Yesterday morning, members from the DOT and Department of Sanitation — under watch of the NYPD — shut down First Street at First Avenue to remove the outdoor structure at
Pinky's Space, a restaurant-art space at 70 E. First St. (
The first two photos are from Luke Mathews)...
... the decor of the outdoor space continued to evolve through the months... an assemblage of paintings, furniture, plants ... not to mention a chandelier and disco ball.
In an Instagram
post after the removal, Pinky's wrote: "D.O.T. decided to try and destroy our business today with no warning. #just not right!!!"
It's not immediately known why the city removed this structure, which was still in use.
The city had inspected the 30-foot shed on East First Street and First Avenue earlier this month — but said nothing about plans to tear it down...
They only told her to get rid of a vending machine that “wasn’t food-related” and to pick up a trash can encroached 6 feet into the amenity zone between the shed and the sidewalk, [co-owner Mimi] Blitz said.
EVG reader Lori E. Seid shared these photos of the removal...
... soon after, cars were parked where the structure stood...
In August, the city started removing dining sheds from outside closed establishments.
The city said this about curbside structures that are still in use:
The task force will also review sheds that, while potentially active, are particularly egregious violators of Open Restaurants program guidelines. In these cases, sheds will be inspected three separate times before action is taken. After each of the first two failed inspections, DOT will issue notices instructing the restaurant owner to correct the outstanding issues; after the third visit, DOT will issue a termination letter and allow 48 hours before issuing a removal notice. DOT will then remove the structure and store it for 90 days — if the owner does not reclaim it in that period, DOT will dispose of the structure.
If the city did remove this for violations, then it didn't follow its stated policy of removing and storing... as the contents and the structure were tossed into the back of a garbage truck and crushed.