Report: CVS taking over former Soho Billiards space on East Houston

[November 2012]

Soho Billiards disappeared late last October on East Houston and Mulberry, as we first reported here. The next month, the retail listing arrived, noting that the whole block between Mulberry and Mott on the north side of East Houston was up for grabs.

And we have a taker: BoweryBoogie got the scoop yesterday that CVS is taking the space of the billiards hall as well as the dry cleaners and Subway sandwich shop. And BB hears that there is a whopping $1.5 million annual rent.

Meanwhile, Soho Billiards was on last month's CB3/SLA docket to move into a vacant storefront at 250 E. Houston in the Shoppes at Red Square between Avenue A and Avenue B.

However, that appears to be on hold at the moment. Per minutes from the CB3 meeting:

15. NYC Billiards Club Inc, 250 E Houston St
VOTE: To deny the application for a full on-premise liquor license for NYC Billiards Club Inc., for the premise located at 250 East Houston Street .. . because the applicant did not appear before Community Board #3 for review of its application or provide any application materials for review.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Eviction notice for Soho Billiards

Retail space that included Soho Billiards is up for grabs on East Houston Street

Soho Billiards eyeing move to Red Square

When we saw the following item on this month's CB3/SLA docket — NYC Billiards Club Inc, 250 E Houston St (op) — we didn't realize that this was the former Soho Billiards. The 22-year-old pool hall closed late last fall, as we first reported.

In any event, documents on file ahead of Monday's committee meeting show that the ownership is the same... and they are looking at taking over space in the Shoppes at Red Square between Avenue A and Avenue B. (It would be the space that Sleepy's used before they moved into the Blockbuster location.)

The new location would have hours of 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday; to 4 a.m. on Friday Saturdays, documents show. There would be one 10-foot bar (no food) with a total occupancy of 74 people.

As far as we can remember, there was a pool hall along here before the Blockbuster...

Retail space that included Soho Billiards is up for grabs on East Houston Street

Late last month, EVG regular Spike noted that 22-year-old Soho Billiards on East Houston and Mulberry had closed... workers cleared out the space two weeks ago, as BoweryBoogie reported.

And the for lease signs promptly went up...

The listing (PDF) is now online at CBRE... and it turns out that more than just the former Soho Billiards home is available – the whole block between Mulberry and Mott on the north side of East Houston is up for grabs...

Which just might signal the end for the dry cleaners and Subway that share the building... This is prime real estate, as the listing points out, adjacent to the recently unveiled Bleecker Street Subway Transfer and retail neighbors like Adidas, Rag N Bone, REI, Hollister, Whole Foods, Crate & Barrel and John Varvatos. Terms of lease aren't disclosed.

Eviction notice for Soho Billiards

[Photo from 2011 via BoweryBoogie]

EVG regular Spike passes along this item (slightly outside our usual coverage zone) ... Spike noticed that Soho Billiard was closed yesterday ... and today, there's an eviction notice on the door... There's at least one tweet noting that they closed after Sunday. There's nothing to indicate this on their website; their phone number is a constant busy signal.

The billiards hall has been here at East Houston and Mulberry since 1990.

BoweryBoogie had this to say about them last year:

Soho Billiards is truly the last of a dying breed, and occupies what is now a substantial swath of valuable corner real estate. Nice to see this adaptation, as their presence is always a welcome counterweight to the massive invasion of haute couture.

A dying breed now dead, apparently.