[UPDATED] Activists: Even with new court order city continues demolition of East River Park

Yesterday, Court of Appeals Judge Rowan D. Wilson issued a new order that stays the previous Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), halting the construction at East River Park until a hearing on Thursday afternoon. 

Judge Wilson also signed an order bringing on a motion to hold the respondent in contempt.

 

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Despite this, activists at the construction site south of Houston Street this morning report that city-contracted workers continue to demolish portions of the park — as they did around the clock this past weekend, even with the TRO in place on the $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency project. 

Photos from the scene show an excavator in action at the amphitheater. 

In recent days, workers have focused on the now-closed section of East River Park from Stanton Street to Montgomery Street. Trees and amenities in this section have mostly been removed, witnesses say.

Photos of East River Park show a barren landscape with piles of tree stumps for those on the FDR to view (thanks to EVG reader John for this photo)...

The city's response to date has been: "The city has reviewed the Court's written order, and we do not believe it prevents us from continuing work on this vital resiliency project. 

Updated 3:30 p.m.

A group of activists has marched to local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera's office. Per a tweet, they are calling for her removal... 

Come to ⁦@CarlinaRivera⁩’s office now. We are blocking the street and calling for her removal from office. 4th and B ⁦@ERPAction⁩ #SaveEastRiverPark pic.twitter.com/GxQGkeaqaQ

— a thousand people a thousand trees (@1000treesNYC) December 14, 2021

Updated 7 p.m.

Here are more photos from outside Rivera's office via EVG contributor Stacie Joy. 

The activists tried to present Rivera with a copy of the latest order from Judge Wilson...

Although people were inside the office, no one would come to the door... and a copy was shoved under the door...

The group blocked traffic ...

...under the watchful eye of the NYPD. We're not aware of any arrests here.

Top photo by @benjaminshepard via @eastriverparkaction.

RIP Molly Fitch

Photo of Molly (above left, with Tyler and Billy the Artist) from early 2020 by Stacie Joy. Updated to include a comment from the Post.

Molly Fitch, a longtime East Village resident and the owner of the International Bar at 102 First Ave., died last night, Dec. 12. She was 51.

The bar's Instagram account confirmed the sad news. Details about the cause of death have not been made public.

We lost the most valuable, most authentic, most mythical creature in our lives last night. We are terrified of saying goodbye and putting our love and heartbreak into words. We celebrate the life of our owner, our friend, and creator of our little East Village family at the International Bar — an institution open to those who need a place to call home.

We remain open 7 days a week at regular hours. Please give our team the love we need to continue to serve the East Village community with Molly's legacy.

The International Bar has had several iterations in the East Village, first at 119 St. Mark's Place in the 1970s then later at 120 1/2 First Ave. In 2008, Molly and Shawn Dahl reopened the International and kept the downtown spirit going until the landlord didn't renew the lease. In November 2017, the International merged with its sister bar, the Coal Yard, at its current location, 102 First Ave. at Sixth Street. 

"She was an embodiment of the old East Village, a pre-commercialized downtown New York where small businesses and punk rockers and individuals could make it," former bouncer and bar manager David O'Donnell told the Post.

I spent time at both the International and the Coal Yard and had the opportunity to get to know Molly. I always thought she was one of the kindest and coolest people I've ever met.

We were also neighbors for a while on Eighth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. I've long been a very early morning person, and I'd run into her outside: me on the way to work and her coming home from closing up the bar.

Once, on a frigid January Monday morning, she insisted on driving me to Astor Place so I could catch the 6 train for work. We got in her rustic pickup truck, and I remember it was warmer outside than inside. We laughed the whole way to Astor Place.

At the annual Tompkins Square Park tree lighting

The annual (no. 30!) holiday tree lighting took place late yesterday afternoon in Tompkins Square Park. 

Albert Fabozzi, the founder of the lighting ceremony, was on hand for the ceremonies...

Entertainment included the Carolers of Olde New York from Theater for the New City and music from the Mandel & Lydon Trio ... (with refreshments via Veselka and C&B)...

