Excavation commences at the future tech hub; plywood renderings attract commentary

Work is in the early stages in the pit here on 14th Street at Irving Place ... at the future home of the Union Square Tech Training Center (aka tech hub).

The official renderings are now on the plywood...



The project is being developed jointly by the city’s Economic Development Corp. and RAL Development Services. The Union Square Tech Training Center includes Civic Hall, which will offer digital skills for low-income residents, as well as market-rate retail, office space and a food hall.

The hub, championed by Mayor de Blasio and initially announced in early 2017, passed through the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Process earlier in 2018, capped off by a unanimous City Council vote — led by local Councilmember Carlina Rivera — in August 2018. A rezoning was required to build the the structure, which is larger than what current commercial zoning allows.

The approval came despite the pleas of some residents, activists, small-business owners and community groups who had long expressed concern that the rezoning necessary for the project would spur out-of-scale development on surrounding blocks.

And the renderings, which arrived last week, have already attracted commentary from someone who is unhappy about the finances of the project...





The new building, on the former site of a P.C. Richard & Son, now has a completion date for the spring of 2021, per the plywood rendering. The official groundbreaking occurred on Aug. 5.

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

City Council's lone public hearing on the 14th Street tech hub is tomorrow

City Council unanimously approves tech hub; some disappointment in lack of zoning protections

The conversation continues on the now-approved tech hub for 14th Street

P.C. Richard is gone on 14th Street; preservationists want answers about tech-hub commitments

First rentals arrive on the market at Sioné, the new luxury building at 171 Suffolk (aka 255 E. Houston)

[Photo from Friday]

Rentals are underway at Sioné, Samy Mahfar's new luxury development at 255 E. Houston St./171 Suffolk St.

We received an email about "preliminary VIP tours" beginning yesterday at the 14-floor building. (Per the invite: "As we work to finish the building, we urge that you refrain from bringing children, strollers and or pets on the building tour.")

A new rendering and rental invitation is now on Streeteasy...



Here's what to expect:

Conceived by renowned architect Stephen B. Jacobs the Sioné is an eclectic fusion of the grit of the lower east side realized by a sophisticated partnership of professionals, bringing together a vision of art, culture, architecture, and distinguished living.

Common areas are abundant throughout and seek to satisfy a wide range of ever-growing needs. Upon entering the building, residents are greeted by a lobby lounge complete with game tables and a communal workspace with fireside seating. A double height staircase leads to a residents’ lounge featuring a private screening room, kitchenette, game room with billiards, and foosball.

Perched atop the Sioné sits a 14th floor residents’ lounge with a dynamic combination of indoor and outdoor spaces. Outside, a beautifully appointed landscaped rooftop outfitted with lounge chairs for sunbathing, misting shower, outdoor screening by the fire, private dining, and BBQ stations, ensure residents’ comfort and enjoyment at the Sioné is paramount to all else.

The Sioné also boasts a state-of-the-art gym and fitness facility, outfitted with the latest in techno gym and Peleton equipment for residents to engage in a plethora of the latest programmed classes. The Sioné ensures every opportunity for its residents to pursue a holistic approach to their work, play, and overall quality of life.

There are four rentals listed at Streeteasy, including a studio for $3,528 and a two bedroomer for $6,795.


[Suffolk Street entrance]



As previously noted, there's a lot of backstory with this development, which has been in the works since at least 2011. The links below have more details on the project, which went from 10 to 14 floors.

One questions remains: How many affordable units will be available in this complex? As the Lo-Down reported in December 2017: "Mahfar had already received 421a tax breaks to build some affordable units, but he was also seeking a floor area bonus through the city’s inclusionary housing program."

No. 255 previously housed the day-care center Action for Progress, which was forced to evacuate in 2009 after construction on the condoplex next door destabilized the building.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Next for 255 E. Houston St.: Community facility/school/medical building?

10-story building now in the works for 255 E. Houston St.

Debate over commercial overlay for 255 E. Houston St. and surrounding blocks continues

Report: Samy Mahfar drops bid for commercial overlay on East Houston and parts of the LES

Sioné is the name of Samy Mahfar's residential building at 255 E. Houston St.


