Advocates urging City Comptroller to withhold approval for East River Park reconstruction

Updated 7/29

As amNY first reported: "After several discussions with the DDC, the comptroller is requesting the agency tackle some unresolved issues, including information disclosure concerns." AND: "Though Stringer kicked the contract back to the DDC, it does not mean that he won’t sign it in the future — or that the project won’t move forward."

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The low bidder's contract for the East Side Coastal Resiliency Plan (ESCR) at East River Park is waiting for approval at Comptroller Scott Stringer's office. 

And opponents of the current plan, led by East River Park Action, are urging Stringer to withhold his approval of the bid by IPC Resiliency Partners. (Read more about the bidding drama here.)

Today at noon, group members will rally outside his office at 1 Centre St.  

Here's more via an email from East River Park Action:

Once approved and a Notice to Proceed is issued, IPC can begin prep work for the demolition of East River Park — including cutting down almost 1,000 mature trees — in order to build a giant levee over the 46-acre land. The Department of Design and Construction, which oversees the project, said at prior Community Board 3 meetings that surveyors are ready to enter the park to perform necessary tests. Other work will include fencing of the park and bringing in trailers for field offices, which can begin within two months of approval.

 

At a time when the city is in a fiscal crisis, we are urging Comptroller Stringer to withhold approval on the $1,272,221,100 construction contract with IPC for the ESCR project that has already gone over-budget, until an independent review is conducted on the prior plan that would've cost the City considerably less money and the park considerably less destruction.

Opponents of the city's current plan — where workers will raze the 57.5-acre plot of land, bulldozing 1,000 mature trees and rebuilding the park atop eight feet of landfill — say there are better ways to preserve the park and provide flood protection, such as the one mapped out in the years after Sandy.

In late 2018, the city surprised community stakeholders by announcing a complete overhaul of a plan discussed over four years of local meetings.

In October 2019, the city announced that they would phase in the construction, so only portions of the park are closed to the public at any given time. 

According to various reports, the city has committed to leaving a minimum of 42 percent of East River Park open to the public. It is projected to be completed in 2025, a timetable opponents say will never be met.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• City tries again with the release of a Value Engineering Study for East River Park

• Report: Lowest bids for East River Park construction are $73 million over budget 

• Report: Now there's an East River Park construction lawsuit 

Karma's newest 2nd Street gallery is open

Karma's newest EV gallery space recently debuted at 22 E. Second St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

On view through Aug. 13: "Lee Lozano: Drawings 1959–64," a solo exhibition of 200 works on paper.

You can read an overview of the show at the Karma site here. 

The New Yorker has an item on Lozano and her work at this link. An excerpt:

As the art world has grown increasingly careerist and market-obsessed, Lozano has attained cult-hero status for her commitment to absence. Now an astonishing selection of two hundred of her early drawings, made from 1959 to 1964, arrives as a jolting reminder of her ferocious way with materials.

The gallery is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

As previously reported (here and here for starters), this is the latest EV expansion for art dealer and publisher Brendan Dugan, who debuted Karma at 188 E. Second St. between Avenue A and Avenue B in November 2016. A smaller gallery arrived later at 172 E. Second St. (Karma Books opened in April 2018 at 136 E. Third St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.)

As for 22 E. Second St., Willard Morgan started the Ideal Glass Studios, an artist-run film & TV production studio, in 2004 ... and the Second Street building was in use as a gallery and art collective. Morgan, who still owns the building, runs Ideal Glass Studios from space on West Eighth Street.  

Tony's Pizza will be Famous on 1st Avenue

Tony's Pizza opened in early June at 128 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

As we've noted, a second Tony's Pizza is coming to 231 First Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street. As you can see with the recently installed signage, this will be a Tony's Famous Pizza (not sure at the moment what the difference is between the two locations).

Our pizza sources say that these pizzerias are affiliated with Antonio's Pizza Cafe on Court Street in Brooklyn. (Their description of a Fugheddaboudit Pizza matches exactly with the one at the Court Street location.) Antonio's owner (and Brooklyn native) Sal Casaccio also operated Tony's Famous Pizzeria.

