The all-new Astor Place is coming along (for real)

[Dawn of a new Astor Place era]

If you've walked by/around Astor Place in the last week or so, then you've likely noticed some actual progress as the reconstruction process plods along... In the next few photos, you can see the new permanent plaza on Astor Place adjacent to the Chase branch take shape ...









... and workers have added more details to the plaza...



As of late yesterday, part of the new plaza was open to pedestrian traffic...





For a little comparison, here's how things were looking here on Jan. 17...



As previously noted, plans for the multi-year(s) project have included reconfiguring/revamping the Astor Place/Cooper Square streetscape with three new permanent plazas, additional seating, trees and a new design for Peter Cooper Park.

Some day it will look like this...


[A rendering of the new Astor Place]

As for when Astor Place's more famous tenant, the Alamo, will return... there isn't any mention of the cube in the posted timelines. Workers packed up and carted off The Alamo for safekeeping for the duration of the reconstruction back on Nov. 25, 2014.

Here's a link to a weekly bulletin (PDF), noting what's happening this week.

The anticipated project completion date is now summer 2016, according to the Winter 2016 reconstruction newsletter (PDF here).

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Alamo returns to Astor Place this Halloween

Five years later, Astor Place apparently ready for its 2-year reconstruction project

This is what it might be like living inside the Alamo on Astor Place

RIP Tony Rosenthal, the sculptor who created the Astor Place cube

The Alamo has been away from Astor Place for 1 year now

'Snowflake dessert' coming soon to 2nd Avenue

A Bingbox Snow Cream shop is coming soon to 125 Second Ave. between East Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, per the signage in the front window...



The Bingbox Facebook page describes their product this way: "The finest and purest snowflake dessert to be enjoyed all year round."

The storefront was previously home to E-Nail, which closed last September.

H/T Steven

[Updated] CB3 to hear plans tonight for protected bike lane on Chrystie Street

[Image via DOT]

Tonight, CB3's Transportation & Public Safety/Environment Committee is meeting... and among the agenda items: Department of Transportation (DOT) presentation on upgrade of two-way protected bicycle lane on Chrystie Street from Canal Street to Houston.

And Gothamist has an in-depth preview of the proposal...

Since unprotected bike lanes were added to [Chrystie Street's] north and south-bound lanes in 2008, cyclists have argued that the painted lines have faded, and serve as little protection from rogue drivers. Southbound cyclists enjoying the protected bike lane on Second Avenue also get a rude awakening at 1st Street, where they are forced to cross three lanes of traffic in order to enter the southbound painted bike lane on Chrystie south of Houston.

The DOT's proposal ... establishes a two-way protected bike lane on Chrystie Street from Houston Street to Canal Street, running along the full length of Sarah Roosevelt Park. The southbound lane will extend a few blocks farther, to 2nd Street and Houston Street.

The DOT says the lane could be installed as soon as Fall 2016. Southbound cyclists on Second Avenue will have a safe path to the Manhattan Bridge, and northbound cyclists will be able to turn right off of Chrystie to merge onto the protected northbound lane on 1st Avenue.

Tonight's meeting is at Grand Street Settlement Cornerstone at Seward Park Extension, 56 Essex St. between Grand and Broome.

Updated 3-9

BoweryBoogie was at the meeting... despite overwhelming support for the measure, things got political with the committee ... read the coverage here.

Daniel Delaney proposing Delaney Barbecue for 1st Avenue

[EVG photo from July 2015]

As noted back on Feb. 26, restaurateur Daniel Delaney will appear before the CB3 SLA committee this month for a liquor license at 167 First Ave. between East 10th Street and East 11th Street.

At that time, there wasn't much information about the proposal. Given the name on the application (Delaney Chicken Union Square LLC), we thought it might be an offshoot of his Delaney Chicken that opened in the UrbanSpace Vanderbilt market in Midtown last September.

However, Delaney told Eater that he was exploring a number of options, and had not yet signed a lease. (He also operates BrisketTown out in Williamsburg.)

Thanks to the public questionnaire (PDF!) now on file at the CB3 website, there are some more details about the proposal. The name is Delaney Barbecue, and the paperwork shows hours of noon to 2 a.m. Monday to Friday; 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The configuration calls for 18 tables good for 48 seats along with a bar that accommodates 10 patrons.

There's also a proposed menu showing the variety of meats (served family style, Delaney is recommending a half-pound per guest...) and sides that might be served...





The previous tenant here at 167 First Ave., Ashiya Sushi, relocated to West 36th Street last summer.