There was a nice turnout. EVG contributor Stacie Joy shared these photos of some of the attendees...

And as noted last night, the Parks Department apparently forgot to wire the tree... and so organizers had to scramble to hire an electrician at the last minute. In the rush, the bottom portion of the tree was not lit, so to speak... but a good time was had by all [of the people we talked with]...

At the rally for Casa Adela

Dozens of residents came out on Saturday morning to show their support of Casa Adela, the 45-year-old LES institution on Avenue C that's facing an uncertain future with a pending rent hike.

As previously reported, the building's landlord— a Housing Development Fund Corporation — is looking to increase the rent from $1,350 to, eventually, $6,750, a number that the current owner Luis Rivera, the son of founder Adela Fargas, says is not feasible.

Rent negotiations are underway, though the two sides reportedly agreed to postpone the discussions for a month that would keep the popular Puerto Rican restaurant at 66 Avenue C between Fourth Street and Fifth Street.

Community members created a Save Casa Adela Committee, which helped organize Saturday's rally. People shared their feelings for the restaurant and its importance as a cultural anchor to the Puerto Rican community in the neighborhood.

Here are some photos via EVG contributor Stacie Joy ...

Artist Danielle Mastrion is creating a mural on the gate next door of founder Adela Fargas, who started serving her Puerto Rican cuisine here in 1976. She died in January 2018 at age 81.

EVG regular Peter Brownscombe shared these photos from Saturday...

Noho Market debuts on the Bowery

Noho Food Market opened late last week at 352 Bowery between Fourth Street and Great Jones. (First reported in May.) 

The market offers a variety of grocery items and beverages (including beer and hard seltzer)  ... with some necessities such as paper towels and toilet paper. There's a small deli counter offering breaking and lunch items. 

Noho Food Market is currently open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Dry cleaners and laundromats make a return

The dry-cleaning business was hard hit during the pandemic.

In early 2021, the National Cleaners Association reported that one in six dry cleaners had closed or gone bankrupt in the United States. In the East Village, 10 dry cleaners went out of business.

Perhaps the worst is behind for the owners who offer these services. E3 Cleaners recently debuted at 82 E. Third St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. E3 offers dry cleaning, tailoring and drop-off laundry service.

Meanwhile, a combo dry cleaner-laundromat has opened at 31 Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street (thanks to Stacie Joy for this photo from Friday). This had been in the works for this NYCHA-space for some time — we first spotted this in August 2020.

A laundromat is also coming soon to 60 Avenue B between Fourth Street and Fifth Street.

Snack Bowery has closed

Snack Bowery has closed at 324 Bowery near Bleecker Street.

Ownership of the snack shop/gallery space told us this: "We shut down for now due to terrible supply chain issues. We were having a very hard time getting merchandise in."

Snack Bowery, with the "Rocky Horror" lips logo, opened in July.

Weekend's parting shot

As seen Saturday night from 12th Street... "Fuck SantaCon" projected onto the Verizon building on 13th Street and Second Avenue. 

Thanks to Artie Athas for the photo!

Do they know it's Christmas time at all?

The Tompkins Square Park holiday tree lighting took place late this afternoon... and, as we're told, the Parks Department forgot to wire the tree... and so organizers had to scramble to hire an electrician at the last minute. 

Unfortunately, the tree was already lit up at the start of the ceremonies at 4 ... and they missed the bottom portion of the tree. Perfect! 

Regardless, there was a nice-sized crowd there and we all enjoyed being together after a year off from the ceremony... look for more crowd shots tomorrow...

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo on Astor Place by Derek Berg) ... 

