Construction watch: 253 E. 7th St.

Just checking in on 253 E. Seventh St., where there are approved permits for a 6-story residential building here between Avenue C and Avenue D.

As previously noted, the Issac & Stern-designed condoplex will house six residences (each roughly 1,500 square feet) ...



Workers demolished the former four-story residence that stood here back in late 2015. A look through the blogger portal doesn't show much, if any, new building construction action...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Options for this lovely East 7th Street townhouse include demolition

New building in the works for 253 E. 7th St.

The disappearing 253 E. 7th St.

253 E. 7th St. is now a pile of bricks

Property at 253 E. 7th St. now for sale; perfect for a 'dream custom mansion townhouse'

New plans for a 6-story building at 253 E. 7th St.

New 6-story residential building OK'd for 7th Street

Lottery open for below-market rate apartments in Stuy Town

The Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village affordable housing lottery is underway ...again.

Property owner Blackstone said that potential renters who missed out on a unit last year (15,000 reportedly applied) could try again now through March 10.

Here's Town & Village with more:

This reopening is specifically for applicants in the higher-income bracket for one and two-bedroom apartments since those are the unit sizes that are most common throughout the property. However, the original waiting list is still active for unit types not included in the current lottery as well as one and two-bedrooms.

And!

An ad promoting the lottery that’s running in four newspapers this week, including Town & Village, states that the rent for a one-bedroom would go for $2,805 for one person earning $84,150-$104,775 or for two people earning $84,150-119,625. A two-bedroom would go for $3,366 for a 2-4 person household earning a minimum of $100,980 to a maximum of $119,625 for two people, $134,640 for three people and $149,490 for four people.

By contrast, market rent in Stuyvesant Town starts at $3,200 for one-bedroom units and at $3,900 for two-bedroom units.

Town & Village interviewed several people about the process. (Read that article here.) Here's one person, who entered the lottery last year, expressing frustration about the experience.

“The city was proud to announce that 5,000 units at Stuy Town would remain affordable, and they claimed that Stuy Town would remain a place to live for low to middle-income New Yorkers like nurses, teachers,” he said. “However, 90 percent of these affordable units are being awarded to those making no less than $84,150 a year. I don’t know any teachers or nurses who make that kind of a salary.”

You can apply online here.

There aren't any more holiday trees to mulch in Tompkins Square Park

The tree pen is empty for now... just 45 days past Dec. 25. Hopefully we have enough mulch in reserve to get us through the summer.

Photo today by Bobby Williams

Updated: Report of a fire at 86 E. 10th St.

Fairly big fire on corner of 10th and 4th - a lot of firefighters and EMTs at the scene. pic.twitter.com/QfaGIzZW7a

— Will Tooke (@willtooketv) February 7, 2017

The FDNY responded to a report of a fire this afternoon at 86 E. 10th St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue.

A department spokesperson told Patch there were "two reported injuries being evaluated on the scene."

The fire reportedly started on the third or fourth floor of the building, which houses the bar Black & White on the ground level. (2/10 — Black & White remains closed.)

There isn't any info at the moment about the cause of the fire or extent of the damage.

pic.twitter.com/lCuZkaObNz

— im lilakatz (@iguesslila) February 7, 2017

Updated 3:30 p.m.

These shots are via eventphotosnyc ...

98 Favor Taste, now without the plywood on St. Mark's Place

Workers have removed the plywood here on St. Mark's Place at Second Avenue... offering the full reveal of the incoming 98 Favor Taste...



As noted back on Friday, the restaurant is from the operators behind the 99 Favor Taste restaurant in Sunset Park since 2011 ... and the Grand Street location since 2012.

The restaurants specialize in traditional Korean-style barbecue and Chinese hot pot meals.

Thanks to EVG Senior Plywood Correspondent Steven

A tribute to Leonard Cohen at HiFi

Hifi is hosting a tribute to the late Leonard Cohen tomorrow evening... check out the list of performers here. The show is free and starts at 7:30 in the bar's back room. Hifi is at 169 Avenue A between 10th Street and 11th Street.

Report: Raphael Toledano selling major EV portfolio; foreclosure proceedings underway

Raphael Toledano’s East Village empire continues to crumble. As The Real Deal reports, Toledano is selling a chunk of his properties to Joseph Sutton, son of retail mogul Jeff Sutton, for some $145 million.

This contract comes as Madison Realty Capital has moved to foreclose on one of Toledano's major portfolios.

Per The Real Deal:

Madison, according to documents filed in New York State Supreme Court late last week, claims Toledano, the founder of Brookhill Properties, owes the firm about $140 million, which includes $125 million in loans against 15 properties, plus interest and attorneys’ fees.

