Ongoing construction at condoplex on Avenue A enters the swimming pool phase

An EVG reader yesterday noted the ongoing construction in the lot off Avenue A between East 11th Street and East 12th Street that was formerly home of Mary Help of Christians.

Upon closer inspection, you can spot the new building's swimming pool going in…





Early plans for the building mentioned a possible rooftop pool. It's difficult to tell at this point where the pool will fit in compared to the rest of the residential building.

A worker said that the pool only gets to 5 feet in the deep end. Not good for diving, of course.

But!

Through the magic of YouTube, we found one thrillseeker who successfully made the jump into a 5-foot-deep pool… (not that we recommend that the new residents of this building attempt this. But if you must, please film it and post it to YouTube.)

Jeff — you're on…



Anyway! In the works, of course, is a mixed-use building with ground-floor retail and 82 market-rate condos via developer Douglas Steiner.



Previously on EV Grieve:
New residential complex at former Mary Help of Christians lot may include rooftop swimming pool

Meet your new neighbor on Avenue A

Permits filed to demolish Mary Help of Christians church, school and rectory

Preservationists call for archeological review of former cemetery at Mary Help of Christians site

The 'senseless shocking self-destruction' of Mary Help of Christians

Plywood report

Neighborhood watchdog keeping an eye on the construction at the former Mary Help of Christians property, where there will be a mixed-use building with ground-floor retail and 82 market-rate condos some day...



Photos by Shawn Chittle

Former Mary Help of Christians property getting the plywood treatment

Activity continues this week in and around the lot off Avenue A between East 11th Street and East 12th Street that was formerly home of Mary Help of Christians.



As these photos from EVG reader Greg Masters show, workers this morning are erecting a plywood fence around the site...





... where, in a few short years, there will be a mixed-use building with ground-floor retail and 82 market-rate condos via developer Douglas Steiner.

Previously on EV Grieve:
New residential complex at former Mary Help of Christians lot may include rooftop swimming pool

Meet your new neighbor on Avenue A

Permits filed to demolish Mary Help of Christians church, school and rectory

Preservationists call for archeological review of former cemetery at Mary Help of Christians site

The 'senseless shocking self-destruction' of Mary Help of Christians

Some activity at the former Mary Help of Christians lot, plus a lot of discarded stuffed animals

[Photo by Peter Brownscombe]

Several readers have been curious about the recent activity in the dormant lot off Avenue A between East 11th Street and East 12th Street that was formerly home of Mary Help of Christians.

Of late there has been some mysterious activity … Per EVG reader Peter Brownscombe: "What appears to be a rabbit-proof fence has been erected creating an East-West divide of this desolate tract."

As we have quickly recapped in the past: Developer Douglas Steiner bought the property in 2012 for $41 million. During the summer of 2013, workers demolished the church, school and rectory. The permits that Steiner's reps filed with the city in October 2013 called for a 7-story, 64,720-square-foot structure with frontage on Avenue A, East 11th Street and East 12th Street.

This changed when Steiner's reps told CB3 in February that the residences would actually now be market-rate condos.

As for updates, well the pool design drawings went on file at the DOB on Wednesday…

Meanwhile, a few other Former Mary Help of Christians Empty Lot Watchers we talked with figure the fencing is for the renovations next door at East Side Community School …


[PB]

… but there isn't much explanation for why the lot has become a stuffed animal burial ground…


[PB]

Previously on EV Grieve:
New residential complex at former Mary Help of Christians lot may include rooftop swimming pool

Meet your new neighbor on Avenue A

Permits filed to demolish Mary Help of Christians church, school and rectory

Preservationists call for archeological review of former cemetery at Mary Help of Christians site

The 'senseless shocking self-destruction' of Mary Help of Christians

The end is nearer for Mary Help of Christians

Demolition preparations are picking up at the Mary Help of Christians lot on Avenue A between East 11th Street and East 12th Street... The plywood is up now around the former lot... and some probably-not-random-looking digging has started ...



Until now, work seemed agonizingly slow... the corpses of the buildings standing in recent weeks without windows while waiting for demolition...


[Photo by Shawn Chittle]











Developer Douglas Steiner bought the property last fall for an unspecified residential complex.

All photos by Bobby Williams unless marked.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Permits filed to demolish Mary Help of Christians church, school and rectory

Preservationists call for archeological review of former cemetery at Mary Help of Christians site

Scaffolding arrives for demolition of Mary Help of Christians

Praying for a miracle

Outside Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church on East 12th Street this evening... There are permits on file to demolish the church and its adjoining buildings for a new residential-retail complex.

Photo by Shawn Chittle.

Mary Help of Christians: 'This is heartbreaking'

[Bobby Williams]

The Post has a piece today on several NYC churches that are facing possible demolition... including Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church on East 12th Street, which developer Douglas Steiner is razing to build a residential-retail complex ... the story doesn't offer any new information... but people are remaining hopeful.

“This is heartbreaking,” said Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. “We hope [Steiner] can see the light and realize it’s advantageous to use something that’s special rather than demolishing it for something that’s a dime a dozen.”

