Det. Jamie Hernandez honored after 34 years with the 9th Precinct

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Yesterday morning, East Village and NYPD community members came together to honor Det. Jamie Hernandez, who was retiring after 34 years at the 9th Precinct.

Hernandez, who headed up Community Affairs, took part in a walkout ceremony at the station house on Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

... where he was joined by his family...

... members of the 9th Precinct...

... and representatives of the neighborhood's religious community...

Deputy Inspector Ralph A. Clement, the 9th's commanding officer, presided over the ceremony...

Here's part of the longtime detective's farewell...

   

 Hernandez, who told residents he'd be taking an extended vacation, then rode off in a unique NYPD cruiser...

Wednesday's opening shot

It flurried! A little, very little. (Why we'd even mention this.) ... Seventh Street outside Tompkins Square Park this morning...

Packing up Café Cortadito

Café Cortadito has closed its doors at 210 E. Third St., just east of Avenue B, after service this past Saturday. 

As we first reported, Ricardo Arias and Patricia Valencia, the husband-and-wife owners of the popular Cuban restaurant, were facing a rent hike from $8,000 to $15,000 per month. 

On Monday, EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by to find the owners packing up the space. 

On the positive side, they have identified a new location not too far away... though the owners haven't signed a lease just yet. Stay tuned.

280 E. Houston St. prepped for new building construction

Workers have extended the plywood and set up a construction zone along 280 E. Houston St., where a new 12-story building will rise here between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

For the foreseeable future, pedestrians and cyclists will both be using the roadway to pass this property...

There are a few pieces of equipment on-site, though it doesn't appear to be a full-blown operation just yet...

As a reminder, here's what in store... still no word on the number of units... 

In October, as The Real Deal first reported, landlord Samy Mahfar and investors picked up the property from members of the Hirsch family for $36.8 million.

Per TRD's report, "the Hirsch family obtained demolition permits and did enough foundation work to qualify the site for the 421a property tax abatement before it expired in June."

In the fall of 2021, workers demolished the one-level strip of storefronts here (Dunkin'/Baskin-Robbins, Subway, China Town restaurant, etc.) adjacent to the 13-floor residential building formerly known as Red Square. 

Openings: Bobby’s Night Out on Avenue C

Bobby's Night Out recently debuted on the NW corner of Avenue C and Ninth Street. 

East Village resident Bobby Gonzales is behind the establishment, which he described as "Tavern-style but more of a bar with great food." The menu includes a variety of tacos and burritos, including vegan options. 

Despite the "Night" element of the name, the space at 145 Avenue C opens at noon... and features a daily brunch service until 5 p.m. There are several projectors and big screens in the space, though he said they go up at night — leaving a lone TV behind the bar — "so people can engage with each other."

Hours: Noon to 4 a.m.

Gonzales, a native of New Mexico, operated La Flaca — billed as "New York's premier New Mexican bar and restaurant" — during a 10-year run (2010-2020) down on Grand at Suffolk. 

Esperanto quietly closed in this space sometime in 2021 after 22 years in service.

Tuesday's parting boots

As seen along Second Avenue near Fifth Street today... photo by Derek Berg...

6 posts from January

A mini month in review... 

• Soul mates: Meet the members of East Village-based band Sauce City (Jan. 21) 

• Report: The Regal Union Square multiplex to close after bankruptcy filing (Jan. 19) 

•  The remaining structure of the fire-damaged Middle Collegiate Church will be demolished (Jan. 13) 

• After 29 years playing in the East Village, I finally decided to see "Stomp" before it closed (Jan. 9) 

• The future of the unlicensed weed vendors (Jan. 3) 

• A happy birthday mural for Ray on Avenue A (Jan. 2)

Report: The former Charas/P.S. 64 is headed to auction this March

After another round of legal rulings, the former P.S. 64/Charas/El Bohio Community Center is headed to a foreclosure auction in March. 

