Please welcome the first floor of 500 E. 14th St.

Just last Monday we noted that the new 7-floor retail-residential complex at the corner of Avenue A and 14th Street was looking ready to rise...

And rise it has. Or risen. Look, a floor...





Still no above-ground sign of Extell Development's new building mate at 524 E. 14th St., where the foundation work is ongoing.

Anyway, in no time at all, No. 500 might just look like this conceptual rendering...



To this point, we haven't heard just yet if these homes will be rentals or condos.

New York Yimby did a little math on the building the other day... they noted that given the overall square footage, "the apartments above should average 1,215 square feet apiece, which suggests condominiums are in the works."

Previously

Week in Grieview

[Paper shredder at an E. 5th St. stoop sale yesterday via peter radley]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Second Avenue residents file $17 million lawsuit over deadly gas explosion (Wednesday)

Murder trial starts for high driver who crashed into East Village Farm and Grocery (Saturday)

Abraço looking to move into a larger space across 7th Street (Friday)

The Alamo returns to Astor Place on Wednesday (Sunday)

Wagamama coming to 55 3rd Ave.; M2M to depart? (Wednesday)

After 15 years, Artikal is closing on 12th Street (Tuesday)

Sweet Generation selling rainbow cupcakes for Equality Florida (Tuesday)

Workers clearing out the mysterious 84 2nd Ave. storefront (Tuesday)

Cuomo clears way for brunch drinking to start at 10 a.m. on Sundays (Wednesday, 35 comments)

Zadie's Oyster Room opens on East 12th Street (Thursday)

GG's introduces a Garden Dinner Kit with ingredients from its backyard garden (Thursday)

Today in Tompkins Square Pork (Monday)

The penthouse at 347 Bowery sells for $17 million (Monday)

14-story building planned for 827 Broadway (Wednesday)

Molly Ringwald's East 10th Street duplex is for sale (Monday)

Out and About Part 2 with Joe (Wednesday)

More bubble tea for East 14th Street (Monday)

CB3 wants alternatives about a larger 438 E. 14th St. (Friday)

Enjoy 'A Summer in Paris' next month in Tompkins Square Park (Thursday)

215 E. 12th St. is available for $16 million (Wednesday)

People's Pops not returning to the East Village (Thursday)

Melt Shop bringing grilled cheese sandwiches to 4th Avenue (Monday)

Cholo Noir wants to bring Mexican BBQ and art to East 6th Street (Friday)

After 2 months, J-Mar Special Touch barber shop closes on East 6th Street (Monday)

... and in Tompkins Square Park, Christo is keeping the kids in rats...


[Photo yesterday by Bobby Williams]

Tranquil June Sunday ruined by sight of Santa hats

Oh, the day wasn't ruined! Just a reminder that it's just six more months to SantaCon!

Photo on 7th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue by EVG Day Ruiner Correspondent Derek Berg

[Updated] The Alamo returns to Astor Place on Wednesday (unless it rains)

[Image via the Village Alliance]

After being in safekeeping the past 19 months, Astor Place's centerpiece — the Alamo — will return for re-installation on Wednesday.

This welcome news comes courtesy of the weekly Astor Place Construction bulletin (PDF) issued on Friday...



Note that the rain date is June 29. (The forecast does NOT call for any rain at the moment.)

Officials had been vague about an exact return date (June/early summer) until now.

Leading up to its return, the Village Alliance is holding a Creativity Cubed event at Astor Place through Tuesday.

Per the event notice:

Alamo Cube fans, young and old, will have the opportunity to craft and design their very own mini spinning Alamo Cube, and create new memories and stories for the future.

Visit Creativity Cubed today, Astor Place. Make your own spinning Alamo Cube & see the Strangers Project. FREE event pic.twitter.com/GjlPUwW0wl

— Astor Place NYC (@AstorPlaceNYC) June 19, 2016

The return might come as a relief to some (parody accounts)...

First person to make a life size reproduction wins and it will go on permanent display as I lost the original. https://t.co/j9IQYp6tT6

— Amanda Burden-Christ (@A_Burden_Christ) June 18, 2016

As you know, the area around the cube has been undergoing a reconstruction these past few years. No word on when it will all be officially complete.

And the Alamo won't be the only familiar installation to return. BoweryBoogie reported on June 13 that part of Jim Power’s “Mosaic Trail” will also return to Astor Place later this summer.

Workers packed up and carted off the Alamo for safekeeping for the duration of the reconstruction back on Nov. 25, 2014. The cube was installed here in 1967.

Updated 6/21

The Parks Department is now saying that the Alamo won't return until August. Per amNY:

Although there were fliers posted in the Village that gave a June 22 date for the art piece’s re-installation, the agency said it is being inspected by a conservator for final preparation.