Meanwhile, the Post employed three reporters to investigate local bars that aren't selling full pints of beer.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Permits filed to demolish Mary Help of Christians church, school and rectory

Longtime parishioners hope to be able to salvage items from the doomed Mary Help of Christians

As you likely know, permits were filed last Thursday to demolish the now-vacant parcel of Mary Help of Christians that includes the church, school and rectory, according to DOB records.

Developer Douglas Steiner has plans for a residential development on this prime East Village space on Avenue A and East 11th Street and East 12th Street.

We heard from a longtime parishioner, who said that she is "hurt and confused beyond words" about the impending demolition.

Some of us have been speaking about trying to secure a few items from the church that are of great historical significance, most specifically the church bells and the cement statue of Mary Help of Christians outside located on 11th Street on the upper floors of the school ... in order to gift them over to the Salesian order. There also some liturgical books that the Salesians have inquired about. The pipe organ unfortunately is beyond our capabilities.

The former parishioners are hoping to be able to contact Steiner and see if these items can be salvaged.

Image via Curbed.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Permits filed to demolish Mary Help of Christians church, school and rectory

Baiting Mary Help of Christians

Mary Pupillo - 'A true relic of the East Village'

Baiting Mary Help of Christians

Warning signs are up now at the Mary Help of Christians church and rectory on East 12th Street ... as workers baited the buildings with rat poison in advance of the impending demolition here...



Reps for developer Douglas Steiner filed permits on Thursday to demolish the now-vacant parcel of Mary Help of Christians that includes the church, school and rectory, according to DOB records.

Steiner has said that he'll build an an 80/20 residential development that's "contextually appropriate for the neighborhood."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Permits filed to demolish Mary Help of Christians church, school and rectory

Permits filed to demolish Mary Help of Christians church, school and rectory

[August 2012]



Reps for developer Douglas Steiner filed permits today to demolish the now-vacant parcel of Mary Help of Christians that includes the church, school and rectory, according to DOB records.

Steiner, owner of the Brooklyn Navy Yard's Steiner Studios, bought the property last year for $41 million, as the Local reported in November. Aside from the three properties mentioned above, the deal included the former flea market lot.

[August 2012 by Bobby Williams]

Rumors of development here have been swirling since 2008, when The Real Deal reported that the Archdiocese of New York had sold two-thirds of the playground space along Avenue A had been in an all-cash deal for $10.4 million. That deal never materialized.

This is roughly the area of development that we're talking about... the church, adjacent school and rectory, and playground where vendors used to set up for the weekend flea markets... (the three buildings on the southwest corner of 12th Street and Avenue A aren't owned by the Archdiocese...)

[Via Off the Grid]

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation and other community groups submitted a request to the Landmarks Preservation Commission asking them to landmark the church. The LPC denied the request. (Read about that here.)

No official word just yet on what new residential-retail development will rise here. There was some talk of an 80-20 split to include affordable housing.

Given the demolition permit, it doesn't appear that part of the church will be incorporated into the design of the new building, much like NYU did by sort of including the façade of St. Ann's into the entrance of the 12th Street dorm.

The church opened in 1917.

The church in 1920 via the NYPL Digital Gallery ...

Art near the Park

Avenue A near 11th Street this morning. Part of the sale items at the Mary Help of Christians flea market.

No flea market this weekend at Mary Help of Christians

11th Street and Avenue A.

In honor of Michael O'Keefe's birthday. And Easter.

The Mary Help of Christians Church Flea Market returns Jan. 8

As the sign says here on Avenue A near 11th Street....

The Mary Help of Christians Church Flea Market returns today

EV Grieve reader Shawn Chittle sent along this photo from yesterday afternoon... prep work for The Mary Help of Christians Church Flea Market, which returns today to 11th Street and Avenue A...



If you swing by, then let me know how it is... good stuff? Total crap? Drugs? Porn?

No sign of a condo as flea market returns to the Mary Help of Christians

As I mentioned, The Mary Help of Christians Church Flea Market comes back this Sunday to 11th Street and Avenue A



Reminders! No drugs and porn!



Anyway, the return of the flea market here on a regular basis makes me wonder whatever happened to the deal to develop this space?

The Mary Help of Christians Church Flea Market returns next week

This morning, police told the usual crew of sidewalk sellers on Avenue A at 11th Street to move out...




One of the men told me the police said that they needed permits to sell their junk. The man didn't seem to mind because he'd be back next week "inside."

That's right... the Mary Help of Christians Church Flea Market returns for good next Saturday....



...and, please note... you'll have to sell your drugs and porn elsewhere...

Paws for effect

The deathwatch continues on Avenue A near 12th Street ... at the site of Chico's former spay/neuter mural... The outline for the NBA video game ad going up here is slightly visible... at the bottom of the mural, there's a lone reminder of the cats and dogs who once roamed this wall...



...a single set of paws...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Chico's Avenue A mural neutered

Related:
Our friend over at Cat Sitter in the City has more thoughts on the mural... and a few better shots of how it looked...

Chico's Avenue A mural neutered

Over the weekend, Chico's "spay/neuter" mural on Avenue A near 11th Street...



...got painted over...






One of the painters said they were putting up an ad for an NBA video game...

Previously on EV Grieve:
What's going on with the playground at Mary Help of Christians?