Yesterday at the former 35 Cooper Square

Perhaps they're breaking into the Cooper Square Hotel? In any event, first signs of workers that we've seen here in weeks. Photos by Bobby Williams.

At 35 Cooper Square — that's all, folks

EV Grieve correspondent Bobby Williams took these yesterday afternoon. Mission accomplished!

Previously.

At the funeral tonight of 35 Cooper Square

Meanwhile, behind the plywood...

Photos by Bobby Williams

Crazy Eddie sent along a few shots too...

Read more about it here.

Get involved in the cause via the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors and Lower East Side History Project.

Updated:

Roger_Paw was there, and has more photos here. BoweryBoogie has coverage here.

Here's what left of 186 years of history on Cooper Square

A stairway to a ghost building on the Cooper Square Hotel.

And as a reminder, the 35 Cooper Square funeral/rally is tonight at 6 right here.

Meanwhile, here are a few shots from yesterday via EV Grieve correspondent Bobby Williams...

More about the rally to mourn the loss of 35 Cooper Square and save the Bowery

From the EV Grieve inbox... The funeral and rally is tomorrow night at 6:30 in front of 35 Cooper Square

Rally to Mourn the Loss of 35 Cooper Square and Save the Bowery!

May 25, 2011 – We come together as a community to mourn the loss of 35 Cooper Square and to call upon the City to take specific steps to insure that no more historic buildings are lost on the Bowery. The wanton demolition of this historic 1825 Federal-style house is a blatant reminder of how vulnerable the Bowery is to rampant out-of-scale development. [Last year, the distinctive upper floors of the Germania Bank Building (185 Bowery) were destroyed in order to preempt objections to a 30-story luxury hotel plan.]

The Bowery Alliance of Neighbors has identified and submitted to the Landmarks Preservation Commission 21 buildings recognized by historians and community members as top priorities for protection. They are the tangible survivors of three centuries of the Bowery’s rich and colorful history. Losing any of them would greatly diminish the physical evidence of the Bowery’s contributions to the city’s and the nation’s cultural and architectural history. By protecting these buildings, the City will be ensuring the bare minimum needed to keep the Bowery a real place instead of a convenient brand for real estate development. Recognizing the dangers that threaten these buildings, we urge LPC Chair Tierney to schedule his promised meeting with us as soon as possible.

However, landmarking is not enough! The City must act to relieve the intense development pressure the area labors under. The east side of the Bowery is the release valve for all speculative energy focused on the neighborhood. There is a giant “BUILD BIG HERE” sign written in the air above the Bowery that only height limits can erase. Until the City lowers the allowable height to a reasonable level, we are going to see more and more luxury buildings growing higher and higher year by year.

The City cannot continue to ignore the devastating impact overdevelopment is having on long-time residents, small businesses and the artists’ community that still exists on the Bowery. The only way to truly save the Bowery from becoming a non-place is to put fair and equitable heights on the entire east side of the street. The broad support for this has been expressed by some of our most prominent writers, artists, and business leaders, including Luc Sante, Philip Glass, and Keith (Balthazar) McNally, who has written, “Development in any neighborhood may be inevitable, but in as noted and distinctive an area as the Bowery, it is desirable only as long as it preserves the neighborhood’s character while enhancing its value” (letter to City Planning, 6-12-09).

With the Bowery poised to be listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places, the City cannot continue to ignore this street’s architectural, historical and cultural importance. The Bowery has played a seminal role in the emergence of tap dance, vaudeville, minstrel shows, abstract expressionism, Beat literature and punk rock. As the convergence point for multiple historic neighborhoods (Chinatown, Little Italy, NoHo, East Village and Lower East Side), it needs to be preserved and protected in order to maintain the flow and historic sense of place of all these unique areas. As Pete Hamill stated at the candlelight vigil for 35 Cooper Square, “In order to make the present as rich as possible, you have to have a sense of the past….This is our inheritance.”

We, as a united community, call upon the City to:
• protect the Bowery’s remaining historical resources.
• change the sky’s-the-limit zoning on the Bowery’s east side to the more reasonable height caps that exist and help protect its west side.
• schedule a public hearing on the future of the Bowery.
• extend the proposed East Village Historic District study area to include portions of the Bowery.

As Amanda Burden, Chair of the City Planning Commission, has so aptly stated, “Once you lose a building, you lose character and history.” The City must now step up and save the character and history of the Bowery.

