Report of a fire at 500 E. 12th St.

[Photo via @tropical_drank]

Firefighters responded to an early-morning fire on Avenue A and East 12th Street (500 E. 12th St. via @FDNYAlerts) ... the FDNY declared the top-floor fire under control after 20 minutes...

MAN ALL HANDS 500 E 12TH STREET, MULTIPLE DWELLING FIRE ON 5TH FLR, UNDER CONTROL

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) June 2, 2016

As this time we haven't heard any more details, such as injuries ...or cause of the fire.

The top-floor apartments appears to have been destroyed...


[Photo by Christine Champagne]

Updated 7 p.m.



There is a partial vacate order now on the front door...according to DOB records, the partial vacate is just for unit 12, where the fire started (readers and sources at the scene say that a cigarette that wasn't entirely extinguished started the blaze).

The DOB also says that other minor damages from smoke and water were observed in units 3,6,7,8 and 9.

Plans to convert the haunted beauty 104 E. 10th St. into a single-family home with 2 extra floors

[EVG photo from 2013]

The townhouse at 104 E. 10th St. between Third Avenue and Second Avenue has always intrigued me.

Perhaps the fascination started with this article from 1998 in The New York Times on the crumbling building that was serving as an SRO:

There is a certain house in the East Village that some neighbors believe is haunted. It is on 10th Street. The doors are peeling and the address "104" looks as though it was written in blood.

The lone tenant at the time was playwright, poet and performance artist Edgar Oliver. (Jeremiah Moss had a nice history on Oliver living here in 2011.)

"The house I do believe is haunted. Alas, it is only with memories." He recalled the wet nurse, Frances, who washed rags all day and was eventually carted out to the mental asylum a decade ago. There was "The Invisible Man," who was never heard or seen. The homicidal brothers who plotted to kill Mr. Oliver. Helen, his sister. And Old Man Milburne, the last tenant, who recently went to the old folks home.

In 2010, Curbed noted that "the place is so creepy, even the PropertyShark file photo shows a specter of some sort hanging out in one of the windows."


[Get out!]

The address, one of many properties owned by reclusive real-estate baron William Gottlieb, hit the market in March 2011 for $5.6 million... the listing disappeared then reemerged for $3.9 million. Per the original 2011 listing:

Built in 1879, this magnificent, sun-drenched residence is a restoration enthusiast's dream project.

The building offers an unparalleled opportunity to design the home you've always wanted. Its current features include four floors, eight fireplaces, skylight, original moldings, a quaint south-facing garden, an English basement with a separate street entrance, plus a basement below. With additional air rights, this building is primed for vertical expansion, offering opportunities for a roof deck, duplex unit, and more.

In November 2013, a for rent sign arrived noting that apartments were available ...



As far as I know, though, these units never hit the market.

And now: No. 104 recently received the plywood treatment...





Plans are on file with the DOB (still awaiting approval) to convert the building into a single-family home with two extra floors. According to public records, the owner is only listed as North Sydney LLC, which was incorporated in Westchester County. So at least some mystery remains with the address.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The charmingly shabby interiors of 104 E. 10th St

[An interior photo from 2012]

[Photo from 2012]

CB3 committee to hear more about Mount Sinai Beth Israel's future plans in the neighborhood

As you know, Mount Sinai Beth Israel officials announced last week that they are closing their 825-bed facility on First Avenue at East 16th Street in the next four years.

Mount Sinai Health System plans to replace the existing facility by opening a smaller hospital on 14th Street and Second Avenue.

Per The New York Times from last week:

The plan for the new Beth Israel building calls for breaking ground in 2017. Once that is completed, the existing building, at 16th Street and First Avenue, will be sold, with the proceeds helping to offset the costs of the change, hospital officials said.

The new building will have about 70 beds with an emergency department several blocks away, officials said. It will also include expanded outpatient facilities at three sites with more than 35 operating and procedure rooms and 16 physician practice locations to be used by over 600 doctors.

You'll have a chance to hear more about these future plans from hospital officials next Thursday, June 9, during a joint Community Board 3 committee meeting.

The 6:30 p.m. meeting is in the Thelma Burdick Community Room, 10 Stanton St. at the Bowery.

Previously

Vegan doughnut shop coming to St. Mark's Place

Over at 102 St. Mark's Place, crews have been renovating the former New York Macaroni Co. space, where the former sign remains.

Word here via EVG correspondent Steven is that a vegan doughnut shop is in the works for the address between Avenue A and First Avenue. The shop will just sell the doughnuts, which won't be baked here on the premises. Those are the only details we have at the moment.

New York Macaroni Co.'s 6-month run ended at the end of 2015. Before this, Puddin' never reopened after the city found them operating with an expired food service establishment permit in November 2014.

Getting to know Raphael Toledano

The Real Deal checks in with a profile on Raphael Toledano, the 26-year-old developer who has been buying up buildings around the East Village.

