A lawsuit dismissal and 2-year anniversary at the former P.S. 64

Over the weekend, several community activists noted the two-year anniversary of Mayor de Blasio's pledge to return help the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on Ninth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C to the community.

During a town hall forum at P.S. 188 on Oct. 12, 2017, de Blasio said that the Giuliani administration should not have auctioned off the property, and that he would work to "right the wrongs of the past," as DNAifno reported at the time.

"For the administration to put that building into private hands failed miserably, and we’ve seen the negative affect that that has had on the community. So I'm announcing tonight the city's interest in re-acquiring that building," de Blasio said, eliciting cheers from the audience.

Nearly 2 decades ago @RudyGiuliani auctioned off El Bohío. For two decades it has sat neglected.

2 years ago, on this day, @NYCMayor promised to work with our community to get it back. #keepyourpromise #giveitback @BrianLehrer pic.twitter.com/X6JoOjwPwh

— Andrea Gordillo (@AndreaGordillo) October 12, 2019

@NYCMayor Two years ago today you promised to give us back CHARAS make good on this promise.#keepyourpromise #giveitback @BrianLehrer #ReTweetPlease pic.twitter.com/fjJHCPsw5C

— AuraDL 歐拉 歐拉維利亞 (@AuraDL2) October 12, 2019

The mayor brought up P.S. 64 again in the late summer of 2018 during a media roundtable at Brooklyn Borough Hall. There, de Blasio said that property owner Gregg Singer "has been exceedingly uncooperative" about selling the building back to the city, as The Villager reported. However, Singer told Patch that he hadn't heard from anyone at the mayor's office about the property.

Back on Feb. 7, local elected officials gathered outside the building and urged the city to reclaim the property for community use. The building was also the focus of a recent town hall hosted by Community Board 3's Arts & Cultural Affairs Subcommittee.

Singer has wanted to turn the building into a dorm called University Square. The DOB continues to maintain a Stop Work Order — dating to August 2015 — on the building.

To date, Singer has filed two lawsuits against the city, claiming that the de Blasio administration is derailing his dorm-converting efforts.

According to the East Village Community Coalition (EVCC), the first lawsuit, brought against the city in early 2018, was dismissed on Sept. 30.

Per an email from the EVCC:

As respects the federal constitutional and statutory claims, the court agreed with the defendants' position in a thorough 48-page opinion, which closely analyzes — and rejects — each of Mr. Singer's allegations of federal constitutional and statutory violations.

While this is as complete a victory as could be expected, it is our understanding that Mr. Singer's team has filed an appeal, which the defendants will oppose.

A proposal for a loading zone outside the incoming Trader Joe's on 14th Street at Avenue A

On Wednesday night, Community Board 3's Transportation, Public Safety and Environment Committee will hear a proposal for a seven-day-a-week commercial loading zone for the incoming Trader Joe's at 432-438 E. 14th St. just west of Avenue A.

The proposed hours for the loading zone: 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. There's no information at the moment about how large this spot might be for commercial trucks making deliveries to the coming-soonish store.

Back in May, Trader's Joe's officially added 432 E. 14th St. to its list of store openings, ending nearly two years of speculation that the chain was opening its second 14th Street outpost here in the retail complex of the residential building called EVE.

Don't expect this TJ's to open anytime soon, though... here's a look inside the other day...



Meanwhile, L-train work continues along this corridor between Avenue B and First Avenue, though MTA officials say they are ahead of schedule by three months.

The Committee meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the CB3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Trader Joe's finally confirms that a Trader Joe's is opening on 14th Street at Avenue A

All about EVE, the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office-replacing rentals on 14th Street

Claim: A Trader Joe's won't be coming to new development at 14th and A after all

Trader Joe's: No current plans for grocery at 432-438 E. 14th St.

Looks like there's a Trader Joe's coming to 432-438 E. 14th St. after all

Red Gate Bakery setting up shop at 68 E. 1st St.

Renovations are underway inside 68 E. First St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, where the proprietors of Red Gate Bakery are preparing to open later this year.

The Red Gate website notes that they sell "small-batch, high-quality, no-frills baked goods." Their menu features a variety of cookies, brownies, cakes and a midnight banana bread. You can see some of these items on the Red Gate Instagram account....

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @redgatebakery on Sep 24, 2019 at 4:03pm PDT

This is the first storefront for the proprietors, who have been taking online orders for a variety of events and special occasions.

No. 68 was previously home to the Tuck Shop, which closed in September 2018 after 13 years of selling Australian meat and vegetable pies on the block.

H/T Vinny & O!

RIP John Giorno

John Giorno has gone
RIP John 🖤 pic.twitter.com/aKLM9valbM

— Chris Stein (@chrissteinplays) October 12, 2019

John Giorno, the poet, performance artist and LGBTQ+ activist, died on Friday. He was 82. A cause of death was not immediately disclosed.

Here's ARTnews:

Giorno was one of those extremely rare figures who would have had an admired career, and earned a place in the canon, even if he had only pursued one of his myriad interests. He wrote gloriously explicit poetry in the 1960s that foregrounded his homosexuality, gave frenetic performances around the world, painted bewitching text paintings, organized efforts to care for colleagues battling HIV/AIDS, and was an early convert in the United States to Tibetan Buddhism and meditation.

