Report: Microsoft signs lease for gas-station replacing office building on Lafayette and Houston

[EVG photo from April]

Microsoft has reportedly signed a lease for most of the available space at 300 Lafayette, the incoming 7-floor office building at East Houston — the former site of a BP station (and Gaseteria before that) and the Irish pub Puck Fair.

In total, the building has 30,000 square feet of retail and 53,000 square feet of office space. According to the Post, Microsoft signed a lease for nearly 70,000 square feet. No official word on what Microsoft plans to do with all the space. Last fall, Crain's reported that they were planning a retail presence here.

The building has a terracotta façade; the office floors boast private terraces and floor-to-ceiling windows. Microsoft apparently liked the Windows here.

Developed by Related and LargaVista Companies, the lobby is apparently paying homage to the property's gas-station past, as seen in this rendering...

A look at the all-new Houston Lafayette-Broadway corridor

Here we are over on East Houston at Lafayette looking west toward Broadway where two new developments are nearing completion — 300 Lafayette (picture above left) and 606 Broadway.



• 300 Lafayette

A 7-story boutique office building with luxury retail has risen on the former site of a BP station and the Irish pub Puck Fair. In total, the building will include 30,000 square feet of retail and 53,000 square feet of office space.


[Rendering via]

...and how the corner looked in 2016...


[EVG photo]

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• 606 Broadway

A 6-story mixed-use building now stands on that sliver of space between Broadway and Crosby. The building will sport about 11,500 square feet of retail space on the first and second floors with 22,751 square feet of office space on floors three to six.

Until late 2014, the space at Broadway housed the Honest Boy fruit stand for years.


[Photo from April 2014 via Vanishing New York]

Where the gas stations were

In the past four years, the last three area gas stations have closed, replaced by high-end new developments. Here's an update...

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Lafayette at East Houston Street

The BP station closed in April 2016... (the Irish pub Puck Fair was also on this parcel)...


[EVG file photo]

... and here's a look at the new 7-story retail-office complex as of Friday at 300 Lafayette St. ... the building will include 30,000 square feet of retail and 53,000 square feet of office space...



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Second Avenue at First Street

The gas station — first a Gulf, then BP — closed in July 2014...


[EVG file photo]

... and here's the 10-story condoplex shaping up as of Saturday...



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Avenue C at East Houston Street

The Mobil station closed in September 2014. It was the last one in business in the East Village...


[EVG file photo]

... and as of Saturday, workers are still down in the foundation of what will be a 10-floor building with 45 luxury rentals via BLDG Management ...



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With these closures, there is one gas station in the city below 14th Street — a Mobil on Eighth Avenue near East 13th Street. There is also a BP on East 23rd Street at the FDR.

Previously on EV Grieve:
How much longer will the East Village have gas stations?

The East Village will soon be down to 1 gas station

RUMOR: Gas station going, boutique hotel coming on Second Avenue? (31 comments)

BP station on 2nd Avenue closes this month

Have you seen the glass tower in the works for Lafayette and East Houston?

Filling up: the status of 2 former East Village gas stations

Report: Boutique office building on East Houston and Lafayette at BP site a go

BP station on East Houston and Lafayette closes April 14

Report: Lack of gas stations downtown a concern

Construction watch: 606 Broadway and 300 Lafayette

[606 Broadway from Monday]

In case you haven't been over on East Houston between Lafayette and Broadway lately...


[300 Lafayette from Monday]

Construction is booming at two nearly side-by-side sites.

• 606 Broadway

A 6-story mixed-use building is going up on that sliver of space between Broadway and Crosby. Once completed, the building will have about 11,500 square feet of retail space on the first and second floors with 22,751 square feet of office space on floors three to six.

Until late 2014, the space at Broadway housed the Honest Boy fruit stand for years.


[606 Broadway rendering via]

• 300 Lafayette

A 7-story boutique office building with luxury retail is going in on the former site of a BP station and the Irish pub Puck Fair. (If you're keeping track, the building will include 30,000 square feet of retail and 53,000 square feet of office space.)


[Rendering via]

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Previously ... 606 Broadway...


[Photo from April 2014 via Vanishing New York]

300 Lafayette...


[EVG photo from 2016]

Another luxury building poised for East Houston-Broadway corridor

As you probably know, crews are demolishing the former BP station and adjacent one-level building that housed Puck Fair on East Houston and Lafayette.

Coming to that space one of these days: A building that will encompass 80,000 square feet of "flagship retail and boutique office" ...


[Rendering by Cookfox]

This building at 300 Lafayette will be getting some company.

As The Wall Street Journal noted yesterday, a joint venture of Madison Capital and Vornado Realty Trust have plans for a 6-story mixed-use building on that sliver of space between Broadway and Crosby...



Here's a rendering of the project looking toward the east on Houston near Broadway... (the Landmarks Commission signed off on this design back in 2013)...

A photo posted by S9 Architecture (@s9architecture) on May 14, 2016 at 8:39pm PDT

Per the Journal:

The glass building will have about 11,500 square feet of retail space on the first and second floors with 22,751 square feet of high-end office space on floors three to six. In addition, the building will have an outdoor terrace. The developers hope to complete the building by mid-2018.