Tony's is taking over the storefront from Vinny Vincenz, which quietly closed in April.

July 26

Earlier today, EVG regular Salim spotted this instant Christmas, a table-sized tree, complete with lights, on Avenue A near Ninth Street ... ready to enjoy for the next five months...

Noted

Dave on 7th spotted this straightforward urban etiquette note on Seventh Street: "Please do not defecate here!"

Tompkins Square Library hosting mobile COVID-19 vaccine clinic this week

This week, the Tompkins Square Library hosts a mobile vaccination clinic outside the branch at 331 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

The City's Test + Trace Corps will be here today through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

According to the flyer, anyone age 18 and over is eligible. No appointments are necessary. And a form of ID is required.

Data from the NYC Department of Health shows that 65 percent of adult residents in all five boroughs have been fully vaccinated.

Here's a look at zip codes in this area for adults age 18 and older via the DOH's map of vaccinations...

10009 

Partially vaccinated: 76.04 percent 

Fully vaccinated: 71.72 percent 

10003 

Partially vaccinated: 74.58 percent 

Fully vaccinated: 70.3 percent 

10002 

Partially vaccinated: 86.01 percent 

Fully vaccinated: 80.56 percent

In other developments... with the delta variant driving up infection rates, Mayor de Blasio called on private employers to consider mandating employees get vaccinated.

As The Hill reported:

"I'm calling upon all New York City employers, including our private hospitals, to move immediately to some form of mandate," the mayor said Friday while appearing on "The Brian Lehrer Show." "Whatever the maximum you feel you can do."

The Democratic mayor said the vaccination system that was in place for over half a year has been effective enough to restore some sense of normalcy, but that New York City has "reached the limits of a purely voluntary system." Mandates, he argued, are the next step.

It was reported last week that just 43 percent of the NYPD's workforce has been vaccinated against COVID-19. (The FDNY said that about 55 percent of its employees have been vaccinated.) An NYPD spokesperson told the Post that the department is working to educate workers and combat misinformation about the vaccine.

Meanwhile, with the increase in positive COVID-19 cases among the unvaccinated population, some elected officials, like City Council member Mark Levine, are making a case for the return of indoor mask requirements — even for the fully vaccinated. 

Updated noon: 

• NYC Will Require Vaccination Or Weekly Testing For All City Workers (Gothamist)

Brooklyn Bean Roastery closes on Avenue A

The Brooklyn Bean Roastery Cafe cleared out of 23 Avenue A late last week just south of Second Street.

There was some talk, several months back, that the cafe was relocating to another neighborhood (maybe Brooklyn?!). No word about a new outpost — or anything about this closure via the Roastery's social media.

The cafe debuted on Feb. 21, 2020 — and roughly had one month of business before New York went on PAUSE.

However, owner Khaled Abdelhaleem decided to keep the shop open for takeout. And during the spring of 2020, Abdelhaleem provided free meals to first responders from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily and free coffee for first responders and law enforcement at any time. 

The previous tenant at 23 Avenue A, Yerba Buena, closed at the end of 2017.

Mochinut bringing mochi doughnuts and Korean-style hot dogs to 2nd Avenue

There was action at the former Dumpling Shop this past week (top photo by Steven) ... as workers were prepping the space for something.

And just like that, the signage for the new business arrived on Saturday here on the east side of Second Avenue between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place... (thanks to Alexander Romanovich for the pics!).

Mochinut, the quickly expanding California-born chain known for its mochi doughnuts and Korean-style hot dogs, will be making its EV debut in the weeks ahead...

Here's info on the business, including their specialties ... 

Mochi Donuts are made with rice flour. The rice flour makes Mochi Donuts stretchy and chewy. There is a sticky addictiveness to each bite, a textural element that is completely different from yeast or cake donuts. Mochinut is receiving attention from people for its unique shape which is made of a connected circle of 8 dough balls. 

