City Planning Commission OKs tech hub for Union Square

[Tech hub endering via RAL Development]

The City Planning Commission unanimously voted yesterday in favor of the City's proposal to create a tech hub on 14th Street.

This was the latest stop in the approval process tour — the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP). In March, CB3 voted in favor of a resolution supporting site specific rezoning and a special permit to allow the development, which, as Curbed noted yesterday, is now officially known as the Union Square Tech Training Center.

The project next heads to City Council for a vote that would allow for the 21-floor building to rise on the current site of the now-former PC Richard complex on 14th Street at Irving Place.

Plans for the 240,000-square-foot Tech Training Center include educational facilities, with scholarships "to make the tech industry more accessible to a wide range of New Yorkers." The building would also include space for fledgling companies as well as market-rate offices "to attract established, industry-leading corporations to the ecosystem," per a release from the city's Economic Development Corporation (EDC), which is lobbying for the tech hub. (Read more from them here.)

And the EDC released this new video on the Tech Training Center yesterday...



This zoning change concerns some area residents and preservationists, who fear a massive overdevelopment south of Union Square along Broadway, University Place and Fourth Avenue. While CB3 did vote for the tech hub, they also included an amendment in their resolution calling for zoning protection.

And as Patch noted yesterday:

[I]t is worth noting that newly elected Councilwoman Carlina Rivera expressed support for the tech hub during her campaign – only if the city agrees to the rezoning.

As the local councilmember, Rivera has a large say in the outcome of the project.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Behold Civic Hall, the high-tech future of Union Square — and NYC

Speaking out against a 'Silicon Alley' in this neighborhood

P.C. Richard puts up the moving signs on 14th Street; more Tech Hub debate to come

Preservationists: City schedules next public hearing on tech hub without any public notice

Citi Bike will expand ahead of L-mageddon time

We joined @NYC_DOT this morning to make a BIG announcement about our plans for the upcoming L train disruption.

We’re adding not only more bikes and stations, but special pedal-assist bikes to travel over the Williamsburg bridge ⚡️⚡️ pic.twitter.com/Ym0VDJJyjb

— Citi Bike (@CitiBikeNYC) June 27, 2018

Citi Bike will add more than 1,200 new bikes and 2,500 docking stations next spring ahead of the L-train shutdown.

Here are more details about the increased Citi Bike presence via a news release from the Mayor's office:

More Citi Bikes, denser coverage: In Citi Bike’s busiest areas, cycling is expected to expand dramatically with the L train’s disruption next year. The first stage of the City’s plan to increase capacity in Citi Bike’s existing service area will focus in Manhattan between Canal Street and 59th Street and the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, where Citi Bike will offer denser coverage with 2,500 new docks and 1,250 new bicycles.

The process of providing denser coverage is known as “infill,” and will involve both new docking stations and enlarging current stations. DOT and Citi Bike will coordinate a robust community engagement process. working closely with local elected officials, community groups as well as the affected community boards – Brooklyn Community Board 1 and Manhattan Community Boards 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

And...

More Citi Bike valet stations: In anticipation of the L train disruption, Citi Bike expects to add as many as ten new valet stations, located in areas heavily affected by the L train disruption, including Williamsburg, the Lower East Side, along the 14th Street corridor and adjacent to East River ferry stops in both Brooklyn and Manhattan.

And...

Citi Bike pedal-assist “Shuttle Service”: Citi Bike announced that it would add a temporary, additional 1,000 pedal-assist bicycle “Shuttle Service” to its fleet during the L train closure, which would designate four conveniently-located pedal-assist docking stations — two in Williamsburg and two in lower Manhattan for their exclusive use. “Shuttle Service” bicycles could only be rented and returned to these stations.

During a City Council hearing yesterday, New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said alternative subway routes would carry 70 percent to 80 percent of the displaced riders entering Manhattan, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Fifteen percent of commuters are expected to use buses, 5 percent additional ferry service and 3 percent to 5 percent bikes, per Trottenberg.

The shutdown of the L — between Bedford Avenue and Eighth Avenue to repair the Sandy-damaged Canarsie Tunnel — is expected to last 15 months with a start date of April 2019.

The new Westside Market on 3rd Avenue (finally) opens today

EVG reader Harry Weiner shares these photos from outside the new Westside Market on Third Avenue between 16th Street and 17th Street... the signage says that they are "finally" opening today... at 11:30 a.m.