Sources close to Toledano said that after he defaulted last year, Madison waited months to initiate foreclosure proceedings, allowing time for him to find a buyer for the properties.

It's unclear just how many EV buildings Sutton is purchasing. (Toledano purchased 28 buildings in two separate portfolios from the Tabak family for a total of $140 million.)

The Brookhill Properties website previously showed that the company owned 21 buildings in the East Village. As if this morning it shows 18 properties. If this deal goes through, then the number will presumably be in the single digits.

Last September, he reportedly sold 221 E. 10th St. and 58 St. Mark’s Place. There was also a listing for 444 E. 13th St. (That address is no longer on the Cushman & Wakefield website.)

As market observers have told The Real Deal, Toledano was believed to be in way over his head.

Toledano has also been accused of a variety of predatory practices. In addition, 20 of his buildings were tested for toxic levels of dust.

Image via the Brookhill website

Work underway on 10-story condoplex at 4th Avenue and 10th Street

Looks as if work has officially commenced for the 10-story retail-residential complex at the southeast corner of Fourth Avenue and 10th Street...



To recap, there are approved plans for a 10-story building ...with retail on the ground floor and 12 dwelling units above. The residential portion encompasses more than 24,000 square feet, so those units will presumably be condos. Floors 2-5 will each have two units while 6-8 will each have one unit while a two-level duplex to top things off. The plans also show a rooftop "recreation space" ... with more outdoor space on the ground level. Residential perks include a media room, an exercise room and storage for seven bikes, according to the permits.

SBLM Architects are listed as the architects of record. We didn't spot a rendering at their website.

However, we've seen several renderings for this lot elsewhere. The most recent one was posted at CityRealty ... it is listed as 80 E. 10th St. ...



This is the wrong corner, though. The above rendering is on 13th Street at Fourth Avenue. Perhaps a potential sign of things to come to that currently one-level corner building?

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Demo permits filed to raze southeast corner of 4th Avenue and 10th Street

The 'tremendous retail potential' of East 10th Street and 4th Avenue

10 stories of condos in the works for the long-vacant corner of 4th Avenue and East 10th Street

With new building OK'd, corner of 4th Avenue and 10th Street finally ready for razing

Clay Pot, from Hong Kong to St. Mark's Place

Signage is up for a new restaurant called Clay Pot at 58 St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue...



According to their Facebook page, they will be serving "traditional Hong Kong style open-flame cooked clay pot rice."

Here's more:

Clay Pot Rice – a literal translation from the dish called “Bao Zai Fan” (煲仔饭) – is revitalizing a traditional style of cooking rice in a clay pot over an open-flame setting. A flavor packed combination of aromatic Jasmine rice, topped with fresh ginger, scallion, a splash of soy sauce, and enriched with your choice of protein, come together to deliver your taste buds on a powerful and savory exotic journey.

From the streets of Hong Kong ✈️ all the way to New York City!! We are super excited to announce our grand opening soon on St.Mark's Place. pic.twitter.com/mM6QHhiYvI

— Clay Pot NYC (@ClayPotNYC) February 6, 2017

Hakata Hot Pot and Sushi Lounge closed here at the end of February 2016. (Hakata Hot Pot combined with sister restaurant Zen 6 the next block to the west at 31 St. Mark's Place.)

Natori, a longtime favorite, closed at this address in November 2012.

Sugar Cafe has closed

As expected, the 24/7 cafe on Houston and Allen shut its doors after service yesterday.

This note greets patrons...



BoweryBoogie had previously heard that a rent increase — perhaps as much as double the current ask — was behind the closing.

The narrow cafe had been here for 10-plus years.

For now, a few desserts remain behind ...

Today in photogenic squirrels in Tompkins Squirrel

Another day, another squirrel doing something adorable (or terrifying, depending on your opinion of squirrels) in Tompkins Square Park...

EVG Senior Squirrel Correspondent Steven spotted this squirrel enjoying some sap from a tree near Avenue A and Ninth Street...





Naturalists have noted that when a squirrel's stash of pinecones and nuts gathered during the summer and fall run low, they will often turn to sap for an energy boost... sap as well as pizza, crackers, bananas, pumpkins and Hershey's Cocoa.

Noted

As of this morning, this fuzzy artwork — on two sheets of plywood — sat outside 19-23 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... it's not immediately clear what this is (or was) It was placed out here sometime late on Saturday, as far as we know...


[Photo by Derek Berg]

Guess/theories are welcome (and LinkNYC, Lady Gaga or Tom and Gisele have been eliminated as suspects).