“NYC Parks has historically contributed its expertise to the upkeep of the Cube,” Parks spokeswoman Maeri Ferguson said in a statement.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Alamo returns to Astor Place this Halloween

Five years later, Astor Place apparently ready for its 2-year reconstruction project

This is what it might be like living inside the Alamo on Astor Place

RIP Tony Rosenthal, the sculptor who created the Astor Place cube

Reminders: Meeting tomorrow to discuss construction timeline at 432 E. 14th St.

We mentioned this in the post on Friday about the retail-residential building for 432-438 E. 14th St. at the former Peter Stuyvesant Post office...

Councilwoman Rosie Mendez and CB3 are hosting a public meeting with reps for the developer. The meeting is solely to discuss the impact of the construction on immediate neighbors. We're told that there will not be any further discussion about variance plans (from 8 to 12 floors), at this time ... the meeting is at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow (June 20) at the Church of the Immaculate Conception on 14th Street and First Avenue.

Flyers are up around the new development just west of Avenue A...

Cooper Square street renovations claim 1st exhaust system

(That we know about...)

Photo by Derek Berg

Last weekend for Barbara Feinman Millinery before storefront move on 7th Street

Tomorrow is the last day for the hat shop (and other accessories) at its current address, 76 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

The shop, which was established in 1998, has new space a few storefronts away at No. 80.

Apparently there's lots of stuff on sale...


[Image via Facebook]

Feinman retired ... the new store is now know as East Village Hats, and run by Julia Emily Knox.

Murder trial starts for high driver who crashed into East Village Farm and Grocery

[Photo from June 19, 2013, via @Xeus]

The murder trial started yesterday for Queens resident Shaun Martin, who prosecutors say was drunk and high on PCP when he plowed his car into East Village Farm and Grocery on Second Avenue on June 19, 2013, which led to the death of florist Mohammed Akkas Ali.

"He wasn't just speeding, he was accelerating," Assistant District Attorney Constantine Coritsidis argued in his opening statement in Manhattan Supreme Court, as the Daily News reported.

Martin was reportedly driving 80 mph in a rented white Nissan Altima when hit a fire hydrant, a muni meter and a 25-foot tree, then jumped a curb and smashed into East Village Farm and Grocery at the corner of East Fourth Street. This happened just before 7 a.m., as Ali was finishing his shift. Four other people sustained injuries in the collision.

Ali suffered serious brain trauma and died on Jan. 1, 2014, due to complications from his injuries. He was 63.

Per the Daily News:

The accused killer ... shied away from looking at the harrowing footage of the moment he barreled into Ali.

He buried his face in his hands as the video, a main piece of evidence in the prosecution's case, was played in open court.

Martin, 35, faces up to life in prison for charges that include second-degree murder, aggravated vehicular homicide and first-degree assault.

Martin's attorney, who declined to give an opening statement, also opted for a bench trial. Justice Melissa Jackson will decide Martin's fate.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured

Crowdsourcing campaign for injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker raises nearly $19,000

Report: Injured East Village Farm and Grocery florist has lost his memory, use of his voice

[Updated] RIP Akkas Ali

The East Village Folk Festival is tomorrow night at Theatre 80

This info just arrived in the EVG inbox...

Assembling for a grand one-time historical performance, Malcolm Holcombe, Greg Trooper, Diana Jones, David Massengill, Paul Sachs, Amy Allison, Sandy Bell and Alan Kaufman will take the stage on June 19 at Theatre 80 St. Marks ...

Head over to the Theatre 80 website here for more details on the festival and tickets. The show starts at 7 p.m.

Theatre 80 is at 80 St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

1 a.m., Astor Place, June 17

Good mackerel sky from early this morning. Photo courtesy of D. Meretzky.

It might get Loud

The Ramones with "Loudmouth." (H/T Alex.)

Meanwhile, the "Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones and the Birth of Punk" exhibit is at the Queens Museum through July 31.

Sunday afternoon at the Museum, co-curator Marc H. Miller moderates two conversations around the theme, "Pop to Punk: Ramones and Visual Art." Guests include Chris Stein of Blondie and John Holmstrom, co-founder of PUNK magazine. Details here.

And on June 25, the Museum is hosting Ramones Mania, which will include book signings, film screenings, a flea market, live music and more. Details here.

Also this next Friday at noon...

SPECIAL: Friday (6/24) @evgrieve hosts w/guest 'punk curator' Marc H. Miller, 12p-2pm ET | 9a-11am PT, live on East Village Radio. #ramones

— East Village Radio (@EVRadio) June 17, 2016

American Deli & Grocery coming to 1st Avenue

[Photo by William Klayer]

Renovations have been ongoing at 139 First Ave. ... and today workers hung the signage for the new business — American Deli & Grocery, which is promising "delivery in minutes!"

The space here between St. Mark's and Ninth Street was previously home to Scarab Lounge, a hookah joint.