had extended various cords to the roof, and stretched wires beneath roofing materials.

(You can watch video of the fire here.)

Union Market progress report

[This past weekend]

On Feb. 4, 2011, we first reported that the Brooklyn-based Union Market was opening an outpost on Avenue A and Houston... The official news release and signage pointed to a fall 2011 opening...

[Feb. 5, 2011]

Several nearby residents said that they haven't seen much construction action at the space in recent months... Here's how it looked inside last month...

We didn't hear back from anyone at Union Market about a possible opening date ... However, we did spot this tweet from Feb. 16:

@unionmarket
@yusophie Looks like a mid-April opening now. Construction challenges still taking time their time to resolve. We can't wait!

Previously on EV Grieve:
About Union Market coming to Avenue A and Houston

Last day for Houston Deli & Grocery

As I first reported last month, Brooklyn's Union Market will open a fancy new shop on Avenue A and Houston that will include a beef-aging facility and personal shopping services...

Meanwhile, the current tenant at 240 E. Houston St., Houston Deli & Grocery, closes today...

I stopped by during the weekend. I asked about the closing date. The owner, shaking his head and fighting back tears, said several times, "They wouldn't offer us a lease..."

Not much left...

Union Market makes their East Village move official with an Official News Release!

Thanks to a blogging friend for the following release...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Union Market to Open First Manhattan Location at 240 East Houston Street

BROOKLYN, Feb 10th, 2011 –-Brooklyn’s Union Market is set to open a new store location at 240 East Houston Street at Avenue A, bringing their experience-centered brand of grocery stores to it’s new Manhattan customers. The location is at the intersection of the East Village, and the Lower East Side.

Opening next fall, the store will bring Union Market’s unique approach and first-rate selection of goods to the borough of Manhattan for the first time since the store was founded in 2004. With its personal, convenient, and locally focused shopping experience, Union Market at Houston Street will offer all the high quality service and products that Manhattanites expect, with the personal touch of a neighborhood grocery store.

The new store at Houston Street will build upon sustainable business practices established at the LEED registered Court Street store. Union Market stocks organic, local and all-natural products, and will continue the stores’ established reputation as a customer first grocery store that offers superior goods at competitive prices.

Previously on EV Grieve:
About Union Market coming to Avenue A and Houston

About Union Market coming to Avenue A and Houston

By now you probably know that the Brooklyn-based Union Market is taking over three storefronts on Avenue A and Houston... (Reported here first Friday.)

During the weekend, some various readers chimed in on Union Market coming here... Among the comments:

Anonymous said...
the one in park slope is nice, albeit a little expensive. lots of hale and hearty soups, a good selection of cheeses and produce. honestly though, it really has nothing to offer that whole foods doesn't already in that area.

Madeline said...
So I lived on Union street in park slope for years — it's a really, really high end supermarket. Just what the neighborhood needs! (joke.) It'll have to compete with whole foods and the nine million trader joes, but at least it's not a condo, or a real estate office, or an NYU dorm, and I guarantee there won't be as many babies.

onemorefoldedsunset said...
The Union Markets in Brooklyn — steep in price, & abuzz with the well-heeled hordes. Seems like a successful model, though you have to wonder if over-expansion might be a mistake.

Anonymous said...
Whatever it is, it can't be more expensive, or have worse customer service (or more expired food on its shelves) than Gracefully.

Anonymous said...
there are just as many babies in the EV as in park slope.
deal with it.
people have babies.
hipsters, deadbeats, rockers, etc...
and as much as i am now lamenting the loss of another corner bodega within two blocks of each other, the one that union market will replace was a dump.

Jeremiah has more on the likely arrival of Union Market's East Village coffee blend here.

Meanwhile, we've also heard from residents who worry about what chain store may come to Second Street and Avenue A...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Imagining Avenue A and Second Street with a 7-Eleven

Meet your new neighbor on Avenue A

Thanks to a tip from RyanAvenueA, we now know the future of 240 E. Houston at Avenue A. (Read that post here.) Meanwhile, who has been to a Union Market in Brooklyn? And what can you tell us about the stores?

Blockbusters: Union Market coming to 240 East Houston; Discovery Wines looking for new home

240 E. Houston has been on the block now for several months... and there's a taker. EV Grieve reader RyanAvenueA notes that signs just went up here for the Brooklyn-based Union Market.