The central project of Giorno’s life was dramatically expanding the boundaries of poetry, and — at least equally as important for him — revolutionizing the methods by which it could be presented and distributed.

For the past 53 years, Giorno lived at 222 Bowery — aka the Bunker. (The palazzo-style structure was also the home of New York's first YMCA in 1884.) Last month, his multiple lofts in the building were featured in Architectural Digest:

American abstract painter John Opper was the first artist to set up a studio in the building, attracted to the abundance of natural light, open space, and cheap rent. He was soon followed by Mark Rothko, James Brooks, and Wynn Chamberlain. Over the following years, countless creatives and titans of the downtown scene would pass through the space; it's on the building's top floor where Andy Warhol screened one of his seminal films, "Sleep," featuring Giorno fast asleep for five hours...

In early 2018, Giorno created these posters with the line "You’re walking down 2nd Avenue, coming to St. Mark’s Place" ... which were adorned on the plywood on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place during renovations for the incoming Swiss Institute...



The line is from his "Eating the Sky" in 1978. Listen to that here.

There were plenty of tributes to Giorno on social media...

Today we lost a legend.
poet, artist, perpetual angel.
JOHN GIORNO. (1936-2019)#johngiorno #scooterlaforge pic.twitter.com/uxqPemYvS2

— Howl! Happening (@HowlHappening) October 12, 2019

It is with great sadness that we learned the passing of artist and poet #JohnGiorno. We had the honor to present his work in 2015, with the restrospective set up by his husband UGO RONDINONE : I ❤️ JOHN GIORNO
He will be missed#IloveJohnGiorno pic.twitter.com/AM2K6FheXJ

— Palais de Tokyo (@PalaisdeTokyo) October 13, 2019

1968 "Dial-a-Poem' — (+1 641-793-8122 ) — hear a live recording of a poem from Frank O'Hara, David Henderson, John Ashberry, Laurie Anderson & more. "It occurred to me that poetry was 75 years behind painting and sculpture and dance and music." #rip #JohnGiorno pic.twitter.com/UuM8fgYy5q

— Adam Nelson (@workhousepr) October 13, 2019

Week in Grieview

[Early morning along St. Mark's Place]

Posts from this past week included...

CB Developers pay $59.5 million for an interest in 358 Bowery — current home of the B Bar & Grill and likely a new development (Wednesday)

Dutch consultant files independent report on the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (Friday)

Reports: Chinatown murders bring renewed attention to the city’s street homeless (Monday)

Blessing the pets at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery (Monday)

Preliminary thoughts and concerns about the new Tompkins Square Park playground (Tuesday)

"Backstage On Stage" — What a Blue Man Group classroom setting looks like (Friday)

Gov. Cuomo approves bill to create public liquor license database (Monday)

St. Mark's Market closes (Monday)

A memorial for Lucien Bahaj (Thursday)

This week's NY See (Thursday)

Cloud99 Vapes space for rent, business set to close (Thursday)

Ruby's Café debuts on 11th Street (Monday)

A tribute to the construction worker who died at 356 E. 8th St. (Wednesday)

"Joker" weekend (Sunday)

Vanessa's Dumpling House temporarily closed for "modernization" on 14th Street (Monday)

Aoi Kitchen coming soon to 6th Street (Tuesday)

Year-long renovations expected soon at Joseph C. Sauer Park on 12th Street; locals want fence to remain at 8 feet (Tuesday)

Who painted Laura Palmer? "Twin Peaks" art coming to the Living Gallery Outpost (Tuesday)

Brooklyn's Nostro Ristorante setting up an outpost on 2nd Avenue (Thursday)

Punto Rojo is for sale on 1st Avenue (Thursday)

Bank of America checking into corner space on Houston and Eldridge (Wednesday)

Sweetgreen status check on the Bowery (Monday)

August Laura and all the new bars and restaurants coming to this stretch of 6th Street (Wednesday)

Here's the all-new storefront at 131 1st Ave. (Tuesday)

The China Star is now Baji Baji on 1st Avenue (Tuesday)

Snapshot of the former International Center of Photography space on the Bowery (Monday)

Report: Tenant leasing alleged sex-party house on 7th Street is leading a "double or triple life" (Monday)

... and from Friday, EVG reader Laura notes the NYPD respecting the bike lane on 12th Street at Fourth Avenue. At least three cyclists had to ask him to move...



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Hawk watchers in Tompkins Square Park yesterday spotted this juvenile red-tailed hawk hanging out (it is fall migration time) ... dining on some local cuisine...



According to EVG correspondent Steven, this arrival didn't sit well with Amelia and Christo, the Park's resident hawks. They circled the youngster and, at one point, one of the adult hawks rammed the juvenile before escorting it away from the Park.

Later in the day, Amelia and Christo took in the views from atop St. Brigid's on Avenue B and Eighth Street...