The original coming-soon signage pointed to a late spring debut.

The retail space had been a Met Foods, which closed three-plus years ago. The East Village Westside, five blocks to the south, opened in October 2014.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Westside Market opening in the former Met Foods space on 3rd Avenue and 17th Street

'NYC Out of USA' on Avenue A

East Village-based artists Ori Carino and Leah Tinari are hosting a pop-up exhibit on Avenue A at Third Street in the former Landmark Bicycles space.

The exhibit is called "NYC Out of USA," and it opens tonight at 6 (until 9). EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by for a quick look ... she shared these photos showing a few of Tinari's paintings...







Another EVG reader shared these shots of Carino at work in the space...







The pop-up is expected to be open through Friday.

RIP George Cameron

[Photo from August 2015 by James Maher]

George Cameron, a longtime East Village resident and member of the baroque pop band the Left Banke, died on Sunday. He was 70.

According to a Facebook post from the band's manager, Cameron had lung cancer.

In 1966, the Left Banke scored a top-5 hit with “Walk Away Renée.” Cameron, a drummer, continued to stay active with Left Banke and other music projects through the years.

We featured Cameron in an Out and About in the East Village post from August 2015.

Cameron, who was born in the city, talked about his childhood with James Maher:

I’m originally from Manhattan, but I’ve been around the world and stuff. I grew up in Hell’s Kitchen. That’s why I’m such a bad kid. It was OK and then I was raised in Brooklyn because we bought a house out there.

I lived on the Upper West Side, but moved down here seven years ago. The Upper West Side was getting a little you know… not that loose, so I said let me try something else. So I came down here, man. I love it down here. I like the diversity. I love the small parks. All the people are really nice. You say hello, they say hello back.

He also talked about his start in music:

Me and mom had an up-and-down relationship. I guess you could call it like that, so I left kind of early, at 16 and I got involved in singing in the Village. My friend and I hooked up and we just started singing in the streets like crazy. The music scene was basically the Village — the West Village and some of the East Village. Everybody was around. It was all about the music. Mostly everybody was into music it seemed like. People were a little tighter with each other.

Somebody came up to us on the street, ‘Do you want to [be in a band?]’ And we went up to the studio. We had a recording studio to ourselves, day and night. Nobody has that anymore. I can’t get used to that part. We were dedicated and we did good. We didn’t realize it, but we did pretty good.

We’d tour for months at a time. We’d be on the road. We played with The Beach Boys, Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, The Mamas & The Papas — all those people. It was fun. When you’re 17 years old and you’ve got all this money, you’re really not thinking about much. When you’re 17, you think about girls; that’s all you think about. It was really wild and we really didn’t have any person behind us who was sort of an authority figure. Everybody around us was like, ‘Oh, we saw these young guys. They really just want to play. We can take their money now.’ And they’re still trying to do it today.

This link has details on his calling hours tomorrow and graveside service on Friday.

Life aquatic: City Pools open today for the summer

[Photo at Hamilton Fish Pool from Sunday]

The Parks Department opens the city's 50-plus outdoor public pools for the summer today.

Nearby choices include Hamilton Fish Pool on Pitt and East Houston ... the Dry Dock Pool on Avenue D and East 10th Street ... and the Tompkins Square Pool (mini pool for kids!) ...

Outdoor pools are open daily from 11 a.m. through 7 p.m., with a break for pool cleaning between 3-4 p.m. The pools close for the season on Sunday, Sept. 9. The Tompkins Square Park mini pool closes on Labor Day.


[Photo at Dry Dock from Sunday]

The Hamilton Fish Pool has a Lap Swim program, which takes place July 5 through Sept. 7. This link has more details.

And a quick reminder about the RULES for the POOLS. Namely, per the Parks Department website:

You’ll need to have a swimsuit to enter the pool area. We may choose to check men’s shorts for a lining if we can’t tell if they are wearing a bathing suit. Feel the need to cover up from the sun? Throw on a plain white shirt or white hat and you’re set. We don’t allow shirts with colors on them on the deck.

Openings and closings on this block of 2nd Avenue

ZaabVer Thai remains closed at 75 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street... a sign on the front door notes a renovation...



... but all other signs (disconnected phone, Google notice, etc.) point to a permanent closure. (Several people who didn't care for the food here referred to it as "ZaabwhateVer.")

In more positive news next door, Hot Box is now open at 77 Second Ave. (as of May 20) ...



