[Photo by Hawkeye Bulletin]
The storefronts continue to disappear on East 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B. Yesterday, Rainbow finally shut its doors. The junior retailer joins now-former block neighbors The Blarney Cove... Bargain Express ... Petland ... the ABC Animal Hospital ...
One business is actually staying on the block: the laundromat, which is moving east ...
... to the space Ray's East Side 99-cent store had before moving to the Copper Building.
[Photo by EVG reader Michael]
After the laundromat moves, just Rite Aid will remain between Avenue A and 520 East 14th St. (not part of the land grab).
A still-unspecified new development will eat up much of the block. As we first reported last December, eight parcels consisting of 222 Avenue A and 504 - 530 E. 14th St. (excluding No. 520) were leased for a 99-year period by the respective owner of East Village 14 LLC.
Turns out the identity of "East Village 14 LLC" was right under our noses this whole time.
Back in April, The Real Deal examined the late real-estate mogul Sol Goldman's $6 billion portfolio. As part of their reporting:
And in November, city property records show, Gary Barnett of Extell Development signed a 99-year lease worth $35.14 million to rent eight Goldman-owned properties across the street from Stuyvesant Town, including 516 East 14th Street, 530 East 14th Street and 222 Avenue A.
Extell has been busy with such high-profile luxury properties around the city like One57 ... an "ultra-luxe condo tower" at 217 West 57th Street ... and One Hudson Yards.
So. You can likely count on something really tall and luxurious here one day.
Previously on EV Grieve:
East 14th Street exodus continues
The disappearing storefronts of East 14th Street
[Updated with correction] 8-lot parcel of East 14th Street primed for new development
Bargain Express has closed on East 14th Street