Lunchtime cross break

In the distance... Christo taking in the scene from atop St. Brigid-St. Emeric on Avenue B and Eighth Street... photo by Bobby Williams

Report: Gregg Singer secures $44 million loan to continue plan to convert former PS 64 into a dorm

Last time that we heard anything about the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center, the owner, developer Gregg Singer, was being sued by his investors.

The Real Deal in late December reported:

The asset manager said it and the other investors put almost $8 million worth of debt and equity into the project, and after paying off the defaulted mortgage the development partnership took out a $22 million bridge loan at 11 percent interest, guaranteed by Onyx.

Despite earlier reports that Singer had signed the West Village’s Ballet School as a tenant, however, progress at the site struggled, and in July the company defaulted on the loan, kicking the interest rate up to 16 percent.

Singer apparently remains committed to converting the long-empty building that extends from Ninth Street to 10th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C into dorms.

The Commercial Observer reported last week that "Madison Realty Capital has provided a $44 million loan to Gregg Singer’s Singer Financial Corporation to recapitalize a student housing development."

Here's more:

“There is a shortage of quality student housing options in Manhattan,” Joshua Zegen, a managing principal and a co-founder of MRC, said in prepared remarks provided to COF. “Our financing of this project will help the borrower tap into that demand and turn a vacant building into a thriving housing option for students residing in New York City. This new development will provide a brand new student living facility with contemporary amenities, right in the heart of the East Village, one of the most artistic and diverse communities in the city.”

The article notes the new dorm will house 535 students, and include outdoor spaces for them.

It's like 2013 all over again. Or maybe 2009.

More than three years ago there were reports that both Cooper Union and the Joffrey Ballet were leasing space here for students.

It is not known — publicly anyway — if Singer has any signed leases for the space, which still needs approval from the city to renovate. (A Stop Work Order remains on the property, dated from last August.) Singer did not comment in the Observer story.

Singer bought the formerly city-owned building on East 9th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C in 1998 for $3.15 million. There has been a movement to return the building to use as a cultural and community center.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rebranded P.S. 64 up for grabs: Please welcome University House at Tompkins Square Park to the neighborhood

Deed for 'community facility use only' at the former P.S. 64 now on the market

Efforts continue to fight the dorm planned for the former PS 64 on East 9th Street

The Landmarks Preservation Commission approves application for modifications at PS 64

'Misinformation' cited as DOB issues Stop Work Order at the former PS 64; community meeting set for Sunday afternoon

Development drama continues at the former P.S. 64, where the city approved dorm-conversion permits (again)

[Updated] The former P.S. 64 appears to be for sale

The latest PS 64 debacle: Investors sue Gregg Singer

Other Music storefront is for rent

thank you to everyone in NYC & around the world who supported us over the past 20 years #othermusicforever

A photo posted by Other Music (@other_music) on Jun 25, 2016 at 5:37pm PDT

As you probably know, Other Music closed its doors for good at the end of the business day on Saturday.

Leading up to the close last week, the landlord placed a small "for rent" sign on the storefront here at 15 E. Fourth St. between Lafayette and Broadway...



According to the listing at Winick Real Estate:

• Prime Noho storefront with tremendous frontage/visibility and outstanding co-tenancy
• Incredible & Rare Flagpole Signage Opportunity
• Soaring 15’8” Ceilings
• No Food/Cooking Uses Accepted

And the listing includes a fairly soulless rendering of the storefront's potential...



There isn't any mention of the asking rent.

Other Music's owners have cited rising rents and the changing face of the music industry as reasons behind the closure. According to The New York Times, the rent has more than doubled from the $6,000 a month the store paid in 1995 while its annual share of the building’s property tax bill has also increased.

Meanwhile, there's still one more in-store event ... 75 Dollar Bill performs here tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. leading up to the sold-out farewell concert at Bowery Ballroom.

And what's going to happen with the rest of the music? Here's how it looked yesterday morning...

King Bee has closed on East 9th Street

King Bee, which served Acadian cuisine (Canadian-Cajun), has closed at 424 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

The owners left this message on their King Bee website:

King Bee has closed.

We are grateful for each one of you who came through our door during the past (almost) 2 years.

Yours in good cheer,

Jeremie, Eben & Ken

On Friday, they were selling some plates, dishes and glassware for $1... (Updated: A reader said that the new owners of the restaurant were selling the leftover dishes and glassware.)



King Bee took over the space in 2014 from Exchange Alley, which opened in August 2012. Previously, Olivia, Sintir and Zi' Pep came and went in fairly quick succession.

Despite some quality operations, nothing has worked here. Doomed location?

We'll see. A tipster tells us that new owners already bought the space and are planning Korean BBQ.

Noted

An Urban Etiquette Sign asks that people do not throw their cigarette butts out the window in this East Ninth Street building... the butts are burning holes in the awning.

