Report: The Honey Fitz on hold; and RIP Nino's

[EVG photo from November]

As previously reported, a cocktail bar-restaurant-co-working freelance/Wifi space called The Honey Fitz is in the works for the former Hop Devil Grill and the temporarily closed Nino's Pizza storefront on St. Mark's Place and Avenue A.

The proprietors, James Morrissey (The Late Late on East Houston) and Gerard McNamee (GM of Webster Hall), pitched the concept before CB3's SLA committee last night.

For starters, a quick recap about Nino's, the longtime pizzeria on the corner.

Nino's had to close on Oct. 21 due to a gas leak in the building, according to a sign on the door. On Nov. 17, the pizzeria was hit with an eviction notice. Owner Nino Camaj has said that the gas was shut off in the building without any notice to him.

In late November, Camaj's lawyers were reportedly in discussion with landlord Citi Urban Management to dispute the rent charged for the month during which they had to close due to the gas leak. Camaj still has 10 years left on his lease, and had been in court with the landlords.

However, before last night's CB3-SLA meeting, a tipster told us that Camaj had accepted a low six-figure amount to walk away from his lease and surrender the space. We'll have more about this development later.

As for The Honey Fitz. BoweryBoogie was at the meeting, and reports that in the face of a CB3 committee denial, The Honey Fitz team withdrew their proposal for another month.

Here are two passages from BoweryBoogie's coverage:

District Manager Susan Stetzer made sure the room understood her position that removing Nino’s for a business locals unanimously reject is unacceptable. The decades-old pizzeria has been shuttered for months because landlord Citi-Urban Management shut gas to the whole building (i.e. purported leak), and even residents are without the utility.

And!

The panel quickly filed behind Stetzer on this one, and was collectively incensed that Nino’s Pizza was not only being forced out, but that these operators were content to side with a landlord who acts in such wanton manner. Seeing the imminent denial at hand, the applicant team employed the strategy of withdrawing. Keeping the board and the opposition on ice for another month to reassess “given the situation with Nino.”

Read BoweryBoogie's full coverage here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Honey Fitz in the works for St. Mark's Place and Avenue A (54 comments)

Gas leak closes Nino's for now

Nino's and Yoshi Sushi served with eviction notices on Avenue A

Encouraging signs at Nino's

Saving$ Paradise lost on East 14th Street?

An EVG reader on East 14th Street shared this photo... showing that a "for rent" sign has arrived on the Saving$ Paradise marquee here at 250 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

The inexpensive (and cluttered) shop sells a little bit of everything — housewares, school supplies, greeting cards...







...St. Patrick's Day flair...



Not sure if they have "over 10,000 items" like the sign promises, but it seems like it...

Anyway! They are not closing, according to the store's proprietor. In the weeks ahead, Saving$ Paradise will be moving a few storefronts to the west ... to No. 242... to the current home of I.Q. Decor (RIP) ...



It's a smaller space, which might mean more like "over 7,000 items" for the new Saving$ Paradise.

Monthly Movies @ MoRUS series kicks off tomorrow night

Via the EVG inbox...

The Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) will bring cinema to the people every third Thursday of the month with Movies @ MoRUS, a series of films highlighting such themes as social justice, political reform, environmental activism and Lower East Side history.

Each screening will be followed by a talk back and discussion. The first of the Movies @ MoRUS series will be held on Feb. 18. In observance of Black History Month, the first film screened will be "Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal" directed by Stephen Vittoria. The film is an in-depth examination of the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal, a journalist on death-row whose conviction in the case of the 1981 murder of a policeman in Philadelphia continues to raise questions about the death penalty, the judicial system and race in America.

Upcoming Movies @ MoRUS include:

• Thursday, March 17 — "1971," dir. Johanna Hamilton, 2014, 80 min.
The second film is "1971," a documentary exploring the infamous activist burglary of a FBI office. The heist in 1971 led to the exposure of unlawful measures the Bureau had underwent in surveillancing anti-war activists, and continues to provoke thought on the ethics of our government’s intentions.

• Thursday, April 21 — "Garbage Warrior," dir. Oliver Hodge, 2007, 86 min.
In honor of Earth Day, our third film is "Garbage Warrior," about U.S. architect Michael Reynolds and his mission to introduce radical sustainable housing to the masses.

• Thursday, May 19 — "Food Inc.," dir. Robert Kenner, 2008, 94 min.
The documentary examines how big corporations heavily influence all aspects of food production in the U.S.

Movies @ Morus is free to the public but a suggested donation of $5 is always appreciated. Showtime is 7 PM at MoRUS, 155 Avenue C between 9th and 10th Streets.

Dry cleaners: 1 up, 1 down

The laundromat-dry cleaners combo is now open at 200 Second Ave. between between East 12th Street and East 13th Street ... at the site of the former Little Pakistan deli...

