For rent sign arrives at the Stage

We first reported last Wednesday that the 35-year-old diner at 128 Second Ave. was for rent.

EVG correspondent Steven noted that the actual for rent sign has just arrived on the space between East Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

The asking rent for the space is $15,000. The listing at Icon Realty notes that the space is "perfect for a restaurant, cafe, or all general retail uses."

Previously on EV Grieve:
The possibility that the Stage won't reopen on 2nd Avenue

[Updated] Report: Icon Realty serves the Stage an eviction notice

Stage owner Roman Diakun responds to allegations of illegally siphoning gas

Petition to help reopen the Stage

[Updated] The Stage is giving away its bulk food and supplies to charity

Report: The Stage is suing landlord Icon Realty to halt eviction process

The Stage is now crowdfunding to help in its legal fight with Icon Realty

The Stage Restaurant will not be reopening

'Gentrification in Progress' tape arrives at former Trash & Vaudeville and Stage Restaurant spaces

Asking rent for the former Stage Restaurant — $15,000 a month

The Stage Restaurant will not be reopening

[Photo Monday by Steven]

On Monday, the gates at the Stage Restaurant at 128 Second Ave. between East Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place were up... offering a glimmer of hope that the 35-year-old diner might be reopening.

That's not the case. The Stage said goodbye today on Facebook...

Today we officially close our doors....As overwhelmingly unfortunate as it is, it's always important to look on the...

Posted by Stage Restaurant on Wednesday, March 2, 2016

The 35-year-old diner has been closed since last March 30. Stage owner Roman Diakun was involved in an ongoing legal/eviction battle here with landlord Icon Realty.

Icon, who bought the building in the fall of 2013, had accused the Stage of gas-tampering charges, which Diakun strongly denied.

Here's a second Facebook message from Diakun:

Dear wonderful and loyal customers, fans, friends, and neighbors,
It is with bittersweet emotions that we at Stage Restaurant are announcing that we are closing our doors permanently after 35 amazing years. The events of the year have been overwhelmingly devastating on us and we have decided to close the Stage’s door. Over the past year, we have resolved our dispute with the landlord and Icon Realty Management. Stage Restaurant never engaged in any wrongdoing; however, after our prolonged closure and because of the cost to make the repairs and expenses of reopening, we are sad to say that the Stage cannot reopen.

It has been our great honor and pleasure to serve and truly be a part of the community over the past 35 years. We are so grateful to all who have made the experience of running this restaurant in such a vibrant, and supportive area of this great city a remarkable and unforgettable journey for us. We will greatly miss our staff, many of which have put as much care and effort into the business as our family has. We would like to thank all of the customers we have had the pleasure of meeting for your business and friendships. Thank you all for your support, your signatures, your donations, and especially your kind words. We could not have realized our passion and love for nourishing and providing a place of comfort and gathering to the community without you all. Your loyalty, support, kindness and love have been a true blessing, and something we will never forget. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.
Roman Diakun

So good night...


[Photo by Michael Seto]

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Report: Icon Realty serves the Stage an eviction notice

Stage owner Roman Diakun responds to allegations of illegally siphoning gas

Petition to help reopen the Stage

[Updated] The Stage is giving away its bulk food and supplies to charity

Report: The Stage is suing landlord Icon Realty to halt eviction process

The Stage is now crowdfunding to help in its legal fight with Icon Realty

Report: A small victory for the Stage vs. Icon Realty

[Photo last Tuesday by Steven]

In our post last week about the sidewalk message outside the Stage at 128 Second Ave., an EVG commenter had some info about a recent judge's decision about the ongoing legal battle here with landlord Icon Realty.

DNAinfo has more details about the order issued on Oct. 15 by Judge Nancy M. Bannon, which bars Icon from evicting the Stage based on gas-tampering charges, pending the outcome of the lawsuit owner Roman Diakun filed in the spring.

In addition to preventing an eviction based on the gas-siphoning claims, Bannon also ordered Stage to make “timely and full payments of all rent and additional charges as required by the lease,” according to court documents.

“It’s a nice victory for Stage but the case is not over, unfortunately,” said Diakun’s attorney Ross Kordas about the court’s most recent decision. “We hope that we can resolve it and be open soon.”