Photo by Steven

[Updated] Community forum tomorrow about the Rivington House

An EVG reader shared this photo of a flyer spotted near the former Rivington House on the Lower East Side.

The sign is for a press conference and community forum tomorrow (Monday!) at 11:30 a.m. Location: Speyer Hall at University Settlement, 184 Eldridge at Rivington.

The event is sponsored by the recently formed Community Voices To Save Rivington House.

To the usual recap: In February 2015, the Allure Group paid $28 million for the property, promising that 45 Rivington — the former Rivington Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation — would remain a health facility. In November, a city agency lifted the the deed in exchange for the Allure Group's $16 million payment to the city. Earlier this year, Allure then reportedly sold the property for $116 million to the the Slate Property Group, a condo developer who plans to create 100 luxury residences in the building that overlooks Sara S. Roosevelt Park.

The state attorney general, city comptroller and city Department of Investigation are all investigating the Rivington House deal. You can find the most recent development here.

Updated 6/27

Gothamist has a report on the rally hosted today by Community Voices To Save Rivington House.

"We want the place back," said Tessa Huxley, president of coop adjacent to Rivington House, where she's lived since 1981. "I don't need anyone to be punished, just give us back our facility. It's been a complete, deafening silence from the mayor."

Meanwhile, the petition campaign to "return the Rivington House to the LES" continues. You can sign the petition here.

When can you officially drink at 10 a.m. for Sunday brunch?

As you probably know, Gov. Cuomo and the NY Legislature recently agreed to reform the state's Alcohol Beverage Control Law that reportedly dated back some 80 years.

So bars and restaurants in the city will be able to start serving drinks at 10 a.m. on Sundays instead of noon.

But when will this go into effect?

A couple people asked me... Well, according this Associated Press article from last week:

The Democrat worked with state legislators from both parties and industry leaders to hammer out details of the bill approved in the state Senate and Assembly. Cuomo is expected to sign the legislation soon. It takes effect 60 days after.

I haven't seen any mention of Cuomo signing this just yet.

The New York City Marble Cemetery will be open twice a month throughout the summer

[EVG file photo]

The New York City Marble Cemetery on East Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue has expanded their Neighborhood Open Days through September.

Via the EVG inbox...

For the first time ever The New York City Marble Cemetery will be open twice a month throughout the summer!
Mark your calendars and bring sunshine!

Saturday June 11th
Sunday June 26th

Sunday July 10th
Saturday July 30th

Saturday August 13th
Sunday August 28th

Sunday September 11th
Saturday September 24th

The open hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. And you can go today. If you want.

Read more about the cemetery here.

Updated 11:25 a.m.

The larger New York Marble Cemetery at 41 1/2 Second Ave. between Second Street and Third Street is also open today from noon to 4 p.m. They are usually open the fourth Sunday during the warmer-weather months.

At the Drag March part 2

As promised, more photos from last evening's Drag March, which started in Tompkins Square Park ... at Avenue A and East Ninth Street.

The group, which Gothamist put at two-blocks long, marched to the country's newest landmark, The Stonewall Inn.

The photos on this post are via from EVG contributor editrrix. Find more of her photos here.

At the start of the 2016 Drag March

The annual Drag March departed Tompkins Square Park last evening for the walk to the Stonewall Inn... here are a few photos from EVG contributor Stacie Joy...



















Rev. Billy was also there...




[Rev. Billy photos by Fallopia Tuba]

More photos to come...

Street fair! Street fair! Street fair!

The sausage truck was rolling in early this morning for the [Generic] street fair/festival of mozz sticks today on Fourth Avenue between East 14th Street to Ninth Street or so.

Workers were still setting up for the day...



So I uploaded this post courtesy of the new @LinkkNYC kiosk on Fourth Avenue at 12th Street while waiting to shop...

EVG on EVR

East Village Radio is rebroadcasting the special today that I hosted with East Village-based photographer David Godlis and publisher-curator Marc H. Miller.

Godlis has a new photo book, "History Is Made at Night," which chronicles the heyday of the scene at CBGB between 1976 and 1979. Miller is the guest curator of "Hey! Ho! Let's Go: Ramones and the Birth of Punk" going on now through July 31 at the Queens Museum. We talk about the Ramones. And photography. And CBGB.

It's on at noon and 8 p.m. Listen in via dashradio.com/EVR or the Dash Radio app.

ICYMI, @evgrieve w/Marc H. Miller & @GODLIS_photos, listen Saturday (6/25) 12pm ET/9am PT & 8pm ET/5PT on EastVillageRadio. @RamonesOfficial

— East Village Radio (@EVRadio) June 24, 2016

Godlis and Miller will also be out at the Queens Museum today for a day billed as Ramones Mania. Among the events: the New York Punk Rock Heavy Metal Flea Market and screenings of "Rock ‘n’ Roll High School" and "End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones." Details here.