David Mulkins, Chair
Bowery Alliance of Neighbors
184 Bowery, #4
New York, NY 10012
(631) 901-5435
mulbd@yahoo.com

Victor Papa, President
Two Bridges Neighborhood Council
275 Cherry Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 566-2729
tbnc275@aol.com

Simeon Bankoff, Exec. Director
Historic Districts Council
232 East 11th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 614-9107
sbankoff@hdc.org

Demolition blues

Nothing to really make you feel any better on such a gloomy Monday... Dave Winer (via Flickr) sends along this shot of the demolition-in-progress today at 35 Cooper Square...

And another slightly closer view...

Workers reminded not to smoke while demolishing 35 Cooper Square

Meanwhile, EV Grieve correspondent Bobby Williams notes the machine part (jaws of death?) that will gut the remainder of 35 Cooper Square shortly ... now in place in the lot next door...

At 35 Cooper Square: 'Don't mourn ... organize' (and wear black)

As we reported on Friday, there's a funeral for 35 Cooper Square Wednesday evening at 6 ... and here's a newly posted flyer for the event on the 35 Cooper Square plywood...

As the sign says, wear black.

At 35 Cooper Square: 'It's a matter of days now'

EV Grieve correspondent Bobby Williams paid a visit to the demolition site of the historic 35 Cooper Square yesterday. He noted, "They moved in a big gun to the parking lot."

"It's a matter of days now."

Indeed. And on the plywood out front...

You are invited to 35 Cooper Square's funeral

From the EV Grieve inbox...

Join us and our colleagues on Wednesday, May 25 at 6 pm in front of 35 Cooper Square to mourn the loss of this 1825 Federal building and demand that the remainder of the historic Bowery gains protection now!

The Bowery Alliance of Neighbors has a list of 16 properties on the Bowery endorsed by Council member Margaret Chin – ranging from 1807 Federal townhouses to 20th century Beaux-Arts bank buildings - which need to be landmarked. Please join us in raising our voices to ensure that 35 Cooper Square is the last historic building on the Bowery to fall.

35 Cooper Square no longer suitable for framing

This evening.

Cooper Square, 6:12 p.m., May 17

Workers at 35 Cooper Square suddenly find the blue tarp

To protect the side of the Cooper Square Hotel from the elements. Where was this when the roof of the historic 35 Cooper Square was rotting while exposed to the elements?

Previously.

Today at 35 Cooper Square

Previously.

Your now probably outdated 35 Cooper Square update

These shots were supposed to go up yesterday afternoon, but with the Great Blogger Blackout of 2011...

EV Grieve correspondent Bobby Williams took these yesterday... the historic 35 Cooper Square is slowly being chipped away in agonizing fashion...

...and we'll soon see the 35 Cooper Square outline on the side of the Cooper Square Hotel...

Final piece in place for demolition of 35 Cooper Square

... the demolition permit is now posted...

The end is apparently nearer at 35 Cooper Square

EV Grieve correspondent Bobby Williams notes the arrival of workers today at the doomed 35 Cooper Square... making some final touches before the wrecking ball shows up ...

Say your goodbyes very soon...

More demolition-related scaffolding for 35 Cooper Square

EV Grieve correspondent Bobby Williams pointed out some new scaffolding at the soon-to-be-be-demolished 35 Cooper Square...

Still no word yet on when demolition will take place. Shall we start a pool? In any event, at the very least, I hope the developer doesn't chop down the tree here too. Or maybe he doesn't think that's worth saving either.

To no surprise, 35 Cooper Square will be torn down

On Friday afternoon, we posted photos of the new scaffolding at 35 Cooper Square. EV Grieve correspondent Bobby Williams was also on the scene. Bobby tried to ask one of the crew members what they were doing. The worker's reaction was all we needed to hear about what would be happening next: "It ain't me."

In a nonshocker, crews will soon begin tearing down the 186-year-old building. Both Jeremiah and the Local East Village posted the letter from developer Arun Bhatia (via an attorney) to council member Rosie Mendez about his final decision on the fate of the historic building:

"Unfortunately, it was concluded that it would not be feasible to develop the site with the building or any significant portion of it remaining."

Meanwhile, the developer will be making a financial contribution to the Landmarks Conservancy to help document the histories of Federal buildings such as 35 Cooper Square for which "creation of an historic record is all that can be done," as Jeremiah reported.

Let the condo/hotel/dorm building begin!

Previously on EV Grieve:
35 Cooper Square, 'this much-beloved little building,' dies at age 186