Diakun has strongly denied any wrongdoing.

The landlord, however, remains convinced the restaurant worked on the gas lines illegally, putting the building’s tenants at risk, said representative Chris Coffey.

“We are confident that the right thing will happen and they will vacate that space,” he said.

Meanwhile, expect to continue seeing the gate down here between St. Mark's Place and East Seventh Street for the near future. Bannon ordered both parties to appear for a preliminary conference this coming Jan. 28, per DNAinfo.

The 35-year-old diner has been closed since March 30.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Report: Icon Realty serves the Stage an eviction notice

Stage owner Roman Diakun responds to allegations of illegally siphoning gas

Petition to help reopen the Stage

[Updated] The Stage is giving away its bulk food and supplies to charity

Report: The Stage is suing landlord Icon Realty to halt eviction process

The Stage is now crowdfunding to help in its legal fight with Icon Realty

Report: The Stage is suing landlord Icon Realty to halt eviction process

[Photo by Grant Shaffer]

Landlord Icon Realty has accused the Stage of illegally siphoning gas, which was the basis for a recent eviction notice in the aftermath of the deadly blast across from the diner on Second Avenue.

Roman Diakun, the owner of the 35-year-old Stage, has previously denied any wrongdoing.

Now, the Stage is suing Icon to stop the eviction process. The Post has the story:

Diakun "says in his Manhattan Supreme Court suit that Con Ed advised him to hire a plumber to restore gas service four days after the March 26 building explosion.

Diakun says there was no siphoning, claiming the plumber he hired discovered a gas leak in the basement of 128 Second Ave. and then removed extraneous pipes to fix the problem.

As The Wall Street Journal reported on April 20:

Since the explosion, 128 Second Ave. has accrued 87 violations with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, along with two additional violations and a stop-work order from the Department of Buildings, according to city records. The building has been without heat, hot water, or cooking gas for three weeks.

Icon bought the building in October 2013.

The Stage, 128 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and East Seventh Street, has been closed since March 30.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The possibility that the Stage won't reopen on 2nd Avenue

City serves stop work order on Icon Realty-owned building for installing gas pipe without permit across from deadly 2nd Avenue blast zone (48 comments)

Petition to help reopen the Stage

Tenants at 128 2nd Ave. file suit against Icon Realty in housing court

Troubling talk about 128 Second Ave, and the long-term future of the Stage

[Updated] Report: Icon Realty serves the Stage an eviction notice

Stage owner Roman Diakun responds to allegations of illegally siphoning gas

Petition to help reopen the Stage

[Updated] The Stage is giving away its bulk food and supplies to charity

[Updated] The Stage is giving away its bulk food and supplies to charity

The Stage, the beloved 35-year-old diner at 128 Second Ave., is currently in the process of being evicted by landlord Icon Realty.

The restaurant has not been open since March 30 ... and there are doubts that they will ever be able to reopen, at least here near St. Mark's Place. Stage owner Roman Diakun has until the end of this month to leave the premises.

In a Facebook update posted today, Diakun and his son Andrew "cleared out some of the supplies from the shop yesterday. Most of the goods were donated to The Bowery Mission, and some were given to our friends Fawzy and Ola from B&H across the street."









Not really an encouraging sign about the Stage's future, especially since the items that they donated were all non-perishable goods.

Icon has accused the Stage of illegally siphoning gas, which was the basis for the eviction notice. Roman Diakun has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

Updated 4:34 p.m.
The Stage left this down in the comments of the post …

"We just emptied the store of supplies because we don't know how much longer we will be closed for and figured we should give it to someone who needs it at the moment."

Previously on EV Grieve:
The possibility that the Stage won't reopen on 2nd Avenue

City serves stop work order on Icon Realty-owned building for installing gas pipe without permit across from deadly 2nd Avenue blast zone (48 comments)

Petition to help reopen the Stage

Tenants at 128 2nd Ave. file suit against Icon Realty in housing court

Troubling talk about 128 Second Ave, and the long-term future of the Stage

[Updated] Report: Icon Realty serves the Stage an eviction notice

Stage owner Roman Diakun responds to allegations of illegally siphoning gas

Petition to help reopen the Stage

All images via Facebook