Mochinut, which has 20 locations in the United States with 90 (!!!) more on the way, also serves Korean rice flour hotdogs... photo below via the Mochinut website... 

Find their menu here. 

The owners of Dumpling Shop, citing the challenges of running a small business during the pandemic, closed here at the end of 2020 after two-plus years. 

Jiang Diner is on a break

We've fielded questions about the status of Jiang Diner at 309 E. Fifth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

The business has been closed this past week... and there isn't any notice on the premises to patrons at the well-regarded restaurant (try the Big Plate Chicken) about what's happening here. 

However, there is a post, dated July 18, on Instagram: "Jiang Diner has been in constant operation throughout this pandemic ... It is time for us to take a break. We will be back."

Jiang Diner debuted in the spring of 2019 "with a mission to introduce authentic Xinjiang-styled Northwestern Chinese food and culture to New York City."

You can follow them on Instagram for reopening info.

Photo by Steven

Week in Grieview

Posts from this past week included (with a nighttime look at the former Jules Bistro on St. Mark's Place)...

• A farewell visit to The Baroness (Thursday) 

• Happy returns: New location of Gaia Italian Café — REVEALED! (Wednesday) 

• RIP Joe the tailor (Tuesday) 

• The Lazy Llama Coffee Bar opens cafe in the First Park kiosk (Monday) 

• Humans of New York inspires an outpouring of support for Dress Shoppe II on 2nd Avenue (Friday) 

• Police seeking possible witness to last week's homicide on 1st Avenue (Thursday) 

• Author Q&A: About the dystopian East Village future of 'Drained' (Friday) 

• Illustrations from the pandemic (Wednesday)

• The Anthology Film Archives returns with in-person screenings on Aug. 5 (Tuesday) 

• Italian favorite Via Della Pace announces itself in new 4th Street home (Monday) 

• Coming soon: Cutlets Sandwich Co. opening an outpost on 3rd Avenue (Monday)

• More details on 2 new fast-casual Indian restaurants from the owners of the Masalawala (Tuesday) 

• Openings: Gia Trattoria on the Bowery; Marufuku Ramen on 2nd Avenue (Thursday) 

• Openings: Yubu on 7th Street, Evil Katsu on 9th Street (Wednesday) 

• Sushi by M debuts in new space on 2nd Avenue (Wednesday) 

• Snack Bowery sets up shop on the Bowery (Monday) 

• Who's NOT on tonight's CB3-SLA docket: Roberta's Pizza, Spiegel (Monday) 

• A smoky late-afternoon view of Midtown (Tuesday) 

• Former Banco Popular space for rent on Houston and B (Tuesday) 

• Former bubble tea shop space for rent on 3rd Avenue (Tuesday) 

• Aces Fine Food and Spirits in the works for 197 2nd Ave. (Monday)

... and someone left his/her thoughts on the new Tiffany's ad campaign on the Bowery...

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XOXO 2nd Avenue

Last Sunday, we marked the 10th anniversary of the closing of Mars Bar on Second Avenue's southwest corner at First Street. 

On this occasion, Julius Klein shared the two photos below of what the northwest corner of Second Avenue and First Street looked like for a time in the 1990s ... when he ran XOXO, a performance space and gallery.

This first shot is from 1997, three months before workers demolished the building to make way for part of the Avalon Bowery Place luxury complex...

And this next photo — circa 1992 — is looking to the northwest from Houston and Second Avenue... Roy, a handyman at Mars Bar, attends to owner Hank Penza's car...

Here's a current-day view of the NW corner of Second Avenue and First Street (thanks to Steven for the pic)...

Free COVID-19 vaccines in Tompkins Square Park this weekend

The city has set up a free COVID-19 vaccination center for this weekend in Tompkins Square Park right by Temperance Fountain ... no appointments are needed today or tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

Vaccines offered at this location: 

• Pfizer (12+) 

• Johnson & Johnson (18+) 

 This is the second time this summer that the city has offered free vaccines in Tompkins Square Park.

Thanks to @joshuawatermannyc for the photo!