Hot Box combines East Asian broth, noodles and meats and vegetables in their "signature burner system."

A post shared by Hot Box Restaurants (@hotboxnyc) on Jun 11, 2018 at 4:45pm PDT

Head to the restaurant's website for the menu.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Hot Box looking ready to debut on 2nd Avenue

Noted

[One Manhattan Square]

An analysis by The Real Deal published yesterday shows that the Lower East Side and the East Village have the second-highest number of condos on the market or in the pipeline when compared to all Manhattan neighborhoods.

In total, that makes 1,004 new units.

The is a big HOWEVER however.

It should be noted ... that its inventory count is significantly bolstered by one massive project: Extell Development’s 815-unit One Manhattan Square — the biggest condo development in Manhattan by unit count.

But some argued that sweeping the glassy condo project, which sits at 252 South Street in the Two Bridges section, in with Lower East Side inventory doesn’t make sense. They argued that the tower — which is shooting for a $1.9 billion sellout — is simply not in competition with the other inventory there.

As The Real Deal noted, Extell reported that it has sold 15 percent of its units. "And it’s going after a mostly Chinese clientele."

The published results of the analysis did not mention who was No. 1 on the list of condos on the market or in the pipeline.

Tuesday's parting shot

EVG reader Helaine Sorgen shared this photo from this morning along First Avenue between Ninth Street and 10th Street... another in a series...

[Updated] Final vote tonight for the Rent Guidelines Board

After multiple public meetings, the Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) makes its final vote tonight at Cooper Union on adjustments for the city’s 1 million rent-stabilized apartments for the coming year. (The public meeting starts at 7 in the Great Hall at 7 E. Seventh St.)

Curbed has an explainer with background and what residents might expect this evening.

As The Wall Street Journal reported today, the board’s five public members signed off on a resolution that would put a range of increases – from 0.75 percent to 2.75 percent – on the table for one-year leases and allow owners to add another 1 percent for two-year leases.

In June 2017, the RGB voted to allow rent increases, with one-year leases subject to 1.25 percent raises, and two-year leases subject to 2 percent hikes — this after two consecutive years of rent freezes.

Updated 6/27

According to published reports, the RGB approved increases of 1.5 percent on one-year leases and 2.5 percent on two-year leases starting on Oct. 1.

In Tompkins Square Park, we lost a piano but gained, for now, a wicker vanity table

As expected, workers have removed the Sing for Hope piano from Tompkins Square Park, en route to a permanent home in a public school.

Meanwhile, that wicker vanity table is still there... and it makes for a nice addition to this area...



Photos by Steven!

9th Street's Zucker Bakery closing on Sunday after 7 years in business

Owner Zohar Zohar has announced that Zucker Bakery on Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue is closing its doors on Sunday after nearly seven years in business.

Here's the message on the Zucker website:

Dear all, to continue our journey, explore and expand, we have decided to close our family bakery after seven amazing years. We are grateful for all the love, the support and the experiences that we shared with all of you.

The Mediterranean- and Eastern European-inspired bakery opened in September 2011, and quickly found a loyal following using ingredients such as dates, cardamom and cloves for its cookies and pastries.

The Times once noted that their cookies "make you feel like you have left New York, incorporating flavors and spices that hint of other lands: date cookies spiced with cinnamon, dulce de leche-filled alfajores with coconut..."

Zohar, an East Village resident, worked in high-end kitchens such as Daniel and Bouley before taking time off to raise her family. Zucker was her first business.

Cars to give way to a bus-only corridor most hours on 14th Street during the L-train shutdown

The fate of 14th Street during the L-train shutdown starting next April has apparently been decided.

As the Daily News first reported, the city will limit car traffic on 14th Street from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.

The changes affect 14th Street from Ninth Avenue to Third Avenue eastbound and Third Avenue to Eighth Avenue westbound.

A few other details:

The city Department of Transportation ... will also change its plans for a bike lane. There will now be two one-way bike paths on 12th and 13th Sts., instead of a single two-way path on 13th St., officials said, so fewer parking spots on 13th St. will be eliminated. A DOT official said that the new design with two bike lanes would handle the higher cyclist traffic better, with easier pick up and drop-offs on the south curbs.

And...

Manhattan residents will also be able to use 14th St. for pickups and dropoffs only.

You can read more about this at Gothamist.

On Wednesday afternoon, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and Transportation Committee Chair Ydanis Rodriguez will co-host a public oversight hearing to evaluate the latest mitigation plans for L-mageddon.