Meanwhile, Discovery Wines will not be renewing their lease. Their last day is May 31 in this space at 10 Avenue A. Tim at Discovery Wines recently told me this:

"We're not going anywhere — we're staying in this neighborhood for the long haul. And while we have no concrete plans to move into a new space, we are aware of the options in the immediate area. Discovery Wines is a thriving retail shop with an established loyal customer base in the best neighborhood in NYC —" you can count on us to continue to serve our customers on lower Avenue A for many years to come."

Meanwhile, work continues on the upper levels of 240 E. Houston, which caught fire last July.

FDNY IDs cause of 240 E. Houston blaze

According to multiple published reports (the Times, DNAinfo, NY1) Thursday's fire was caused by the "unapproved use of electrical wiring," according to a fire official, who explained that residents had extended various cords to the roof, and stretched wires beneath roofing materials.

And this is the shot the FDNY released:



Twenty-eight firefighters and civilians were injured in the fire, the Times reported.

Previously.

[Bottom photo via the FDNY]

A quick update on the 240 E. Houston fire

Just a quick update on the fire from last Thursday at 240 E. Houston... As I mentioned, Discovery Wines reopened last Friday... Kelly's is also open, though the Double Down next door is still "closed for renovations" (it was closed even before the fire...)...and the nail salon around the corner on Houston remains closed...

As for Discovery, here are a few shots from the fire's aftermath...



[Top two photos courtesy of Bill Farrington]



The Discovery folks are babysitting the fish for some displaced neighbors from the fifth floor...

240 Houston fire update

This morning on Houston and Avenue A... workers had boarded up the windows on the top floors...




Patrick Hedlund at DNAinfo has an update on the fire here...it's still under investigation...and tenants were allowed back in briefly yesterday to retrieve valuables, including pets. Two cats were found safe in a second-floor apartment.

Previous coverage here.

Discovery Wines back open

The four-alarm fire at 240 Houston on Thursday evening shuttered several businesses... One of them, Discovery Wines, reopened last night. EV Grieve reader BaHa said that there is a lot of ceiling damage, so the overhead lights are out. They are getting by with clip-on lights. However, the refrigeration is working...

Tim from Discovery Wines left this comment for us:

We feel so very lucky to have only water damage and smoke odor.

We must have dumped over 300 gallons of water between last night and this afternoon -- I've never been so happy about a leaking ceiling in all my life!

We've still got a lot of electrical work to straighten out, but we reopened at 5:30 tonight (Friday).

Best of luck to our displaced friends and neighbors and a big thank you to the firefighters who saved lives last night.

All fire coverage here.

The 240 Houston fire on video

A passerby, Sheryl Jordan, captured yesterday's fire on video... there are five parts... here are the first three... You may access all of them via her YouTube page.

The $500 shot

Josh Spear took the first photo from yesterday's fire that showed the extent of the fire at 240 Houston ...

(Via Twitpic.)



The Post published his photo today...



Per Josh's Twitter feed, he negotiated a $500 fee for use of the photo from the Post ... and he is promptly donating the money to the FDNY Foundation.

Previously on EV Grieve:
More on the fire at 240 Houston

All coverage here.

Assessing the fire damage this morning at 240 Houston

Thanks to EV Grieve reader Chris for this photo from a little earlier this morning ...



Meanwhile, BoweryBoogie has a roundup of media sources on the fire ... The Lo-Down has some nice shots too from yesterday.

Previously on EV Grieve:
More on the fire at 240 Houston

All coverage here.

Report: Eight firefighters injured this evening at 240 Houston

According to the Times:

Nearly 140 firefighters were sent to battle the blaze, which caused no deaths or major injuries but spread anxiety throughout the neighborhood. Eight firefighters had minor injuries, including burns and smoke inhalation.

Previously on EV Grieve:
More on the fire at 240 Houston

More shots from after the fire

Many thanks to EV Grieve reader Krikor for sharing these photos... (Via Flickr)








Previously on EV Grieve:
More on the fire at 240 Houston

After the fire

Check out Jeremiah's photos (like this one) of the firefighters after batting the blaze at 240 Houston.

Previously on EV Grieve:
More on the fire at 240 Houston

BoweryBoogie is also on the scene. He overheard a firefighter say the whole roof is gone at 240.

The Lo-Down is there too. They're reporting all the residents were safely evacuated.

Firefighters at work

Many thanks to BaHa for these shots...