[EVG photo of No. 255 from 2012]

Elvis returns to Great Jones as The Jones readies for an opening

Here's a look at how The Jones is shaping up at 54 Great Jones St. between the Bowery and Lafayette at the former Great Jones Cafe space...



The familiar Jones lettering is above the door ... along with the original neon EAT sign in the window... even the bust of Elvis is back, though in a different window ...



As previously reported, restaurateur Gabriel Stulman is behind The Jones, described as "an all-day bustling cafe and neighborhood joint with a focus on light, fresh and bright menu." (This Instagram post from Stulman explains the how he came up with the name.)

No word on the menu just yet. The opening is expected soon.

The restaurant's Instagram account recently introduced two characters to apparently help tell the story of The Jones...

Dynamic duo. Meet Jones and his pup Baxter: charming, witty and wildly entertaining, this best friend pair is the life of any party.

Baxter is a debonair, well-traveled “Renaissance mutt,” and Jones, a fisherman, is his trusty sidekick.

Follow along to see what adventures these two get into at The Jones and beyond. #jonesing

Stulman, under his Happy Cooking Hospitality, operates a handful of West Village establishments, including Joseph Leonard, Jeffrey's Grocery, Fedora, Fairfax and Bar Sardine. He's been part of the fauxstalgia wave.

Great Jones Cafe never reopened after Jim Moffett, the longtime owner, died in July 2018 at age 59. The Cafe, a popular yet low-key spot, first arrived in 1983.

Updated 8/21

The Jones is now open.

Grub Street has a preview.

It’s more similar in size and scope to his West Village establishments. Like Joseph Leonard, it opens early (at 7:30 a.m.), and once dinner service starts next month, it will close a little after midnight. Like Jeffrey’s Grocery, there’s a raw bar. And like Fairfax, it has a café vibe with small meals — a cheffed-up Filet-O-Fish, shaved-summer-squash salads, tinned sardines served with a hunk of baguette, egg sandwiches, artful pastries, fresh-baked bread, third-wave coffee — and a handful of main dishes.

And...

Stulman also acknowledges that the Jones is, in a way, like his restaurant Fedora, a decades-old neighborhood haunt transformed by him into a sleek destination for the upwardly mobile, much to the consternation of critics like Vanishing New York’s Jeremiah Moss. Stulman’s rebuttal is that “New York is always changing, and each generation should do their own thing.”

Previously on EV Grieve:
Keeping up with the Joneses: Gabriel Stulman confirms plans for former Great Jones Cafe

Elvis has left Great Jones; 'seafood focused neighborhood restaurant' coming soon

[Updated] The future of the former Great Jones Cafe

Work happening inside the former Nicoletta space; please mind the carpenter

EVG regulars Vinny & O share these photos, showing work happening inside the former Nicoletta space on 10th Street at Second Avenue.

There aren't any updated work permits on file with the city, so we don't know exactly what's happening here at the moment.

However, there is a homemade sign to "beware of carpenter" ...



The much-heralded pizzeria from Michael White closed last December at this address after six-plus years in business. They are still delivering pizzas from an undisclosed location.

This corner space doesn't appear to be on the retail market. It had been asking nearly $18,000 per month.

14th St. Candy & Grocery returns with a new look; fewer groceries, more bongs

After a month-long closure for a renovation, the 14th St. Candy & Grocery is back in retail action here just east of First Avenue.

As you can see, there are plenty of noticeable changes... the storefront has a cleaner look with the open windows. The aisle of snack products is gone. And where are the variety of Wise products, like the Ridgies?
Also note the large variety of water pipes, bubblers and water filtration systems in which to enjoy non-tobacco products now on display. Other changes include lottery vending machines.

Sunday's parting shot

Above First and First...

Week in Grieview

[Early evening neon courtesy of Block Drugs]

Stories posted this past week included...

