Will this long-empty lot on 1st Avenue yield to affordable housing?

So, according to a tipster, there are preliminary plans in place to clear out this long-emtpy lot at 89 First Ave. between East Fifth Street and East Sixth Street.

The other day, there were several workers on site to offer an estimate about removing the trees.

And why? The woman who has owned the lot is apparently handing it over to her nephew, who has plans/aspirations to build a 7-floor residence that will provide affordable housing.

There is nothing on file yet with the city about such plans. So keep this in the rumor stage for now.

And for now enjoy the sculpture fence ...





The lot's owner, Florence Toledano, also owns the 2Bn2C sculpture garden on East Second Street.

Construction watch: 401 E. 8th St.

The new residential building at 397-401 E. Eighth St. at Avenue D is rising quickly...



A nine-story building with 33 units — and a penthouse! — is in the works.

And to chart the progress to date, here's a look at the building in early August...



... and mid-July...



And one day...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Meanwhile, before we christen Avenue D the next Greenpoint...

Stalled development site on Eighth Street and Avenue D asking $5.2 million

Long-stalled East 8th Street lot coming back as 9-story residential building — with penthouse

Learn about the art history of 404 E. 14th St.

Since the 1960s, 404 E. 14th St. (aka 405 E. 13th St.) has hosted and housed a dynamic community of artists, poets and filmmakers, a long list that includes Claes and Patty Oldenburg, John Chamberlain and Yayoi Kusama.

Tom Burckhardt, who moved into the building in 1995, put together an exhibit last summer featuring the works of 404's many artists through the years.

Tonight at Theatre 80 on St. Mark's Place, Burckhardt is presenting a slideshow and discussion of the microcosm art scene of 50 years at this one special address. It's free, but you do need to RSVP. (Call 212-475-9585 ext. 35 or email here.)

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation is hosting the event. Find more info here. The lecture is 6:30-8 p.m.

Previously on EV Grieve:
404 E. 14th St.: The coolest building that you will find with a McDonald's on the ground floor

Today in photos of a large praying mantis on East 5th Street

EVG contributor Derek Berg spotted this on East Fifth Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square ...



And one more thing for the East Fifth St. Tree Committee to worry about ...

Noted

Fuck you @CitibikeNYC

— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) September 7, 2014

Background here.

1 explanation for that lousy parking job on East 11th Street

EVG reader mdmn spotted this parking job on East 11th Street near Amsterdam Billiards at Fourth Avenue yesterday afternoon.

Just an awful parking effort by someone in a rush to play pool?

The car was parked directly across from the the delivery gates at the Cooper Station Post Office.

Hey, there's a note.



Perhaps the force of the collision forced the car up on the sidewalk?



Other theories welcome, probably.

149 First Ave. landlord told to make building 'safe immediately'

[EVG file photo]

Back in early August, the landlord (Lee Odell, c/o 149 Associates, LLC) sent tenants of 149 First Ave. a "notice of non-renewal and vacate request."

To refresh your memory, according to the letter:

"We have been advised by our engineer that the building has serious deterioration issues and has to be rebuilt and most probably demolished.

As a matter of safety, we have to vacate all the apartments in the building.

Please do not take longer than 90 days to leave. Thank you."

The only violation on file with the Department of Buildings was a failure to file an annual boiler inspection report from 2012.

Meanwhile, the residents of the building between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street banded together and worked with various housing advocates to fight the evictions.

On Friday, the city issued the following "Notice of Violation and Hearing."


[Click on image to enlarge]

Visiting conditions observed include "Failure to Maintain Building in a Code Compliant Manner."

And the city's remedy for the landlord: "Make safe immediately — repair and maintain."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Landlord tells residents of 149 First Ave. that they need to vacate ahead of demolition

1st Avenue residents meeting tonight to discuss mass eviction notice

New sidewalk bridge temporarily keeps Stage owner from his restaurant

On Saturday afternoon, a crew arrived (unannounced) to erect a sidewalk bridge outside 128 Second Ave.

Unfortunately, this happened while the Stage was open for business. And when owner Roman Diakun (in the blue T-shirt below) had stepped away for a moment.

He had to helplessly watch for some 20 minutes while the crew blocked the door to the restaurant to build the safety structure, as these photos by EVG reader Jonathan Jones show.







As we first reported last fall, the building here just south of St. Mark's Place that houses the Stage was sold to rooftop-rager specialists Icon Realty. The building is currently undergoing a gut renovation. One remaining tenant says there aren't many residents left. It has not been easy here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
An appreciation: Breakfast at Stage

Troubling talk about 128 Second Ave, and the long-term future of the Stage

CityMD Urgent Care center coming to The Jefferson's retail space on East 14th Street

The Jefferson's retail space at 216 E. 14th St. near Third Avenue had been used to sell "21st Century living in the heart of Olde New York."

The 82-unit building in the North West East Village is all sold out of course… and work permits for storefront show that a CityMD Urgent Care center will be housed here. The quickly expanding CityMD practice has more than 30 locations in NYC and Long Island.

Meanwhile, we wonder what happened to The Jefferson model from the sales center… we were doing a low-budget "Godzilla" shoot and needed some props…



Previously on EV Grieve:
Jefferson retail façade — revealed

The Mystery Lot developers using famous dead comedians to sell condos at The Jefferson

The Jefferson reveals what '21st Century living in the heart of Olde New York' costs

Welcome to a 'Slow Zone'

We spotted the first of the new "Neighborhood Slow Zone" signs the other morning ... this one on St. Mark's Place just east of First Avenue.

To recap! The Alphabet City-Tompkins Square Slow Zone is the community-based program that reduces the speed limit within designated zones from 30 mph to 20 mph. (Read the background about all this here.)