The shutdown of the L — between Bedford Avenue and Eighth Avenue to repair the Sandy-damaged Canarsie Tunnel — is expected to last 15 months with a start date of April 2019.

B&H Dairy has new-look menus

B&H debuted the new diner-appropriate menus yesterday here at 127 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place...







The menus feature illustrations by Alexandra Woolsey.

Menu photos via Facebook

The Neighbors move out early at First Street Green Art Park

The Neighbors exhibit along the southern perimeter of First Street Green Art Park along Houston between First Avenue and Second Avenue was expected to be up through July 7.

However, the 86, four-by-five portraits that lined the fence were removed this past weekend...



The Daily News reported last week that 52 out of 86 of the portraits had been tagged/vandalized since they arrived on April 28...



Neighbors, a traveling exhibit, featured Americans representing all 50 states taken by photographer John Raymond Mireles.

"I expected some vandalism though admittedly not on this scale," Mireles told the Daily News. He admitted that his "heart sinks" from the tagging.

In case you missed it, here's a video of the portraits...

Monday's parting shot(s)

Accompaniment for the Sing for Hope piano in Tompkins Square Park today... photos by Derek Berg...



And I think today was the last scheduled day for the piano ... before it gets a new home in an NYC public school...

Christo and Amelia's kids are growing and growing...

A few nest shots via Steven from Tompkins Square Park early this evening ... where Christo and Amelia's two hawklets are looking ready to get our and start exploring...



... in this photo, it appears that Amelia is helping clean one of the chicks...

Oversight hearing on L train shutdown this Wednesday

Via the EVG inbox...

On Wednesday, New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and Transportation Committee Chair Ydanis Rodriguez will be co-hosting a public oversight hearing to evaluate the latest mitigation plans for the 2019 L train tunnel closure.

If you're one of the hundreds of thousands New Yorkers who will be impacted when the MTA shuts down the L train between Manhattan and Brooklyn for 15 months for repairs beginning in April 2019, we invite you to attend this important hearing.

The hearing will begin at 1 p.m. in the Jacob Burns Moot Court Room of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Brookdale Center, located at 55 Fifth Avenue (at 12th Street). We expect it to go into the early evening depending on the number of people who show up to testify.

If you plan on attending, we encourage you to RSVP [here] to help us know how many people we should anticipate.

Public testimony will begin immediately following the testimony of any invited experts and will generally be limited to two minutes per person to allow as many residents as possible to present their views.

For those planning to testify in person, please be sure to register with the sergeant-at-arms at the Center as soon as you arrive at the hearing.

If you can't make it to the hearing but would still like to make your voice heard, you can also submit written testimony to the City Council by emailing correspondence@council.nyc.gov with the subject line: L TRAIN SHUTDOWN TESTIMONY. Written testimony will be accepted until the close of business (6 p.m.) on Friday, June 29.

Moxy East Village opening date now set for late 2019 on 11th Street

The opening for the Moxy East Village here on 11th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue had been slated for late 2018... an unrealistic/optimistic date given how much work there was left on the 285-key hotel for Marriott's Moxy brand.

The Moxy website now shows a new opening date — late 2019...



Meantime, workers have reached the eighth floor... with five more to go...





And as a reminder about the finished product...


[Stonehill & Taylor Architects]

Previously on EV Grieve:
A few more details about the incoming Moxy East Village on 11th Street

Cheers Cut has not been open lately on St. Mark's Place

[Photo by Steven]

Cheers Cut, the "Taiwanese-inspired" fast-food mini-chain at 36 St. Mark's Place, has not been open lately during announced business hours. ... and the phone to the quick-serve restaurant is no longer in service.

Cheers Cut just opened last fall here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. They quickly made a name for themselves selling large fried slabs of chicken and squid. The place did have a temporary feel to it, with a entrance still marked by the previous business — Village Gifts ... as well as a "Grand Opening" banner nine months after actually opening.



In any event, this may just be an unannounced temporary closure. (The Cheers Cut Facebook account is still on robo mood and posting to tempt people to stop by.)

Still, the address has been a bit of a doomed location on this block. There was Friterie Belgian Fries, which closed in January 2017 after nearly 18 months in operation.

The previous tenant, Fasta ("Pasta Your Way"), lasted less than six weeks in business. Before that, it was the $1.50 branch of 2 Bros. Pizza, which closed in February 2015.