RIP Brendan Cregan (Monday)

Reader reports: Car making U-turn strikes woman on Avenue B sidewalk (Monday)

City extends deadline for community garden licensing; Monday's City Hall rally cancelled (Saturday)

Medina's worldly chef brings Mediterranean street style to Second Avenue (Tuesday)

The latest I Am a Rent-Stabilized Tenant (Wednesday)

At Festival Calle 6 (Sunday)

14th Street busway halted once again by last-minute appeal (Monday)

DOB fines crane operator $110,000 for boom collapse last month at the Riis Houses (Tuesday)

Get your Gem Spa t-shirts or photos of Madonna — at Gem Spa! (Friday)

Pylons for offset crossings arrive on 1st and 2nd Avenue intersections (Friday)

This week's NY See (Thursday)

Fast-casual chain Sweetgreen bringing the salads and bowls to the Bowery (Monday)

Bike shop making the Trek to the Bowery (Monday)


[Devil in disguise on 2nd Avenue]

Crane crew spotted at the former P.S. 64 on 10th Street (Wednesday)

The serious renovations happening at China Star (Tuesday)

5 Napkin Burger shrinks on 14th and 3rd (Tuesday)

In case you are feeling the spirit of Halloween this August (Thursday)

Your McDonald's renovation report (Wednesday)

Report: By Chloe joining Chase in the former Coffee Shop on Union Square (Monday)

Strings Ramen vying for 188 2nd Ave. (Monday)

Upscale nail salon casualty on 13th Street (Thursday)

In case you forgot that CVS is coming to Houston and Orchard (Monday)

... Hulk Hogan/Supreme wheatpaste on Second Avenue near First Street via Matt E. Whyte...



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Sunday morning greetings

Spotted on Fourth Street by Carol from East 5th Street...

Saturday's parting sinkhole

Second Avenue between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place...

City extends deadline for community garden licensing; Monday's City Hall rally cancelled

The city has extended an olive branch of sorts to community gardeners.

As reported yesterday, community gardeners across NYC planned to a rally on the steps of City Hall on Monday against what they're calling a new one-sided license agreement to operate their volunteer-run green spaces.

This morning, Bill LoSasso, director of the NYC Parks GreenThumb, sent the following letter to the GreenThumb gardeners:

As you know, we are in the process of relicensing GreenThumb community gardens operating on NYC Parks property. As we near completion of that process, we are extending the deadline for submission of the relicensing documents until Friday, September 20, 2019, and also making several updates to the Gardener's Handbook to better support our network of gardens and gardeners.

Please review the details in the attached letter. Your GreenThumb Outreach Coordinator will be happy to speak with you about any questions that you might have.

I hope that your gardens are doing well and in full bloom, and I look forward to seeing many of you again soon. Enjoy your weekend!

As a result of the extension and updates, Monday's rally has been cancelled. Here's a statement to us via Charles Krezell, head of Loisaida United Neighborhood Gardens (LUNGS):

We are very happy that GreenThumb has extended the license agreement deadline to Sept. 20.

We hope to continue negotiating in good faith. We all love our gardens and want to continue to have a
good relationship with GreenThumb and the Parks Department.

In light of the new deadline we are canceling the Rally scheduled for Monday at City Hall.

We are very grateful for the vigorous support of our community gardeners. We continue to recognize that our strength is in unity; and our goal is to continue to help New York grow.

H/T Stacie Joy!

✌️

This arrived this past week at the St. Mark's Place entrance to Tompkins Square Park...



Thanks to Vinny & O for the photos. ✌️

Last Saturday for Summer Streets

[Photo from last Saturday]

The last Summer Streets for the, um, summer takes place today (Aug. 17!) from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. ... as the 12th annual Summer Streets celebration wraps up another Saturday where people can enjoy the nearly seven miles of NYC roadways that are closed to vehicles for running, walking, biking, complaining, etc.



You can find more details about today's pit-stop activities at this link.

Once again, it's worth noting just how far Summer Streets have come from its early days on Broadway...

A 'Heartworm' of gold

Today sees the release of the 22nd (!!!!!) Oh Sees record, a 73-minute, two-record opus called Face Stabber. The video here is for "Heartworm," one of the punkier tracks on the record.

See them live out at the Warsaw in October. They're a great live band.

Get your Gem Spa t-shirts or photos of Madonna — at Gem Spa!

[Photo from last evening]

Starting this evening (Friday!), Gem Spa will have a limited supply of Gem Spa t-shirts for sale at the shop here on Second Avenue at St. Mark's Place.

In recent weeks, they've been filling orders for people who purchased them via PayPal. Now they'll have an extra supply on-hand. (The t-shirts come with a Kiehl’s lip balm that the company donated.)

As we've been reporting, the venerable shop has been struggling of late, in part due to its temporary ban on selling cigarettes and lottery tickets and various landlord issues.