'Fall Into Love' at Middle Collegiate Church's street fair on 2nd Avenue

Tomorrow (Oct. 12!) Middle Collegiate Church hosts the Second Avenue Street Fair: "Fall Into Love."

Here's what you can expect between Noon and 5 p.m. along the Avenue (from Sixth Street to 14th Street):

Children and families can enjoy fall-themed activities like pumpkin painting, art projects, a bounce house, tie-dye t-shirt making, and a bubble station, in addition to local vendors. The Jerriese Johnson Gospel Choir, the Village Chorus for Children and Youth and other local artists will be offering entertainment in front of Middle Collegiate Church.

The Second Avenue Street Fair was started in the 1980s as a way to raise money for the "Celebrate Life Meal," the free meal the church offered to those living with HIV/AIDS. The meal continues today in partnership with The Momentum Project. Proceeds from the Second Avenue Street Fair benefit the pride ministries of Middle Collegiate Church.

Put this in 'Heavy Heavy' rotation

Here's "Heavy Heavy," a track from the local indie rock quartet Pom Pom Squad ... something from their "Ow" EP that's out now.

You can see them with Miss June Monday night out at Rough Trade.

[Updated] Signage for Lions & Tigers & Squares arrives on 2nd Avenue

It's signage day for the new outpost of Lions & Tigers & Squares, the Detroit-style pizza shop from the owners of Artichoke opening later this year on Second Avenue at 10th Street.

Our previous post has all the details.

Nicoletta closed last December at this address after six-plus years in business. They are still delivering pizzas from an undisclosed location.

Thanks to William Klayer for the photo!

Updated 8 p.m.

It appears they are in soft-open mode... photos via Steven...





Previously on EV Grieve:
Detroit slice city: Artichoke bringing an outpost of Lions & Tigers & Squares to 2nd Avenue

'Backstage On Stage' — What a Blue Man Group classroom setting looks like

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

Last Friday, the Blue Man Group launched a new ongoing educational program at the Astor Place Theatre called "Backstage On Stage."



On this day, the theater hosted 125 kids from the PS 142 After 3 Arts Program on the Lower East Side.

Blue Man officials say that this matinee program aims to give kids an in-depth look at the theatrical world and introduces them to opportunities both on and off the stage. This program will be STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) focused.

There's a 30-minute session where students get a behind-the-scenes look at the mechanics of a show as well as a Blue Man history lesson. (The global entertainment empire got its start in the East Village/LES, performing at LaMama, PS 122 and Dixon Place in the late 1980s.) A Blue Man Group performance follows this session.

I stopped by for the inaugural "Backstage On Stage" session and found a lot of happy kids, who especially enjoyed experiencing the messier aspects of the show and seeing their teachers "volunteer" to take the stage ... not to mention those Blue Men, who've been performing here in the 287-seat theater since Nov. 17, 1991.

Holidays at Kmart; pint of beer Halloween costumes, plastic Bennington pines

We have a dispatch from Goggla from the Kmart on Astor Place. She points out the (going fast?) beer pint Halloween costumes.

Fine, but Halloween seems so July.

"If you're over Halloween already, they are stocked with Christmas trees."

These are 6-foot Bennington pines in the boxes...



Merry Christmas!

EVG Etc.: 14th Street busway declared a success; old-world charm found at Dua Kafe

[A scene in Tompkins Square Park via Derek Berg]

• The NYPD is struggling to identify one of the four homeless men who was brutally killed in Chinatown on Saturday (The New York Times)

• Why is the Council bill on commercial Leases in limbo as the commercial vacancy problem worsens? (City Limits)

• Mayor de Blasio, with support from local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera, is said to be "pushing for a plan that would restrict hotel development in the Union Square area to only projects that hire unionized staffs — a move that critics say will benefit a politically powerful labor group at the expense of the local economy." (The Post)

• Check out this new exhibit — "Activist Estates: A Radical History of Property in Loisaida" — at the Loisaida Center on Ninth Street (Off the Grid)

• Those Yoshitomo Nara drawings on the wall at Niagara on Avenue A and Seventh Street may be worth a lot of money: Nara’s "Knife Behind Back" (2000), a large painting of the same frowning little girl present at Niagara, sold for nearly $25 million at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong (artnet news)

• NYC Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg touts the initial success of the 14th Street busway (Streetsblog ... previously on EVG)

• Details on the queer-run, pop-up bar called Butch Judy’s out back at Performance Space New York on First Avenue and Ninth Street (TONY)

• Dua Kafe on East 14th Street between A and B has become a destination for traditional Albanian cooking (Grub Street ... previously on EVG)

• Supreme signs lease for 190 Bowery (Commercial Observer) ... and the Supreme shop on Lafayette is no more (BoweryBoogie)

• Details about a free bird walk to track fall migration tomorrow — Oct. 12 (The Lo-Down) And how about some red-tailed hawk activity (Laura Goggin Photography)

• That NYC '81 film series continues (Metrograph)

And to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Meg on Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue is donating part of the sales from their "Tough Titties" sweatshirts to Planned Parenthood of NYC Action ...


[Meg photos by Steven]