And developers win again

Yesterday, a City Council subcommittee voted down by a 4-1 count a landmarking proposal for 135 Bowery, an 1817 federal style row house. First American International Bank, who owns the property, plans to tear down the house, which, granted, isn't in the best shape, to toss up a seven-story commercial building. District 1 City Councilmember Margaret Chin was the deciding factor. She was initially for landmarking the building, but later changed her mind because she was "swayed by [the owner's] offer to create affordable commercial space for small businesses in Chinatown," as The Lo-Down noted.

City Council votes on the issue next Wednesday, but there's no chance without Chin's support.

And has anyone actually seen the bank's plans?

Per Save the Lower East Side:

The bank that owns 135 Bowery hasn't submitted its affordable intention in writing. The bank hasn't shown any affordable rent rates; the bank hasn't produced any legally binding contract for this promised affordable commercial space or any indication how long the leases would remain affordable, or even any binding document whatsoever showing their intent. All we have is the word of the bank. (What do you think that's worth?)

Any bets that 135 Bowery becomes luxury housing?

Coverage:
The Lo-Down
Curbed
WNYC

Andre Balazs prepping to take over the Cooper Square Hotel

Last month, Hotel Chatter heard that hotelier Andre "Boom Boom" Balazs was taking over the troubled Cooper Square Hotel. As soon as now.

On Monday, the CB3/SLA committee holds its monthly funfest. And on the agenda: Cooper Square Hotel (CooperAB LLC) with a liquor license transfer.

According to CB3 documents (PDF):

There's Andre's name right there as the hotel's principal.

Anyway, as Curbed has noted the hotel has been on the block — with an asking price upwards of $80 million.

Brief Balazs background: Among other properties, he owns The Standard in the Meatpacking District. The hotel features the Boom Boom Room, or Top of the Standard, which likely has the toughest door policy in the city.

Anyway, what's all this mean for the Cooper and the neighborhood? Maybe nothing. Or, uh, full-frontal nudity.

But really. Per Guest of a Guest:

"Does this mean the east side is going to see the likes of the Boom Boom Room and Le Bain nightlife crowd? Le Bain was a prime and hot spot for Fashion Week parties last year and mostly this year's as well. After Balazs re-opened the Boom Boom room as a private club, Le Bain was positioned to pick up the pieces of the Boom Boom room's former existence. But it didn't quite fill the void.

"Will that happen with the Cooper Square Hotel? Certainly the top floor Cooper Square Hotel has the ability to be crafted as a replica of the Boom Boom room's fun palace. Could Balazs recreate the magic?"

Backsiders, get ready to give Andre a proper East Village welcome!

Diablo Royale aiming to license basement bar

Also on Monday night's CB3/SLA committee agenda...

Alterations/Upgrades
• Diablo Royale (East Village Café & Restaurant LLC), 167 Ave A (alt/op)

According to CB3 documents (PDF), Diablo Royale is hoping to: "license existing bar in basement; additional seating; relocate bathroom."

This could get interesting. The last time owner Jason Hennings came before the subcommittee, in November 2010, he blasted Avenue A residents for their "blasphemous lies." Hennings and his attorney were present to discuss a review of the stipulations that the bi-level Mexican eatery-saloonery agreed to prior to opening in May 2010.

Flashback to EVG coverage of that meeting:

Avenue A resident Andrew Coamey said that during the bar's Halloween party, Hennings allegedly approached him on the sidewalk ... that he would see him in 10 years and Coamey "would still be complaining about gentrification." At the time of the confrontation, Hennings was dressed as a gladiator.

After hearing a handful of residents speak out, Hennings called their claims "blasphemous lies." He apologized to the committee for being so upset, but that sitting there and hearing the residents was "angst provoking."

And here is the rest of the slate for the night. Right here.

Monday, Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m. JASA/Green Residence, 200 E. Fifth St. at Bowery.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Diablo Royale Este owner blasts the 'blasphemous lies' of residents, invites the State Liquor Authority to investigate

Memorial for Nelson Perez on Avenue B

He died Saturday from injuries sustained during a motorcycle accident on the BQE. He was 48. DNAinfo has more here.

Back by popular demand! (sort of!): More posts that we never got around to posting

As stated last week: Well, I have nearly 1,050 half-started, half-finished, half-assed posts in the EVG hopper. They just weren't working for some reason. Or pointless. (Or more pointless than usual.) So now, in all their glory, here are some of those posts... with, perhaps, an explanation why I never posted them. And, because at least one person encouraged me to do more...

Oops! Deadline passed. Sorry!

I entered this short.



With all the glass and glitz on the Bowery these days, I was happy to see that the new letters at Project Renewal weren't quite aligned... It works.

The not-so-new now mural out back at the Coal Yard... forgot to post!

A little bit of Taradise on Avenue B... Glad that Tara Reid is still getting work.

Oh, right. Random LES streetscene.

A popular job...

May I use a lifeline?

[Bobby Williams]

Yes? No! God, I don't know!

Never did mention Heartbreak Cafe on Second Avenue at Second Street. Heard that people really like it.

Noted, for some reason.

I swear this was R. Crumb sitting under the sidewalk shed at St. Brigid's. Was gonna ask Slum Goddess. But I didn't because the photo was so blurry.

Classic sneaky blogger photo attempt. Pay no attention to the person lurking by the car wheel with a Panasonic Lumix!