Parul Patel, who is running the shop for her father Ray, the owner since 1986, decided to sell the t-shirts to help raise money for the shop.



Meanwhile, longtime St. Mark's Place resident David Godlis is pitching in to assist the longtime corner shop. He's donating prints of this photo of Madonna outside Gem Spa in 1984 during filming of "Desperately Seeking Susan" ... you can order various sizes of the photo at Gem Spa...

View this post on Instagram

Desperately Seeking GEM SPA. Once Upon a Time in the East Village, in 1984, Madonna was outside @besteggcream GEM SPA making history. But now this East Village landmark could be history - or worse, a Citibank - and needs some help. I’m giving them High Quality signed oversized postcards of this image in various sizes. Available for donations exclusively at GEM SPA. GO TO @besteggcream for details. All proceeds go to GEM SPA. GET A GEM SPA T-shirt too. Or stop in for an egg cream. Corner of St Marks & Second Ave. PASS THE WORD. 📷©️GODLIS

A post shared by Godlis (@godlis) on Aug 15, 2019 at 1:14pm PDT

Previously on EV Grieve:
Will you buy a Gem Spa T-shirt?

What is happening at Gem Spa?

A visit to Gem Spa

[UPDATED] Community gardeners to rally at City Hall Monday over new license agreement

[Dias y Flores Community Garden on 13th Street]

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Updated 8/17: The city has extended a deadline for the licensing agreements, and made several changes to the Gardener's Handbook. As a result, the rally has been cancelled. Scoop here.

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Community gardeners across NYC are taking to City Hall on Monday morning to rally against what they're calling a new one-sided license agreement to operate their volunteer-run green spaces.

In April, community gardeners received a new four-year license agreement that they say substantially changes the relationship they've enjoyed with the city since 1978.

According to the New York City Community Garden Coalition, the 2019 Community Garden License Agreement and GreenThumb Gardeners’ Handbook contain additional requirements that are burdensome for both parties, and "which will hinder the community outreach and engagement that are hallmarks of community gardens in New York City."

Here's part of a media advisory via Loisaida United Neighborhood Gardens (LUNGS):

Under the new license, GreenThumb becomes an enforcement agency rather than a garden-friendly helpmate. This new license imposes new regulations, restrictions and obligations on garden groups.

It was written by lawyers with no sense of the historical and cultural significance of the gardens and their communities. Now we are being told that we are being allowed to garden on city property and if we don’t like the new license we don’t have to garden.

Gardeners have voiced great concerns. At a Town Hall in May, gardeners voted unanimously to not sign the license. In the past 40 years there has never been widespread opposition to garden licenses.

We have tried to negotiate changes to the license; we want to continue to work toward a better license. But the City is threatening garden groups with a lockout. We have grave concerns about these items in the new license:

• There are three sets of regulations that gardens are required to follow, these regulations are inconsistent, contradictory and confusing.
• Liability issues remain unresolved. The term “Licensee” in the agreement is not defined, what does it mean for the person signing the license on behalf of their community garden?
• Gardens are required to hold two free public events a year but must obtain written permission far in advance from GreenThumb to hold these events.
• Many of the new rules will be impossible to effectively enforce given the size of GreenThumb’s staff. This can only lead to arbitrary, discriminatory enforcement. Gardens will be lost because of developers’ greed not garden infractions.

A recent meeting between the Community Garden Coalition and city officials did net some progress, such as gardeners will once again have the option of allowing dogs into their spaces.

Officials for the Parks Department downplayed any garden drama.

"These renewals happen every four years and always have small changes based on experiences from the previous four year cycle — this cycle is no different," Crystal Howard, assistant commissioner for communications at the Parks Department, recently told amNY.

And:

She said changes include "making the gardens more accessible by keeping them open to the public during the weekend; allowing gardens to host more fundraising events so they can sustain themselves; and increasing safety by asking gardens to coordinate with Green Thumb ahead of planned events."

Monday is the deadline for signing the new license. Patch reported that the Parks Department has told groups that they won't be permitted to continue operating without one. (Patch also noted that nearly 180 gardens have already signed the agreements "out of 353 gardens expected to sign.")

The City Hall rally on Monday starts at 10 a.m.