While this project had been in the works for years, Madison and Vornado just closed on the $25.8 million purchase of the site from the New York City Economic Development Corp. last Friday. Part of the space had used by the the MTA to park emergency vehicles.

Until late 2014, the space at Broadway housed the Honest Boy fruit stand for years. A mysterious fire took care of what was left of the stand last summer.


[Photo from April 2014 via Vanishing New York]

BP has closed on East Houston; 1 gas station remains below 14th Street in NYC

As we first reported, the BP station on East Houston and Lafayette was set to close yesterday to make way for a new office-retail building.

Workers were on the scene early this morning, as these photos via an EVG reader show, to start erecting a sidewalk bridge before the demolition. (The demo permits were filed in December 2014.)



The demolition includes the former Puck Fair space... the pub closed last month...



As for 300 Lafayette, once completed, the new building will encompass 80,000 square feet of "flagship retail and boutique office" ...


[Rendering by Cookfox]

As for gas, there's a BP on 23rd Street at the FDR. With this closure, there'll be just one gas station in the city below 14th Street — a Mobil on Eighth Avenue near East 13th Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
How much longer will the East Village have gas stations?

Have you seen the glass tower in the works for Lafayette and East Houston?

Filling up: the status of 2 former East Village gas stations

Report: Boutique office building on East Houston and Lafayette at BP site a go

BP station on East Houston and Lafayette closes April 14

Report: Lack of gas stations downtown a concern

BP station on East Houston and Lafayette closes April 14

A 7-story boutique office building is in the works for the parcel of land on East Houston and Lafayette that currently houses the always-busy BP station as well as the Irish pub Puck Fair.

Puck Fair will close for good this coming Sunday. (The goodbye party is Friday.)

Soon after, the BP station will shut down... officially on April 14...



Per the sign, BP is positioning this as a move... to the existing BP on East 23rd Street at the FDR. (The BP also closed at Second Avenue and East First Street to make way for a new development.)

While the closing date was only recently announced, the closure was a foregone conclusion. In fact, the demolition permit was filed in December 2014, per city records.

As for 300 Lafayette, once completed, the new building will encompass 80,000 square feet of "flagship retail and boutique office" ...


[Rendering by Cookfox]

So you have a few weeks left to fill up at the pumps, pick up some bagels at the BP shop...



... and take in the unobstructed view of Kendall Jenner at the Calvin Klein wall across East Houston...



Previously on EV Grieve:
How much longer will the East Village have gas stations?

Have you seen the glass tower in the works for Lafayette and East Houston?

Filling up: the status of 2 former East Village gas stations

Report: Boutique office building on East Houston and Lafayette at BP site a go

Report: Puck Fair closes on March 27

[Image via Google]

After 16 years, Puck Fair, the Irish pub on Lafayette just south of Houston, will close for good on March 27, Gothamist reported.

Puck Fair and the BP station next door will be demolished to make way for a 7-story boutique office building that will look like...


[Rendering by Cookfox via Crain's]

The farewell party at Puck Fair is on March 25. And the details via Facebook:

Well folks it's with great sorrow that I must break the news that Puck Fair must close it's doors at the end of this month. After 16 years of operation the powers that be are making way for a new development on our corner of Lafayette street.

So come join us between now and then but especially on Friday the 25th of March when we will host our farewell party with drink specials, live music and all the usual things you've grown to expect from us at Puck.

The Puck Fair owners also operate Swift Hibernian Lounge on East Fourth Street between the Bowery and Lafayette.

The BP station has yet to announce its closing date.

Previously on EV Grieve:
How much longer will the East Village have gas stations?

Have you seen the glass tower in the works for Lafayette and East Houston?

Filling up: the status of 2 former East Village gas stations

Report: Boutique office building on East Houston and Lafayette at BP site a go

Report: Boutique office building on East Houston and Lafayette at BP site a go

Despite not having any tenants, Related Cos. will start construction of a swanky new boutique office building on East Houston and Lafayette in the next few months, Crain's reports.

The development has been in the discussion phase for several years now.

Per Crain's:

Developers typically need to find an anchor tenant in order to establish a source of income that will help to finance the construction of the development. But like other boutique-office developers, Related discovered that it would have to take a risk and construct the building without a tenant in hand because small-sized office tenants do not make decisions on their office space years in advance. Instead they sign leases closer to when they are ready to make a move.

The 7-story terra-cotta and limestone building — designed by Cookfox Architects — will have 30,000 square feet of retail and 53,000 square feet of office space. As Crain's noted, "300 Lafayette will have abundant outdoor space, with a roof deck and expansive terraces on each floor."

And here is a rendering...


[Rendering by Cookfox via Crain's]

The building is expected to be finished in 2018.

Meantime, this means the BP station on the lot will be closing soonish. So the BP on East 23rd Street at Avenue C/the FDR will be the closest place around here if you need gas. (Gas for your vehicle. Because someone will make a joke.)

Previously on EV Grieve:
How much longer will the East Village have gas stations?

Have you seen the glass tower in the works for Lafayette and East Houston?

Filling up: the status of 2 former East Village gas stations