[Updated] City Council committees vote on proposed hotel next to the Merchant's House today

After the public hearing on Monday, the City Council Zoning Sub-Committee and the Land Use Committee will vote on the developer's application today to build an 8-story hotel next door to the Merchant's House Museum on Fourth Street between the Bowery and Lafayette.

The developers, Kalodop II Park, are seeking a spot rezoning to build the structure that high. The public review process, the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), began in the spring.

As noted in previous posts, preservationists, not to mention the leadership of Merchant's House, the circa-1832 building, are concerned that the construction could permanently damage the structure, one of only six residences in NYC that is both an exterior and an interior landmark.

Sen. Brad Hoylman testified in front of the City Council's Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchising on Monday in opposition to the construction of the proposed hotel.



Following Monday's hearing, his office released the following statement:

Hoylman joins Borough President Gale Brewer, Assemblymember Deborah Glick, Manhattan Community Board 2, preservationists, and residents in opposition to the current application.

Senator Hoylman said: “The approval of this building would result in potentially irrevocable harm to the Merchant's House. Furthermore, our city’s zoning laws should not be changed at the behest of a single developer, especially when the survival of a 186-year old building like the Merchant's House is at stake.

It’s a miracle that the Merchant's House has survived intact both inside and out for so many years. It’s our responsibility to ensure the future generations of New Yorkers are able to experience the rich history of the Merchant's House. I urge the City Council to reject this application.”

Today's vote is expected at 10:30 a.m. at City Hall (250 Broadway), Committee Room (2nd floor).

The full City Council will weigh in next.

Updated 1:30 p.m.

The committees voted no on the rezoning...the full City Council votes next week, though it is believed they will follow the lead of the committees...

View this post on Instagram

Council Member @carlinalrivera says NO to 8-story hotel next door! City Planning OVERRULED! #rightmakesmight #dontmesswithgertrude

A post shared by Merchant's House Museum (@merchantshouse) on Sep 20, 2018 at 9:21am PDT

This vote was only for the rezoning that would allow the eight floors.... the developer still can still build six floors as of right. More to come.

Updated 9/27

The full City Council voted down the rezoning...

View this post on Instagram

BREAKING NEWS from City Hall: City Council VOTES UNANIMOUS NO on 8-story hotel next door! Thank you @carlinalrivera @nyccouncil #rightmakesmight #sofarsogood #savethemerchantshouse #manhattansfirstlandmark #defeatthedevelopers #dontmesswithgertrude

A post shared by Merchant's House Museum (@merchantshouse) on Sep 26, 2018 at 12:31pm PDT

Wednesday's parting shot

A look at the all-new East River Park Track that was back in service Monday after a year-long renovation ... thanks to Gregg Greenwood for the photo!

Mid-afternoon mannequin break

Up for grabs along with what looks like a SantaCon Still Life Display.

Photo on First Avenue and 11th Street today via Peter Hale...

Updated 5:28 p.m.



Photo by Lola Sáenz ...

Tuck Shop is closing after 13 years on 1st Street

[Photo of Niall Grant from 2016 by James Maher]

Niall Grant, the owner of Tuck Shop on First Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue, told me last evening that he is closing the business here at the end of service next Tuesday, Sept. 25 after 13 years selling Australian meat and vegetable pies on the block.

The other two Tuck Shop locations, in Chelsea Market and Urbanspace, will shut down by the end of the month.

Here's part of an email that Grant shared:

All the usual reasons can be cited but rising costs in general are behind this difficult decision. After 13 years in business I am tired of the struggle to keep a small business afloat in NYC.

My chief concern is finding jobs for my excellent kitchen team who have been with me for many many years including our head chef Pedro who has been with Tuck Shop since the very start, sous chef Juan (9 years) and prep cook Andras (7 years). They're a wonderful team so if anybody out there has a job for any of them please email tuckshopfirststreet@gmail.com.

I'd also like to thank all the folks who have worked for Tuck Shop over the years. I've made some lifelong friends and had lots of laughs with the staff. I wish you all well in your endeavors.

Finally I'd like to thank all the customers and regulars who supported Tuck Shop since 2005. I really appreciate what you've all done for me and my staff. You've allowed us to prosper, fed our families and paid our rents. We really appreciate it. Please come by the stores and say goodbye as we will miss you all greatly.

Thanks again,
Niall and the whole Tuck Shop family!

Here's part of our Out and About feature with Grant from February 2016:

I love this street. After 11 years here, I know everybody’s face. There are still a lot of the same old faces. All these guys hang out in front of the place. Some have been here for maybe 30 years. You see people grow up. It’s great to be part of a community like that. It’s nice seeing the whole family grow up upstairs.

'The Image Is a Seed' — Celebrating the work of Syeus Mottel on 2nd Avenue

[All photos by Walter Wlodarczyk]

Thanks to EVG friend Walter Wlodarczyk for bringing this exhibition to my attention... mh PROJECT nyc, the viewing space at 140 Second Ave., is currently presenting "Mottel_Mottel: The Image is a Seed," in which Matthew Mottel is presenting his father Syeus Mottel's entire archive of 35mm color slides — 3,000 strong shot between 1967 and 1975 — with performances by artists connected to their work.