My reaction to the story of the Hedge funder who left the ATM slip with a $100 million balance back in June in the Hamptons.

Of course.

Early Sunday morning outside the Flowerbox on Seventh Street... only one resident has the Times delivered?

Not one 2 Coop pool party story all summer.

Oh. Walking by Eastville Gardens on Avenue C, I notice a group of people staring in the gates here at the former community garden. I stop to see what was what. Pervy German tourists on the way to Zum Schenider were pointing and taking photos. I thought I heard the German word for bikini. Bikiniunterteil! People waiting for the M9 were staring too. I never posted because it would have been far more effective if I had a photo of the Germans taking photos. Plus, it seems pervy posting bikini shots.

At the 11th Street flea market.

Noted.

Of course.

What do you think of the Union Square elephant?

[Photo by EVG reader Lauren]

On Tuesday, workers plopped down Miquel Barceló's Gran Elefandret. It weighs 26 tons, roughly the same size as the Whole Foods salad bar. Would the statue look better with some colorful zip ties around its trunk?

WYNC has more on it here. It's up through May, so you have time to form an opinion...or of you want to weigh in now.

NY1 hilariously takes credit for helping reduce Tompkins Square Park rat population

[Photo by Bobby Williams taken Tuesday]

We like NY1! But! Really? Per their report:

East Village residents say the playground in Tompkins Square Park has a huge reduction in its rat population, thanks to NY1 For You. After parents contacted NY1, the station called the Parks Department about the rodents and a spokesman said while the agency is not placing rat poison in the park out of concern for the resident red-tailed hawk, the agency has removed groundcover, weeds and low growing shrubs in the park that had sheltered rats.

And the result? Fewer rats a few people say! For starters, every local TV news outlet covered this story and called the Parks Department. Second, it's very questionable if the rat population has thinned out at all. Have you noticed a difference?

Anyway, if any media outlet deserves credit for helping with the problem, it's The Villager. They were the first to report on this back on July 21.

P.S.
Hey NY1! The rats are eating the squirrels now!

Today in yarn-cart sightings

14th and Avenue B today ... via EV Grieve reader Jed M.

Previous tours.

Report: Altercation over East 14th Street parking spot heads to trial

As you may recall from this past February, a dispute over a parking spot on East 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B left a woman in a coma. According to published reports, the man charged with hitting the woman now has an Oct. 24 trial date. The man, 35-year-old Oscar Fuller, has said that he was defending himself. The woman, who is in her mid 20s, was reportedly standing in the space to save the spot for her boyfriend. (CBS New York)

[Updated] Report: St. Mark's Bookshop and Cooper Union to meet again next week

As you know, the owners of St. Mark's Bookshop were to meet yesterday with Theresa C. Westcott, Cooper Union's Vice President of Finance, Adminstration, and Treasury, to negotiate a rent reduction. According to NY1, Westcott will present the issue to Cooper Union's president and trustees. The two sides plan to meet again next week, NY1 reported. "[W]e're optimistic that we can work things out," co-owner Bob Contant said.

Previously.

Updated:

WNYC has a story on the battle too... I don't recall seeing this fact anywhere else:

Cooper Union doesn't actually own the building that holds the store, but leases it from a company called Casabella Holdings, and sublets it to St Mark's. Some of the people signing the petition have accused Cooper Union of being greedy and trying to force St. Marks out of the area.

But Cooper Union is hardly your typical college. It's one of the few in the country that offers all its students full scholarships, each valued at $38,500 a year. The income it generates from its real estate holdings, according to [spokesperson Jolene] Travis, makes up 55 percent of the college's revenue.

Also in the piece!

One real estate analyst, David Nouhian of the Metropolitan Property Group, argues that the most sensible solution would be for St. Mark's to move to a cheaper location, perhaps mid-block.

"That landlord could get a lot more than $20,000 a month in today's market," Nouhian said.

Find the whole report here.

First look inside Tompkins Square Bagels

Tompkins Square Bagels at 165 Avenue A is closer now to an opening date. The blue plywood is finally down...

EV Grieve contributor Shawn Chittle takes a look inside... and reports that owner Christopher Pugliese hopes to open by Oct. 1. Per Shawn: "It's looking real good. All sorts of real wood tables, accents, and lots of places for food that you can run in and grab and go or sit and relax. People waiting for M14 bus have a new place to sit and grab a coffee and bagel. Couldn't be better."

Previously.

Landmarks Preservation Commission rejects hearing for 316 E. Third St., paving way for 7-floor condo

Preservation groups had been working to try to protect 316 E. Third St., a circa-1835 house bound for the condo after life. Unfortunately, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has rejected a hearing on the matter, according to a post yesterday at the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation website (GVSHP). As GVSHP noted, "in 2008, as part of their own evaluation of the structure for the Environmental Review for the East Village/Lower East Side Rezoning, the LPC called it 'eligible for landmark status.'"

Last week, though, the LPC "again responded by refusing to consider holding a hearing on potential landmark designation of the endangered structure." (Read the LPC letter here, PDF)

So, this will be the fourth pre-Civil War building in the East Village to be demolished of late. The others: 326 and 328 E. Fourth St. and 35 Cooper Square ...

And so, the historic townhouse between Avenue C and Avenue D will become a Karl Fischer-designed, 33-unit condo that will destroy the home and the bucolic adjacent garden space.