On Avenue B, damaged façade shutters Gruppo

From the EVG tipline... the recent heavy rains apparently caused some of the façade tiles to fall outside 98 Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street.

Ground-floor tenant Gruppo is now closed for emergency repairs ... as the city issued a full-vacate order on the two-level building...

Thin-crust fans can contact their sister restaurant, Posto, in Gramercy Park for deliveries.

93 1st Ave. celebrates 24th year of waiting for minor alteration

[EVG file photo]

The Real Deal explores the world of "ALT2"s at the Department of Buildings. As they note, these are "alterations which do not affect the 'use, egress, or occupancy' of a building and are therefore considered relatively minor."

While the majority of such jobs can be completed within a year, before the first permit expires, altering buildings can often become a complicated task due a variety of complicating factors – as an analysis by The Real Deal discovered, hundreds of ALT2 permits throughout the city have had to be renewed more than 10 times.

According TRD's research, the oldest active permit on record was first filed in June 1994 — for a "temporary canopy structure in yard" at the Royal Bangladesh Indian Restaurant at 93 First Ave. between Fifth Street and Sixth Street.

The work has been approved, though that temp canopy still awaits: City records show that the permit was renewed in May — for the 23rd time.

[Updated] About the Stop Work Order at the incoming Taberna 97 on St. Mark's Place

Several EVG readers pointed out the arrival of a Stop Work Order at the incoming Taverna 97, the restaurant coming to 97 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue (thanks to Peter D. for these photos) ...



Here's what the DOB website (in their all-cap style) has to say about the Order, dated Monday:

BOROUGH COMMISIONER ORDERS ALL WORK STOPPED EXCEPT TO MAKE SITE SAFE UNDER JOB#122407555 FOR BASEMENT RESTURAUNT. ALL APPROVALS AND PERMITS HAVE BEEN REVOKED. WORK IS APPROX. 90% COMPLETED. WORKERS LEFT AT IME OF POSTING NOTICE. 1 WORKER ALLOWED TO RETURN ON 9/20/2016 TO SEAL REAR OF BUILDING.

We asked co-owner Eric Baker for an update on the situation here.

"The DOB issued the Stop Work Order due to the fact that a few issues were not addressed quickly enough and why they were not addressed quickly enough is a question we have as well for the professionals working on this project," Baker said in an email.

He said that the issues have been addressed and accepted by the DOB, and they are in the process of getting the permits approved.

Baker believes that some of the DOB issues may have originated from neighbors who have concerns about the back garden. The previous tenant here, Yaffa Cafe, closed, in part, because the city deemed the back patio illegal after being in use as a dining area for 31 years.

There haven't been any plans for the Taberna team to offer backyard dining here.

"Let me assure everyone involved that this has not been nor is it the case," Baker said. "Our plans for the garden involve landscaping and beautifying so it can be enjoyed from inside our space. We respect the rights of our neighbors ... [we] will always work toward as harmonious as possible a coexistence and are willing to talk with and address any issues that may come up."

Baker is opening Taberna 97 with his business partners — wife Patricia Martins and sister-in-law Raquel Martins. The trio also own St. Dymphnas on St. Mark's Place.

Taberna 97 will serve small and shareable Portuguese dishes. They also have a beer and wine license.

Baker said that they are nearly 96 to 98 percent complete on the space.

Updated 11 a.m.

The city has lifted the Stop Work Order, Baker reports.

Previously

How you can learn to use tools on the DOB website just like a blogger!

From the EV Grieve inbox...

Community Board 3 and Cooper Square Committee are co-hosting:

Department of Buildings Workshop: How to Use Tools on the DOB website

Thursday, March 28 at 6:30pm
Seward Park Extension, Community Center
56 Essex Street (between Grand & Broome Streets)

Learn from DOB how to navigate their website to find out what is happening at an address, what permits have been issued, and how to submit a challenge. DOB will also answer frequently asked questions.

The DOB website! A blogger's best friend! Learn how to see how many Stop Work Orders have been issued against your landlord! Find out if the work crew gut renovating the apartment next door actually has permits! Do those workers have permits to work on a Saturday?

And, despite the rumors, you DO NOT receive one of these for attending...

Illegal work continues at former Mundial space on East 12th Street

The most recent bars to inhabit 505 E. 12th St. — Mundial and Totem — were nightmares for some nearby residents here on the block just east of Avenue A.