And in other dry cleaning news... there has been a "for rent" sign up in recent months at Discount Cleaners at 230 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... and eventually a moving sign arrived... according to the sign, they are moving into (merging with?) the Metro Cleaners around the corner on Third Avenue between East 15th Street and East 16th Street...



...as of yesterday, the East 14th Street space has been dismantled... with a few items that haven't been claimed left behind for now...

Night shift

A view downtown early this evening via Bobby Williams...

Report: Judge says plumber allegedly involved in 2nd Ave. blast should have his license revoked

Andrew Trombettas, the master plumber who allegedly supplied his license to an unqualified worker involved in the deadly March 26 gas explosion on Second Avenue, signed off on 19 other jobs that violated regulations, the Post reports.

According to the article:

Trombettas “was negligent, incompetent, or lacked knowledge of or disregarded relevant laws; made material false or misleading statements on documents [and] endangered public safety and welfare,” Administrative Law Judge Astrid Gloade wrote in calling for his license to be yanked.

Many of the violations went undetected by city inspectors because the law allows “master plumbers” to “self-certify” certain jobs.

The Buildings Department audited about 400 jobs where Trombettas obtained permits and issued 82 violations — including multiple violations in many cases. The judge upheld most of the violations and concluded that Trombettas’ license should be revoked.

Last Thursday, the D.A. charged Trombettas with two counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony.

The D.A. charged four other people with second-degree manslaughter: Dilber Kukic, the contractor; Athanasios Ioannidis, an unlicensed plumber; Maria Hrynenko, the landlord of 121 Second Ave. and other nearby properties; and her son, Michael Hrynenko Jr.

Reader report: Pak Punjab Deli and Grocery back open

After being closed for nearly a month for some undisclosed renovations, Pak Punjab Deli and Grocery is back in business today on Second Avenue and East Third Street.

The storefront closed without any warning... or note indicating a temporary closure. Several readers noted, however, that the proprietors of the deli, which sells homemade Pakistani-Punjabi food, were just freshening up the interior.

H/T to Marjorie Ingall for the photo!

Property at 253 E. 7th St. now for sale; perfect for a 'dream custom mansion townhouse'

[Photo from November by Daniel Root]

At last look in November, the former four-story residence at 253 E. Seventh St. between Avenue C and Avenue D had been reduced to a pile of bricks.

An LLC with a Grand Street address bought the building in August 2014 for $4.3 million. The new owners had plans to put up a 6-story building with six residences on the property. However, the city has yet to approve those plans.

Now this empty property is for sale. It arrived on Streeteasy yesterday. Per the listing at the E Property Group:

Subject property is currently vacant land, & ready to go development site. Perfect for a:
• Boutique condo building
• Rental building,
• Your dream custom mansion townhouse

Prime Location:

Located on one of the east village’s most beautiful & serene tree-lined historic blocks. Preserved gardens to the west & north create a grand opportunity for lot-line & rear country like views. 1.5 blocks from Tomkins sq. park & just a few doors down from the magnificent flowerbox condos.

Pre-approved plans available for a high-end 6-unit condo building, EPA, & boring sample

The asking price is $6.25 million.

And here's a rendering of sorts that accompanies the listing...



Again, despite what the listing says, these plans haven't been approved by the city...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Options for this lovely East 7th Street townhouse include demolition

New building in the works for 253 E. 7th St.

The disappearing 253 E. 7th St.

253 E. 7th St. is now a pile of bricks


[Image from 2014 via Massey Knakal]

You can't park at the former Mobil station any longer

[Back in December]

As we noted back in the December, people were using the former Mobil station on East Houston and Avenue C as a parking lot.

No more though! As of last Thursday, workers erected a (rather flimsy TBH) fence around the property... and posted a "private property" sign...





The station closed in September 2014, and there are plans in the works for a 9 (or 10!) story retail-residential building here. However, the project appears to be in limbo. Nothing recent has happened with the application, which the DOB rejected in April 2014 for incomplete drawings, per city records. And there haven't been any demolition permits filed yet either to remove the structure left on the property.

Previously on EV Grieve:
You have a little longer to get gas on Avenue C

Plans filed for new 9-story building at site of Mobil station on East Houston and Avenue C

State seizes Mobil station on Avenue C and Houston for nonpayment of taxes

New residential building for former Mobil station lot will be 10 floors with 0 zero affordable units

A look inside the last East Village gas station

Check out the Bagel Belly on 3rd Avenue

Workers removed the plywood around the storefront at 114 Third Ave. near East 14th Street ... the incoming deli/cafe will go by Bagel Belly...



The proprietors, who also own Namu Deli & Grocery at 252 Third Ave. between 20th Street and 21st Street, were on CB3's SLA committee docket back in December for a beer-wine license. (This item was not heard during the committee meeting.)

The space was, until the fall, home to Robin Raj/Delicacity. The address was formerly the Grace and Hope Mission.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Updated: Bagel Belly coming to 3rd Avenue