The feature delves into his controversial record, such as the eight lawsuits that he has been hit with since February 2014, and his heavy reliance on debt. (Per the article: "New York City multifamily deals are leveraged at an average 50 to 65 percent — Toledano’s deal, by comparison, comes out to 128 percent.")

The feature, not exactly an image softener, notes that Toledano made "frat-tastic boasts about his wealth."

“I’m worth a fuckload of money, bro,” he said.

The statement was all the more remarkable considering that just five years ago the New Jersey native was waiting tables.

In an industry known for colorful personalities, Toledano — who goes by the nickname “Rafi” — has emerged as an unlikely up-and-coming player in the city’s competitive multifamily market. Over the past nine months, he has become one of the East Village’s biggest landlords, after his investment firm, Brookhill Properties, agreed to buy 28 buildings in two separate portfolios from the Tabak family for a combined $140 million. He currently owns more than 400 units — counting only the buildings he’s already closed on.

Altogether, Toledano values his entire portfolio, the bulk of which are aging East Village walk-ups, at $500 million.

Toledano’s plan is to rehab the units, paving the way for destabilization and rent hikes. It’s a playbook move for multifamily investors. But listen to him talk, and he might as well be building on Billionaires’ Row.

“I consider myself the ultimate of developers because I’m taking a run-down, neglected building and developing it,” he said. “Gary Barnett has the easiest job — he gets vacant land, he gets an architect, a good contractor, and he builds up. For me, it’s not like that.”

The article notes that Toledano is also working to introduce a new line of shoes he designed in partnership with a Portugal-based shoemaker.

And while he has "recently sold a few buildings in Murray Hill and Gramercy Park for an undisclosed price, the core East Village assets, he said, he will keep "'for eternity.'"

Previously on EV Grieve:
Claim: Landlord of 444 E. 13th St. threatened 'to drop dynamite on the building'

Report: Residents at 444 E. 13th St. will receive a $1 million settlement over claims of harassment by Raphael Toledano

Report: State investigating East Village landlord Raphael Toledano

Health Department to inspect Raphael Toledano's East Village properties for toxic levels of lead dust

Exclusive 1st look at the new Firbimatic Eco-Green machine at Alice Dry Cleaners

Moving day today at Alice Dry Cleaners on Second Avenue between Fourth Street and Fifth Street ... as the staff replaced its Renzacci Multisorb®, which, at its height, represented very impressive load capacities with button trap drying boosters ...




[NOT LINKNYC]

...and here's Alice's newest model... meet the Firbimatic Eco-Green — aka "The Alternative Solvent Leader."



Sources tell us this Firbimatic features two filtration circuits, a solvent heater and fractional distillation. (I think you're going to notice the difference.)

Photos by EVG Dry-Cleaning Correspondent Derek Berg

Noted

Branding on Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street via EVG reader Ronnie...

(And a mattress that got away?)

Report: Joggers pull suicidal man from the East River

Three runners saved a man who tried to kill himself this morning around 7:30 after jumping into the East River near East 10th Street, according to multiple published reports.

The joggers, including an off-duty NYPD officer, jumped into the water and worked to keep the man afloat until a boat from the NYPD’s Harbor Unit responded.

The man who jumped was reportedly wearing a hospital ID bracelet. Police took him to Bellevue for observation.

You can read more about the rescue at the Daily News ... and NBC 4.

An EVG reader shared the above photo taken from behind the East River Park Track...

Out and About in the East Village

In this ongoing feature, East Village-based photographer James Maher provides us with a quick snapshot of someone who lives and/or works in the East Village. East Village photographer Stacie Joy compiled today's post.



By Stacie Joy

Name: Ceasar Noel Soto
Occupation: 5th grade student (until June 28)
Location: Village View playground/basketball court
Time: 3:45 p.m. on Monday, May 23

I’m from Lower East Side and I was born in, I think, Beth Israel hospital.

I enjoy school. I play a lot with my friends after school and on the weekends, and I mostly play football and baseball. A little bit of basketball, sometimes. I just don’t get to play basketball that much, or that often. I play with a couple of my friends. My favorite position in football — I like to, like, run the ball, because I know I am big and I can take a bunch of hits. That’s offense. Offense is the people who have the ball. Defense is the people who are trying to tackle the people with the ball. So when that happens all you hear is big clashes and boom! Boom! Boom! And people falling, grabbing, throwing, stuff like that.

My parents don’t mind it because they know as a big kid I am not afraid to get scarred. I got scarred here and here [shows off scars], and then I cracked open this meat right here [points to bridge of nose] and it showed my bone. So I got 20 stitches. Yeah, I get hit a lot and I am used to it. That happened when I was 11, back in last summer, when a bike I was riding had no breaks. And I just blanked out and I was bleeding and I didn’t even know I was bleeding until I tasted the blood and it was just leaking out and it looked like I was crying blood.