Read more about the show here.



The elder Mottel, who died in 2014 at age 83, was a theater director and photographer, notable for his documentation of Lee Strasberg and the Actors Studio, Buckminster Fuller and CHARAS.

Per mh PROJECT nyc:

Syeus defined his photography as “diaristic”: he shot the people he encountered including John Cage, Ornette Coleman, Thelonious Monk, Martin Luther King Jr., William S. Burroughs, Abbie Hoffman, Miles Davis, Patti Smith, Vito Acconci, Robert Rauschenberg and Diane Arbus.

The exhibition got underway last Thursday with a performance by composer and multi-instrumentalist David Amram ...




[Matt Mottel]

Here are the remaining performances, which take place from 8-10 p.m.:

9/19 Jeff Preiss, Filmmaker
9/20 Brian O’Mahoney Performance artist and theatre maker
9/21 Cooper-Moore, Jazz pianist, composer and instrument builder/designer
9/22 Steve Dalachinsky, Poet & Daniel Carter, Saxophone player
9/23 Lary7, Artist, filmmaker and musician & Bradley Eros
, Artist
9/26 Art Jones, Filmmaker
9/27 Will Cameron, Artist
9/28 Jean Carla Rodea, Interdisciplinary artist
9/29 Cat Tyc, Writer and artist
9/30 Gil Arno, Visual artist

The space is also open for viewing Saturdays and Sundays from 1 - 6 p.m. and by appointment.

You can find mh PROJECT nyc at 140 Second Ave., between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street, No. 306.

Classic films at 7: Ciao for Now Presents 'Third Thursdays' this fall

This fall, Ciao For Now is screening free classic films on the third Thursday of every month.

Here's what will be playing in the dining room at 523 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B:

• Sept. 20 "A Star Is Born" (1937)

• Oct. 18 "Charade" (1963)

• Nov. 15 "His Girl Friday" (1940)

• Dec. 20 "The Little Princess" (1939)

The doors open at 6 p.m. ... and the movies start at 7 p.m. Food and beverages will be available for purchase to stay or to go.

The 17-year-old family-owned and operated catering company is also open for Soup Night every Tuesday evening from 5 to 10. Hit this link for more info.

Tuesday's parting shot

It was raining dogs and ... Uh, photo on Second Avenue and Seventh Street today by Derek Berg.

Tompkins Square Park after the rain

The remnants from Hurricane Florence moved through the area this afternoon.

Per NY1:

Tuesday [ed note: Today!] was the second-wettest day of the summer, and the wettest day in more than a month, in some parts of the city.

Bobby Williams shared these photos from Tompkins Square Park...

1st Avenue L train stop during the afternoon downpour

The L-train stop on First Avenue was among the victim's of this early afternoon's heavy rainfall... in case you haven't seen this clip making the rounds...

@MTA the 8th Ave bound L Train at 1st Ave is heavily flooding. Extremely dangerous. pic.twitter.com/dNsCCi8aAu

— papi chulo (@hardwhitebarbie) September 18, 2018

And props to @hardwhitebarbie for documenting how the rats were faring in the station during this time...

Here’s one trying to make it. pic.twitter.com/rOwj2uI3U7

— papi chulo (@hardwhitebarbie) September 18, 2018

Town Hall provides a few more details on the 24/7 construction at 14th and A

[EVG photo from last month]

Last night, a handful of local elected officials along with reps from the MTA and the city gathered at Middle Collegiate Church on Second Avenue for an L-train shutdown Town Hall.

Aaron Gordon has a nice recap at Gothamist today. Here's an excerpt specifically related to my post yesterday about 14th Street and Avenue A serving as the main staging area for the upgrades to the Sandy-damaged Canarsie Tunnel:

Multiple residents voiced a belief that asbestos was being improperly disposed of in dumpsters near their apartments, something New York City Transit president Andy Byford assured them isn’t happening. He promised to post something on the MTA website detailing exactly what materials are being disposed of and that asbestos is not one of them, which requires completely separate disposal teams and procedures due to its high toxicity. “If you all really think that,” he said, “then I think we owe it to you to get something up on the website to get your mind at rest.”

Several citizens also expressed concern about the “considerable truck traffic,” as one put it, that has already inundated the neighborhood. Another said she’s experiencing more headaches and sore throats than usual and cannot open windows out of fear construction dust would enter her apartment. Byford pointed out they simply cannot do the work without trucks bringing materials in and out through the East Village shafts — which will become elevators into the 1st Ave L station after the shutdown is complete — but did offer that at the peak of construction, 30 trucks’ worth of debris will come out of the tunnel per day and 10 will be going in with new material.


[EVG photo from last month]

Byford also said that although the work inside the tunnel will be 24/7 to try and wrap up the project as quickly as possible, surface-level construction will not be all hours of the day.

Read the full Gothamist post here.

Meanwhile, as Streetsblog reports, Community Board 6 members said that "the current plan for next year’s L-train shutdown will fall considerable short of what will be needed to efficiently move the 400,000 daily commuters who will be affected." This link goes to the Streetsblog piece.