• Details on the Community Holiday Feast in Tompkins Square Park this Dec. 18 (Wednesday) 

• Rent hike threatens Avenue C mainstay Casa Adela (Monday) 

• Report: City continues cutting down trees in East River Park despite Temporary Restraining Order (Friday ... Saturday ... Sunday) ... East River Park closing below Stanton Street as resiliency work moves forward (Monday) 

• Preparing the former B Bar & Grill for demolition on the Bowery (Monday) 

• Here are the proposed locations for new Citi Bike docking stations in the East Village (Thursday) 

• A visit to the new East Side Ink on the Lower East Side (Thursday) 

• Caffè Bene has closed on Avenue A (Monday) 

• The pandemic in the East Village as seen through the eyes of Billy the Artist (Tuesday) 

• Original Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches closes in 2nd Avenue A location this year (Tuesday)

• Long & Short Barber Co. cuts out of 250 E. Houston St. (Wednesday) 

• Sinkhole claims tree on 6th Street (Tuesday) 

• CR7 Gourmet Deli opens on 1st Avenue (Monday)

... and we fielded a few queries this past week about the Nodega/No Shop signage that arrived at 40 Avenue C between Third Street and Fourth Street (the former Bedlam space) ... not sure what this is at the moment (thanks to Dave for this photo... and also Stacie Joy and David for the emails)...

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Follow EVG on Instagram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.

'Pretty evil' — city is working around the clock this weekend to cut down trees in East River Park

Work continues around the clock this weekend as the city cuts down more trees in the southern portion of East River Park — despite the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in place to halt the $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency project. 

The @1000people1000trees account posted a video clip of trees being cut down at 3 a.m.

 

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Activists, who have been protesting as the work proceeds south of Stanton Street to Montgomery Street, say that the city is moving quickly to demolish as much as they can before tomorrow when the Court of Appeals is expected to act on the contempt citation East River Park Action attorneys sent to Albany. 

As of this morning, witnesses say that the work has reached the amphitheater. Activists from East River Park Action and @1000people1000trees are calling a meeting at 2 this afternoon at the amphitheater.

🚩Important Change🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩Destruction of Amphitheater is imminent. Instead of meeting at Houston St at 2pm we are meeting at Amphitheater. Access at Corlears Hook Overpass. @1000treesNYC pic.twitter.com/PY2AhJ2rzX

— Our Park (@ERPAction) December 12, 2021

Demonstrations continued yesterday south of the East Houston Street entrance... (photos below by Stacie Joy)...

During a rally/press conference, Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou, who represents the Lower East Side, called on Mayor Bill de Blasio to immediately stop the tree-cutting. 

"I'm appalled that the mayor and his team would toss aside a temporary restraining order granted by the Court of Appeals, but this is sadly emblematic of elected officials who view themselves as above the law and above accountability," Niou said at the rally, as quoted by the Post. 

During the press conference, attendees could view the ongoing tree cutting...

More pointed comments were directed toward the outgoing mayor, dubbed "Bulldozer Bill."

"It's fairly unusual that orders of the court are disobeyed," said Arthur Schwartz, one of the pro-bono attorneys working on behalf of the activists. As The Village Sun quoted: "Bill de Blasio wants to just get this done and in the ground before Eric Adams is mayor. He wants to make sure Eric Adams doesn't have any way to deal with it." 

On Wednesday, Court of Appeals Judge Rowan Wilson issued the TRO. According to East River Park Action, who has been opposed to the city's current plan for the park, the TRO remains in effect at least until the next hearing on Dec. 20. 

The city's interpretation of the TRO is different. 

Per NY1: "The city has reviewed the Court's written order and we do not believe it prevents us from continuing work on this vital resiliency project," said Ian Michaels, the head of public information for the Department of Design and Construction, which is overseeing the project.

As former judge Kathryn Freed, another attorney for East River Park, told the Sun: "The city is just being willfully obtuse. … They're betting that if they cut down half of the trees, we'll just go away. It's pretty evil. And what they've done to this community, it's pretty evil."

City Comptroller Scott Stringer is also questioning the city's actions right now.

I sent the East River Park contract back due to serious unresolved issues, yet the City moved ahead. I'm still concerned that the community isn't being heard, and actions like today's don't help.
⁰https://t.co/b7Jwn3Nsi9

— Scott M. Stringer (@NYCComptroller) December 10, 2021

East River Park north of Houston Street remains open.

Top photo by @1000people1000trees

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Witnesses: City continues to cut down trees this morning in East River Park 

• Report: City continues cutting down trees in East River Park despite Temporary Restraining Order