I love playing sports at my school park at PS 140. It’s the best park you could ever play in with your friends. People know me around there, so if anything happens, they know where I live and stuff like that. A lot of my friends live next to there so if anything happens I can go straight to their house. There’s not that much drama, like at other parks. There’s not that much ruckus and you can do whatever you want as long as it’s not too loud. I haven’t gotten into trouble — not yet. But if my friends get into trouble they know where I live so I can help them. Any trouble, like if someone’s trying to attack them, or if my friend, he’s walking by himself and two people … he’s gonna come to me and then it will be an even fight. Not two versus one, which you can’t understand. If this happens, he knows I got his back.

My cousins are my best friends in the neighborhood because they live right there on Second Street. They don’t play sports with me ’cause they mostly like to hang. They don’t get to see me that often and I’m like a bigger brother to them. I’m 12 now and will be 13 next May. I do have a girlfriend but she doesn’t go to my school. We met over my Xbox and then we met up with each other inside of my school. We’ve been in a relationship for already a month. She’s 13, she’s only one year older than me. So when I hit 13, she’ll be 14. Relationship is good! No fights, nothing, she just loves me, ’cause of how I treat her.

My favorite places in the neighborhood are mostly my school and the store, Ben’s [Deli on Avenue B]. I like to go to my grandma’s house. She lives in the Baruch Houses. I also like Dallas BBQ. I love the bacon bar-b-que ribs! I also like to go Upstate New York with my dad. And he said when I hit 15, which is three years away, he’ll teach me how to drive, and when I am 16, he’ll come with me to get my driver’s permit. I’m kind of excited ’cause then when I have kids I can teach them how to drive, just like my dad taught me and my little brother. My brother has about 10 more years until he can do that.

Report: Fake Uber driver robs woman after a night in the East Village

According to the Daily News this morning, a 24-year-old woman used her Uber phone app for a pick up on East Houston at Mangin near the FDR at 1:30 a.m. on May 15 after a night in the East Village.

Police sources told the Daily News that she mistook a black sedan for her ride, and the driver played along.

When she realized the car was taking her north on the FDR Drive, away from Brooklyn, it was too late. The driver passed the 96th St. exit and demanded her cash, threatening to shoot and sexually assault her, authorities said.

She complied, handing over her iPhone, wallet, $20 in cash, a debit card, a MetroCard, a jacket and a pair of gold earrings. The woman managed to get out the car on E. 125th St. between Park and Madison Aves. The driver exited the highway somewhere in upper Manhattan, cops said.

The article did not offer a description of the suspect...only an artist's sketch of the suspect...



Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online.

What might become of this vacant lot on East 14th Street?

A few weeks back, rat-baiting signs arrived at the long-empty lot at 326 E. 14th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue...



We didn't think too much about it at the time.

Still, we've always wondered, though, why this lot hadn't been snapped up by a developer. So we decided to look up to see who owns this property.

According to public records, the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary (of Mount Sinai) a few doors away has owned the property since 1975.

Facing mounting debt and an aging infrastructure, Mount Sinai Beth Israel officials announced last week that they are closing their facility on First Avenue at East 16th Street in the next four years.

Mount Sinai Health System reportedly plans to replace the existing facility by opening a smaller hospital on 14th Street and Second Avenue "with a full-service emergency department and 70 inpatient beds."

In addition, hospital officials have placed Gilman Hall, an apartment building it uses to house medical residents, up for sale. The 24-story property, at the corner of East 17th Street and First Avenue, could fetch as much as $80 million, per Crain's.

So this is just speculation. Perhaps Mount Sinai will sell off this chunk of real estate to help offset costs of the new facility a few buildings to the west. Or perhaps they will use this space to build a facility. Or maybe they are just rats here and the lot will remain empty.

Construction watch: 222 E. 13th St.

Checking in on the progress at 222 E. 13th St. near Third Avenue. The long-vacant building is undergoing a transformation to become the Bea Arthur Residence, which will "provide quality, safe, transitional housing for homeless LGBT teenagers and young adults, ages 18-24," per press materials on the facility.

As previously reported, Arthur, who died in April 2009, left $300,000 to the Ali Forney Center, an organization supporting homeless LGBT youth, in her will. In 2012, City Council as well as then-Borough President Scott Stringer awarded the Ali Forney Center and the Cooper Square Committee $3.3 million for the residence.

The property had been owned by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

Here's what the building will eventually look like, per the rendering on the property.



The Cooper Square Committee has some recent interior photos of the building. There's no official word just yet on a completion date. The groundbreaking took place in July 2015.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A haunted house on 13th Street?

Abandoned 13th Street building becoming the Bea Arthur Residence for homeless LGBT youth

Here's what the Bea Arthur Residence will look like on East 13th Street