Recently, residents have noted that workers are busy renovating the space... which is fine, except that there aren't any work permits on file with the DOB.

Per one neighbor: "The work furiously continues on the former Mundial space ... with no sign of a work permit. They were working on the space well into the night last night."

"They got a lumber delivery a little after 8 this morning, and one of the guys who is working on the space is hustling to get it all inside."

"Why do I get the feeling that whatever this space is going to be, it isn’t going to be a good neighbor?"

People should know by now: You don't fuck with 12th Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Another nightmare bar for 505 E. 12th St.?

Last night's CB3 recap: Residents 1, Bar Owners 0

Here comes the fear again: 505 E. 12th St. back on the market

As the Bao turns

To be honest, I've lost track of the comings and goings here at Barbao on St. Mark's Place... It seems as if Michael "Bao" Huynh will have three eateries on St. Mark's Place soon enough, as Eater reported last Friday. (Including one with a former Playmate! Woo!)

Anyway, the one that is open, Barbao, which used to be Bao 111, certainly looked closed for some renovations last night...

So I gave them a call...

Barbao: Hello? [Suspiciously]

EVG: [A little surprised, expecting to hear a greeting like "Good evening. Barbao."] Hi. Are you open tonight?

Barbao: No. Tomorrow night!

EVG: So you'll be open tomorrow night?

Barbao: Yes! [Click]

Beau replaces Paste at Barbao on St. Mark's Place

Before!



Now!

A new era for DOB/Barbao on St. Mark's Place?

The transformation from DOB 111 on St. Mark's Place to Barbao seems to be complete... (We first noted this last week.) We even spotted Michael 'Bao' Huynh dining in the empty dining room last week...

Anyway, perhaps this is a new era for the Bao-owned eatery... there are new letters up on the front window for happy hour ... and takeout!

I've told this story before... Shortly after DOB 111 opened, Mrs. Grieve was waiting for me on St. Marks's... she walked over to look at a menu out of boredom/curiousity ... She asked to see a menu, and the hostess on duty yelled at her that DOB 111 doesn't offer food to go. She said that she didn't want food to go, only to look at a menu. The hostess yelled again that they don't do takeout...

I guess they do now.

Passing the Bao torch on St. Mark's Place

Eater reported on Friday that Michael 'Bao' Huynh will turn DOB 111 on St. Mark's Place into Barbao, his restaurant that closed last year on the Upper West Side. He's not messing around... the old DOB sign has already been painted over....

Then!



Now!

DOB 111 still on the block

Yesterday, Eater listed a slew of neighborhood restaurants for sale... including Tonda on East Fourth Street and the shuttered Munchies on Essex...

Here's one other eatery on the market: Michael Bao Huynh's DOB 111 on St. Mark's Place near Avenue A ...



According to the listing, rent is $6,250, with $125,000 key money... The eatery opened back in March... they were turned down for a beer-wine license in the spring....

Fork in the Road first pointed out that DOB 111 was on the block this past July. Huynh denied plans to shutter DOB. Via his publicist, he told Fork in the Road "that the spaces may have been listed simply to test the real estate waters."

We noted last month that DOB had been closed for a few too many days for comfort... and I still haven't talked with anyone who has ever eaten here....

On second thought: DOB 111 back open last night

The eatery on St. Mark's Place apparently just took a few nights off... You can't blame us for thinking that Michael "Bao" Huynh's French-Vietnamese place may be closed... As Fork in the Road noted last summer, DOB 111 and Bia Garden were on the market... Per Fork in the Road, Huynh, through his publicist, denied any plans to close the eateries... Bia Garden on Orchard closed last month, as BoweryBoogie reported....Huynh is reopening it as Chinito, a beer garden and taqueria. The space is still on the market, though, BB noted.

dob 111 hasn't been open lately

I haven't seen Michael Huynh's French Vietnamese place on St. Mark's Place open the last few nights... Have you? (I took this photo last evening...)

The eatery opened back in March... they were turned down for a beer-wine license in the spring.... Apparently, it is BYOB here now...

[Updated: Fork in the Road has more on this story...including that this space went on the market during the summer.]

Paste tags DOB

Michael Huynh's new French Vietnamese place on St. Mark's Place continues to attract some graffiti attention... Earlier...



And now... As the Graffiti Friend of EV Grieve (GFOEVG) notes, Paste of the EE crew is the latest to tag DOB...