Chris French Cleaners is closing after 65 years; 1-level building slated for demolition

Chris French Cleaners closes for good on Sept. 19 after 65 years in business. (Thanks to EVG reader Carolynn Karp for sharing these photos!) 

Door signage thanks patrons for the "trust and friendship" over the years, noting "it has truly been an honor and a privilege."

Back in the spring of 2022, we noted that this prime NE corner of Fourth Avenue and Ninth Street was being pitched as a development site ... shortly after family patriarch, Chris Mitrofanis, passed away.

According to public records, the family also owns the one-level structure. 

There are several listings for the plot, ranging in price from $9.99 million to $13.99 million. In a LoopNet listing for the site last updated on Sept. 3, the property is now marked "in contract." 

Whatever is next won't include the existing building — there's already a demolition permit, dated this past Friday, on file with the DOB. 

Given the abundance of office space nearby, we're assuming this space will yield luxury condos similar to the cantilevering condoplex that rose in 2018-2019, one block north at Fourth Avenue and 10th Street.

An Astor Place corner primed for new development

The NE corner of Fourth Avenue and Ninth Street — the current home of Chris French Cleaners (57 Fourth Ave.) — is being pitched as a development site. 

Here are details via Real Broker, LLC: 

The site offers developers a rare opportunity to acquire a site with frontage on Fourth Avenue — only steps from the Astor Place intersection. The property is C6-2A zoned and allows for a luxurious and unique buildable opportunity in a well-established district. You could be the one profiting from a luxury development that will impact three of Manhattan's most sought-after neighborhoods. 

 No word on the asking price... or what kind of air rights might be available. 

Speaking of air... there's a video too...

And add it to the list of the neighborhood's disappearing single-level structures. 

The business has been here for more than 60 years. According to public records, the owners of the business also own the building. 

Image via Loopnet