According to The Real Deal, a court-appointed referee last week set an auction for the property at the Hilton New York Midtown Fifth Avenue on March 22. (As previously noted, the 135,000-square-foot building is zoned for "community facility use." Any conversion to a condoplex or residential housing would require a time-consuming zoning variance.)

Late last year, Judge Melissa Crane "agreed with a report from a court-appointed referee that Madison was owed $89.9 million for principal, interest and other charges." 

Per TRD: 

Singer disputed the interest and charges, arguing that the report lacked a "breakdown by month of the Prime and LIBOR rates, making it impossible to verify the accuracy of the calculations." 

Crane quickly shot down that argument. "The note explains the method for calculating the relevant interest rate in its first paragraph," she said. 

Singer vows to keep fighting despite the scheduled auction, citing new evidence he was "finally able to obtain," The Real Deal reported. 

"We expect our rights will be fully vindicated and we will ultimately prevail and be allowed to have the building be a benefit to the community," he said.

In recent weeks, workers — under emergency orders via the DOB — have been sealing up the building's Ninth Street and 10th Street sides between Avenue B and Avenue C. The former school and community center had been easy to access in recent years, attracting a variety of urban thrillseekers and partygoers. The broken windows and poorly secured doors also exposed the building to the elements — not to mention pigeons and other wildlife.

The property that Singer purchased from the city in 1998 for $3.15 million fell into foreclosure last year. Through the years, Singer wanted to turn the building into a dorm (more here), though those plans never materialized. (At one point, the Joffrey Ballet and Cooper Union were attached to the project.)

In October 2017, then-Mayor de Blasio's statement at a Town Hall put forth the idea that the city would take steps to reacquire the building. 

Some residents want to see the space used again as a community center, as it was during its time as Charas/El Bohio Community Center. Singer evicted the group on Dec. 27, 2001.  

Honoring Det. Jamie Hernandez after 34 years of service to the East Village

Photos by Steven

After 34 years with the 9th Precinct, the East Village community is bidding farewell this morning to Jaime Hernandez, detective first grade who heads up Community Affairs here.

This morning at 11, Hernandez is taking part in a walkout ceremony at the station house on Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

Village Preservation selected Hernandez as a Village Awardee in 2020, noting that he "has built a highly regarded reputation throughout his career as someone who builds bridges, listens, and works closely and collaboratively with the communities he serves."

Also:

Jaime has been a finalist for a Village Award for several years now, but he always had other commitments and been unable to accept, including one year he missed because he had just donated a kidney to his daughter.

Fire shutters the recently opened Gjelina on Bond Street

A fire yesterday just before noon has temporarily shuttered Gjelina, a popular L.A. import that just opened at the start of 2023 at 45 Bond St. 

The FDNY responded to a report of a fire here between the Bowery and Lafayette around 11:30 a.m.

According to the @FDNYalerts account, the fire was in the ductwork between the first and second floor... with firefighters on the scene for several hours before announcing the "under control" ...

Manhattan All Hands Box 0365, 45 BOND ST, COMMERCIAL

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) January 30, 2023

Manhattan All Hands Box 0365, 45 BOND ST, COMMERCIAL, DUCTWORK 1/2 FLR, Under Control

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) January 30, 2023

The Citizen app reported that two firefighters sustained minor injuries during the blaze. No other injuries were reported.

Earlier today, a fire broke out at the recently opened Gjelina. We’re thankful nobody was hurt and want to extend a big thank you to NoHo’s own @FDNY station on Great Jones Street, Engine 33 and Ladder 9 for responding so quickly. #NoHo #NoHoNYC #ExploreNoHo pic.twitter.com/15piR42qsA

— NoHo (@NoHo_NY) January 30, 2023

Gjelina, a vegetable-centric restaurant that opened in Venice, Calif., in 2008, debuted here at the start of the year with a breakfast-lunch service. Grub Street noted that Gjelina was "already Manhattan's hottest lunch." 

The restaurant's Instagram account noted — via its Stories — that it was closed for now...

A look inside the restaurant last evening didn't reveal much, if any, damage — at least from the front.