CB3's SLA committee meeting is March 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the CB3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

Empire Biscuit is now 'peelin' potatoes'

[Photo from Jan. 30 via dwg]

At the end of January, Empire Biscuit announced that they were taking a sabbatical until March...

Being officially March now, we thought we'd check in here at 198 Avenue A between East 12th Street and East 13th Street.

The plate-shaped signage now notes that they are "peelin' potatoes" ... (new menu item?)





Recent tweets point to a reopening sometime soon...

@StellaKramer yes, soon. just tinkering. :)

— Empire Biscuit (@empirebiscuit) March 7, 2016

The quick-serve biscuit emporium cut back its hours during January. At the time, Empire Biscuit owner Jonathan Price told us that they were just taking a break for parts of this month. "It's a slow time of year," he said a few weeks ago. "We're doing some housekeeping. We refinished the floors in the kitchen ... for example."

EV heave: Regal Cinemas debuting 4DX at Union Square on March 25 with 'Batman V. Superman'

[I love the smell of 4DX in the morning...]

Those reclining seats at Loews Village VII will seem like child's play (not the movie) compared to what the Regal Union Square 14 is unleashing on March 25 for "Batman V. Superman:": 4DX.

Here is an explanation of 4DX via the 4DX website:

Advancing the movie theater experience from watching the movie to almost living it, 4DX is the ultimate in state of the art technology delivering a fully immersive cinematic experience. Inside every dedicated 4DX auditorium, motion chairs and environmental effects such as wind, bubbles, and scent work in perfect synchronicity with the action on screen.

With only the best technologies, 4DX motion chairs are equipped with three base movements of heave (move up and down), roll (move left and right) and pitch (tilt backward and forward) which can create an endless expanse of possible combinations to mimic such actions as flying and driving. The skilled team of 4DX editors, "i-Studio", are experts in maximizing the feeling of immersion within every movie without overstepping comfort bounds.

(And where else will you find something "equipped with three base movements of heave"?)

According to the Los Angeles Times, "since debuting with a 4-D screening of "Avatar" in 2010, there are now more than 23,000 4DX seats operating in 182 theaters in 34 countries." The Union Square theater will be the first with 4DX in NYC.

For a sneak preview of what the expect, check out this cheesy clip about the UK's first 4DX theater...



H/T Gothamist!

Decisions 2016

Spotted on St. Mark's Place on the former Yaffa Cafe sign between Avenue A and First Avenue...

Report: 123 2nd Ave. is for sale

[EVG photo from December]

The owner of 123 Second Ave., which was destroyed during the deadly gas explosion of March 26, 2015, is selling his now-vacant property for $9.7 million, the Post reports.

Landlord George Pasternak, whose building housed Pommes Frites and Sam's Deli, listed his property with the Compass brokerage firm. (We didn't spot the listing online just yet.)

As Lois Weiss reports, the city charged the landlords $350,000 to demolish each of the buildings.

Here's more, per the Post:

To add insult to injury, all three properties were reclassified from apartments in Tax Class 2 to vacant land in Tax Class 4, which will bump their expected rates starting July 1.

While only Pasternak’s lot is for sale, each of the three lots, including the corner at 119 Second Ave., can host 10,000 buildable square feet for apartments, residential condominiums plus stores.

“We…understand that the development community has a certain interest,” said Compass broker Gabriele Sewtz, along with colleague Sarah Kruse. “The timing is right [for the owner] to let go and start over and give someone else a chance to develop the property.”

Investigators have said that an illegally tapped gas line next door at 121 Second Ave. may have caused the blast that killed two men and injured a few dozen other people... as well as destroyed three buildings — 119, 121 and 123 Second Ave.

Last month, the DA charged No. 119 and 121 landlord Maria Hrynenko and her son, Michael Hrynenko Jr., with involuntary manslaughter ... as well as contractor Dilber Kukic and an unlicensed plumber, Athanasios Ioannidis. (A fifth person, Andrew Trombettas, faces charges for supplying his license to Ioannidis.)

Previously on EV Grieve:
Updated: 2nd Ave. explosion — landlord, 3 others charged with 2nd degree manslaughter; showed 'a blatant and callous disregard for human life'

Former residents talk about landlord Maria Hrynenko: 'it was clear she wanted to get rid of anyone with a rent-regulated apartment'

Douglas Steiner's luxury condos growing up quickly on Avenue A and East 12th Street

Work is moving right along on Avenue A between East 11th Street and East 12th Street... site of Douglas Steiner's incoming luxury condos...