The map below shows the designated Slow Zone — First Avenue east to the FDR, and from East Second Street north to East 14th Street.


[Click image to enlarge]

In addition to the 20 mph speed limit (15 mph near schools), a Slow Zone area features speed bumps (21 here) and new striping and signage to slow drivers.

CB3 member Chad Marlow helped put the plan in motion for the East Village early last year.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Call for an East Village 'slow zone' (34 comments)

More about the timing of the Tompkins Square/Alphabet City Slow Zone

Alphabet City-Tompkins Square Slow Zone to take effect in August

GG's announces itself on East 5th Street

The awning is up now at GG's, the new restaurant taking over the Goat Town space at 511 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Goat Town owner Nick Morgenstern closed the bistro in early July after four years. His new chef, Bobby Hellen, "will forage the back garden for ingredients, including anise hyssop for the devout Mets fan’s 1986 Pizza, topped with spicy soppressata and fennel agrodolce," according to New York magazine.

And here's an interior shot...



As for GG's, New York noted — "its name a tribute to a neighborhood local." This former local?

Thanks to EVG reader Sal on Fifth St. for the top photo.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Goat Town is closing to make way for a pizzeria

The transformation of Goat Town to GG's on East 5th Street

Week in Grieview

Revisiting the summer of 2014 (Monday)

NYPD looking for this suspect in knifepoint holdup (Wednesday)

The last East Village gas station closes (Wednesday)

Local pols and residents speak out against Kushner (Friday)

First stage of portico repair and restoration complete at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery (Thursday)

Maybe Whole Foods isn't so expensive? (Thursday, 36 comments)

The Whitehouse is temporarily closing on the Bowery (Tuesday)

Out and About with the check-cashing guy (Wednesday)

Subway on First Avenue closes (Friday)

A revamped Perbacco reopens (Thursday)

Here's your new Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin-Robbins combo on East 14th Street (Tuesday)

RIP The Crack™ (Thursday)

Just looking for a friend (Wednesday)

Santa Barbara Deli Superette closes for renovations (Friday)

The Albino Bowler doesn't make the moving-day cut (Tuesday)

Katz's sells its air rights (Sunday)

The 44th annual East 10th Street Block Fair is today

Between Second Avenue and Third Avenue … and likely not a bag of $10 tube socks in sight...

'Spring Sales Event' continues this September at Synergy Fitness Clubs

As the sign here on East 14th Street near Second Avenue says, "Hurry Sale Ends Soon."

The view downtown this morning

Looking south from the East Village around 9 via Bobby Williams...

A place in the 'Sun'

Here's Fucked Up with "Sun Glass," from the band's June release "Glass Boys."

You can go see them tomorrow night at Irving Plaza too.

Subway on 1st Avenue for rent

The one between East 13th Street and East 14th Street… Unfortunately, it appears the new management didn't work out.

This location also closed in October 2012.

Thanks to EVG reader Pinch for the photo…

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[East 12th Street]

Shakespeare & Co. closed last night (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

When the neighborhood had a Manhattan Street (Off the Grid)

Some history of St. Mark's Place (Curbed)

Ben Shaoul confirmed as buyer of East Houston block that presumably includes Katz's air rights (BoweryBoogie)

Orchard Street has a master plan (The Lo-Down)

An Edward D. Wood Jr. retrospect starts soon at the Anthology (Anthology Film Archives)

Kossar’s wants to save the bialy (Tablet)

When Astor Place had some more space (Flaming Pablum)

Talking to Cooper Union freshmen
about tuition (DNAinfo)

Your end of summer hawk update (Gog in NYC)

Ranking the Ramones records (Rolling Stone)

… and East Village resident Randeep Katari and his girlfriend were set to move a few blocks last weekend… without any warning, he said that the management company sent painters/cleaners one day before the move (and one day before the lease was set to expire) … and his laptop went missing … which he illustrated here …

[Updated] Noted

Spotted on the R stop at Eighth Street and Broadway this morning by @davidsokol

Real? Fake? Who knows! We didn't spot any @jesswi94 on Twitter…

Updated 5:02 p.m.

Oh, she has a Twitter account now…

Report: Local politicos criticize Kushner's treatment of tenants at 170-174 E. 2nd St.

[No. 170 under construction via Yenta Laureate]

Yesterday afternoon, Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and some remaining tenants residing at 170-174 E. Second St. held a press conference to discuss ongoing issues with landlord of nine months Jared Kushner and his management company, Westminster City Living.

DNAinfo's Lisha Arino was there and filed this report:

“The owners of this building need to realize they’re not just accountable to the tenants in this building — they’re accountable to all of us because we care and we’re a community, and they’re accountable to me as the councilwoman of this district,” Mendez said at the press conference, which took place in front of the buildings.

Rent-stabilized tenants in both buildings have complained of poor living conditions and harassment since Kushner took over 170-174 E. Second St. last December.

And!

Brewer called the actions “abhorrent” and said there was no excuse for Kushner and Westminster’s behavior.

A Kushner rep denied the allegations in a statement to DNAinfo.

Read the whole article here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Inside a classic East Village tenement before the whole building is renovated

Jared Kushner not done buying every walk-up in the East Village

Two East 2nd St. buildings sell for $17.5 million; will new owner still honor Allen Ginsburg?

Tenants claim: Kushner and Westminster want to destroy this building's beautiful garden

Reports outline how Kushner Companies is aggressively trying to empty 170-174 E. 2nd St.

Local politicos join residents of 2 Jared Kushner-owned buildings to speak out about poor living conditions, alleged harassment