On the rental market: 432 E. 13th St.

Teshigotoya, the Japanese restaurant at 432 E. 13th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, quietly closed earlier this year.

The space is on the market. The listing shows an asking rent of $10,500 a month for the 800-square-feet of space. (There's also a $30,000 fixture fee.)

This spot has been a tough sell in the past few years. Masak, the well-regard Singapore-influenced restaurant, closed in April 2013. Then came Sembrado’s Tacos al Pastor, the Mexican restaurant from Danny Mena, the chef and co-founder of Hecho en Dumbo. And, I'm told, Teshigotoya went through an ownership change at some point after its early 2015 opening.

In previous posts about openings and closings at this address, commenters have said this is a tough block for foot traffic. Will the arrival of condos at the Thirteen East + West development ... or the 8-story residential building going up across the street at the former post office help make something work here?

CB3 committee votes against height variance for new 14th Street development

[Photo from July 9]

Last month, reps for the new development at 432-438 E. 14h St. made their case for a zoning variance for a 12-story building — four more than the area's zoning allows — before a CB3 committee.

For their part, CB3's Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee asked the reps to return after "exploring alternatives to increasing building height and requesting a greater percentage of 'affordable' units," as DNAinfo reported at the time.

The North Avenue A Neighborhood Association, the 12th Street Block Association, the 13th Street Block Association, residents of 13th Street and the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation made their case to deny the developer’s request for a variance at the site of the former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office between Avenue A and First Avenue.

On Wednesday night, reps for the developer (Benenson Capital Partners in association with the Mack Real Estate Group) appeared again before the committee.

A neighborhood leader was in attendance and shared this:

"At the meeting they presented minor changes to the 14th Street façade, but did not alter the height or offer a detailed financial analysis for their need for the variance. They did not consider the committee's concerns about the physical characteristics of the building and residents' concerns about the small number of additional affordable housing units on the additional floors.

They were denied by a vote of 13-0 with 1 abstention.

As we first reported in May, the developers were asking for a variance because:

"Unusually elevated groundwater levels and exceedingly soft and unstable soil (owing to the presence of an underground stream) ... result in extraordinary construction costs, which make a complying development with affordable housing infeasible." (An analysis of the project put the extra construction costs due to the substandard soil at $8.8 million.)

The developers will next go to the city's Board of Standards and Appeals, though without any approval from the local Community Board.

Per the resident: "While not a victory yet as the BSA could still rule in their favor, it's a big step in stopping this out-of-scale development."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office slated to be demolished

The former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office will yield to an 8-story residential building

New residential building at former 14th Street PO will feature a quiet lounge, private dining room

A look at the new building coming to the former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office property

Developers for post office-replacing project seek variance for a 12-story building

[Updated] Report: CB3 wants alternatives for a larger 438 E. 14th St.

Japanese dining taking over the Sembrado’s Tacos al Pastor space on East 13th Street

Sembrado’s Tacos al Pastor, the Mexican restaurant from Danny Mena, the chef and co-founder of Hecho en Dumbo, quietly closed this past November at 432 E. 13th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Per their Facebook message last Nov. 14: "Sembrado is moving. We are closing our East Village location … Don't worry, we'll be opening a new location soon!" The restaurant's website states, "expect us on the other side of the river in early 2015."

Meanwhile, the sign is up for the next tenant… Japanese dining featuring sake and tapas...



Not sure what the reason was for the closure/move. Too much taco competition in the neighborhood?

Per the EVG reader who told us about the closure:

"It seems to have gone unnoticed that Sembrado has closed. I'm not sad to see this place go. The food was pretty good but it was clear from their bar set-up, which included many varieties of artisinal/specialty tequilas, how their business model was going to work."

Sembrado's opened in July 2013.

This seems like a tough address for a restaurant. The well-regarded Singapore-influenced Masak closed here in March 2013.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Sembrado’s Tacos al Pastor opening Thursday on East 13th Street