[Spreading the word one van at a time]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Concern over new GreenThumb regulations for community gardens

Pylons for offset crossings arrive on 1st and 2nd Avenue intersections

[At 9th Street]

The city has finally finalized the offset crossings on several intersections along the First Avenue and Second Avenue bike lanes. (The markings had been in place; the plastic pylons arrived this week.)

News of the offset crossings was first announced on May 21. This after the city resurfaced First Avenue and repainted the bike lane.

As Streetsblog reported in May, the arrival of offset crossings in the East Village comes two years after the driver of a box truck reportedly made an illegal left turn turn — across multiple lanes of traffic on First Avenue at Ninth Street — and slammed into cyclist Kelly Hurley, who later died from her injuries.

Per Streetsblog:

In the aftermath of her death, advocates implored the agency to rethink its use of “mixing zones” — which force cyclists and drivers to negotiate the same space at the same time.

After Hurley’s death, Upper West Side architect Reed Rubey came up withan alternative design, which was subsequently endorsed by Manhattan Community Board 4.

Rubey’s efforts partly inspired DOT’s chosen solution: the offset intersection, which it piloted at select locations in 2017 and 2018. In September, DOT’s “Cycling at the Crossroads” report showed that cyclists felt significantly safer at intersections with offset crossings [PDF].

Other offset crossings with newly added pylons include on First Avenue at Seventh Street...



... and First Avenue at Fourth Street ...



Quoting Streetsblog from earlier this week: "Last year in New York City, car drivers caused more than 225,000 crashes, resulting in injuries to more than 60,000 people — and the deaths of 10 cyclists, 120 pedestrians and 96 motorists." So far in 2019, 19 cyclists have been killed by cars or trucks on city streets.

Emmy Squared closed this weekend for a 'routine refresh'

In case Emmy Squared was in your weekend plans. The pizzeria specializing in Detroit-style square pies on First Avenue at Fifth Street was closed yesterday... and will remain that way through the weekend for a "routine refresh."



Emmy's Instagram account states they'll be back open on Monday.

The East Village location opened in July 2018. Emmy Squared owners Matthew and Emily Hyland also operated Violet, serving a completely different style of pizza, on Fifth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Thursday's parting shot

In Tompkins Square Park, Christo, the male red-tailed hawk, busts a squirrel for being sneaky.

Photo by Steven.

Grant Shaffer's NY See

Here's the latest NY See panel, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood and NYC.

EVG Etc.: More 14th Street busway drama; an oral history of Lucien

[Early morning on 7th Street]

• City Council bill seeks to punish landlords who abuse vacate orders (Curbed)

• The LES residents challenging the city’s East River Park stormproofing plan (The Indypendent)

• An analysis shows that the city’s largest landlord, the NYCHA, evicted 838 families from NYCHA apartments. The next top evicting landlords evicted 189 and 166 apartments, respectively. (CityLimits)

• Where is the Small Business Jobs Survival Act? (Gothamist)

• Arthur Schwartz, the lawyer behind temporarily halting the 14th Street busway, now plans to sue over the removal of M14 stops (Patch) ... Schwartz calls calls transit advocates "White Hooded Zealots" (Gothamist ... Daily News)

• An oral history of Lucien (Garage/Vice ... previously on EVG)

• Roger Clark visits Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery on Houston (NY1)

• Creating the look and visual language of "Russian Doll," set in the East Village (IndieWire ... previously on EVG)

• Police looking for suspect who robbed a 78-year-old man in the Lillian Wald Houses (CBS 2)

• The deadline for the affordable housing lottery at Essex Crossing’s 140 Essex St. is Aug. 20 (The Lo-Down)


[EVG photo]

• An appreciation of the Argentinean fare at Buenos Aires on Sixth Street (Forbes)

• Have you tried the insect pizza at Luzzo's on First Avenue? (Rachael Ray)

• Jon Spencer discusses his solo career (GuitarWorld)

• ICYMI: The excellent "Long Day’s Journey Into Night" in 3D is back (Metrograph)

• An interview with the Ramones by Legs McNeil and John Holmstrom from August 1986 (SPIN)

• Diversions: Treasure trove of video of the musical acts — Grace Jones! Iggy! Eno! — who appeared on this Dutch TV show in the 1970s-80s (Dangerous Minds)