...looks as if the crew is just getting started on what will be the sixth floor ... in what is now expected to be a six-story residential building with 82 units, with the cheapies starting at $1.1 million. The amenities include a 50-foot-long pool, a spa, a gym, a library, parking and a landscaped courtyard and rooftop gardens.



The focus appears now to be on the East 12th Street side of the former Mary Help of Christians property...



And one day...


Rendering by Williams New York

From this aerial shot of the (now-demolished) Mary Help of Christians church, school, rectory and playground... you can see just how large this project is...

[Via Off the Grid]

Previously on EV Grieve:
New residential complex at former Mary Help of Christians lot may include rooftop swimming pool

Meet your new neighbor on Avenue A

Permits filed to demolish Mary Help of Christians church, school and rectory

Preservationists call for archeological review of former cemetery at Mary Help of Christians site

The 'senseless shocking self-destruction' of Mary Help of Christians

Residences rising from the former Mary Help of Christians lot will now be market-rate condos

Ongoing construction at condoplex on Avenue A enters the swimming pool phase

Report: Developer Douglas Steiner lands $130 million loan for EV condo construction

Douglas Steiner's church-replacing condos emerge from the pit; plus new renderings

The former Bago space is for rent on 1st Avenue

Bago, the quick-serve Filipino restaurant on First Avenue between East 13th Street and East 14th Street, went dark in mid-to-late January. (H/t Nick Solares.) There wasn't any notice about a closure, temporary or otherwise.

A for rent sign now adorns the front window...



The listing is not yet online at the ABS Partners website.

The restaurant opened last June in the former Hibachi Dumpling Express space (and a 2 Bros. before that). Three quick-serve restaurants have come and gone here since the summer of 2014.

A daughter of Elvira Cinco, the proprietor of Elvie's Turo-Turo across First Avenue, ran Bago.

H/T Edmund John Dunn!

Updated: Flywheel Sports debuts Thursday at 51 Astor Place

Classes at the indoor cycling studio start Wednesday Thursday morning over at 51 Astor Place, according to the Flywheel Sports website.

This location — the 11th Flywheel in the metropolitan area — features a stadium-seating studio with more than 70 bikes ... and is conveniently located next to a CVS.

Updated 3/9

We originally understood that the studio opens today (based on the class schedule on the Flywheel website)... Flywheel reps are out on Astor Place today... the first class is free...


[Photo by Vinny & O]

Previously on EV Grieve:
3 retail spaces available at 51 Astor Place (22 comments)

You can finally shop at 51 Astor Place!

3 new retail tenants for 51 Astor Place: Bluestone Lane Coffee, Chop’t and Flywheel Sports

Chopping soon signage up at the Death Star

Here's the Bluestone Lane Coffee signage at 51 Astor Place

Spin cycle: Flywheel Sports opening next month in 51 Astor Place

Former bar turns into an architect's office

In recent years, 448 E. 13th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue has been home to several bars, including Mugs and, until January 2015, M. White.

Now, rather amazingly, the space has been converted into use as an...


[Reader submitted]

... architect's office for Davies Tang + Toews...


[Reader submitted]

No word if they will seek a liquor license... just for something to pair with the renderings...

H/T DWG

[Updated] Report of a fire at 133 E. 7th St.; Yuca Bar remains closed

[Photo by Shawn Chittle]

There were reports of a fire at 133 E. Seventh St. at Avenue A just before 6 this evening...


[SC]


[Mark Cyr]


[MC]

The FDNY was on it quickly...


[Photo by Perri Silver]


[Reader submitted]


[Reader submitted]


[Photo by Vinny & O]


[V&O]

About 30 minutes after the initial report, the fire was under control, per the FDNY...

MAN ALL HANDS 133 E 7 ST, MULTIPLE DWELLING FIRE ON 2ND FLR, UNDER CONTROL

— FDNY (@FDNY) March 6, 2016

Updated 7:35

The FDNY remains on the scene... Yuca Bar is closed... there's broken glass all over the sidewalk... Avenue A is closed off at St Mark's Place and East Sixth Street... and there's no through traffic on East Seventh Street...





As of this moment, there isn't any information on the cause or extent of the damage...

Updated 9:49 p.m.

Word from the scene is that a candle in an apartment started the fire. There weren't any reports of injuries.

Updated 7:30 a.m.

Here's a look at the East Seventh Street side of the building... firefighters needed to break the windows on the upper floors ...



Updated 4:50 p.m.

Ground-floor tenant Yuca Bar is closed tonight...



The dining room is also empty at the moment. It appears that the restaurant sustained some damages too...



Updated 6:15 p.m.


[Photo this evening by Steven]