What's happening on this block of 5th Street?

There are barricades and cones via Con Edison on this block of Fifth Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square, which have been in place since May 2022.

According to sources on the block, Madison Realty Capital, via property manager Silverstone Property Group shut off the gas to the building at 231 and 235 E. Fifth St. and installed electric stoves. We're told this was done with tenant permission and in accordance with the law. 

However, new electric lines for the 220V stoves were needed. Madison Realty Capital had them installed temporarily, routing the wires on the sidewalk to the basement from a manhole near each building. Now work remains at a standstill nearly 10 months later, which has made some residents unhappy (photo below via the East Fifth Street Block Association).

One resident told us that the combination of three outdoor dining structures, poor garbage maintenance and open manholes have made parts of this block a mecca for rats. "It's nasty," the resident said.

Elsewhere, we've heard grumbles about the ongoing Con Ed presence on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue... which starts roughly outside the back entrance to the Brant Foundation...

... and ends with a garbage dump of a dormant Con Ed work site.

Reader report: A gas leak and bureaucracy

An EVG reader shared details about a gas leak reported on Thursday afternoon at 91 First Ave. between Fifth Street and Sixth Street. 

From Thursday:

Workers came, dug a hole, turned off the gas set up a half-assed looking barricade and left.

ConEd on the phone said this is an "emergency situation" and therefore there were no notifications, no instructions. no information for residents.
 
Also said a replacement valve was "on order" and the job was in progress.

Residents (several elderly) and businesses are currently without hot water or gas for cooking.

And a weekend update:

There was a "pressure change" detected on the main line feeding into the building from the street. A gas smell was reported by someone either on the street or a resident.

Several years ago (3-4?) there was an un-regulated repair on the water/sewer lines leading into 93 First Avenue that exposed more than 4 feet of gas line for 91 First Ave., which then had to be emergency-repaired by ConEd/the City.

They replaced an entire block of gas line up from Fourth Street to Sixth Street at that time but left the OVER-100 year-old connector valves that actually feed into these 114-year old buildings.

So...Thursday afternoon there was a leak on our valve reported (No. 91) and ConEd came, dug a hole and said, "We're just here to dig the hole and turn it off."

Apparently, once the gas is shut off, it is no longer considered an "emergency" and since the valve "needed to be ordered" AND it happened on a Thursday work will not commence until Monday at the soonest IF they get the part delivered on time.

That means everyone in this building, during a pandemic, is currently without heat and hot water for bathing or working stoves for cooking for what will be at least four-five days.

With no notice, no support and no information from any agency involved. Residents had to call up multiple city offices to find out what was even happening.

Gas leak shutters Dallas BBQ, leaves residents without hot water and cooking gas

Bad news at 37 1/2 St. Mark's Place. Con Ed has shut off gas service to the building, including Dallas BBQ, after discovering a gas leak in the basement here at Second Avenue.





A reader shared these photos, including this note to residents from Kenco Realty Management:

Due to an unexpected gas leak in the basement of our building, Con Edison has shut off the gas supply to the entire building. This is not good news. We tried our best to persuade them otherwise, but because of the explosion across the street, they err on the side of over caution.

And the timeline:

The bottom line is we do not expect to have the hot water restored for days. We do not expect the cooking gas restored for weeks.

Updated 1:30

Gothamist has a statement from a Dallas BBQ spokesperson:

"Unfortunately, the building our restaurant is located in on St. Marks had a scheduled plumbing inspection yesterday and did not pass with Con Ed. We are working to resolve the plumbing violations and pass an inspection as soon as possible. Hopefully, we will be open in the next few days, if not a couple weeks, but it is too soon to tell."