Thanks to our friends at the DeColores Community Yard & Cultural Center for the photo!
Tuesday, January 12, 2021
Let's chip in and help move this mound
In case you haven't walked through the middle of Tompkins Square Park in recent days, there's a mound of wood chips for the taking. The city is encouraging residents to help themselves (to the wood chips) to use in community gardens, tree beds, planters, etc.
Thanks to Steven for the photo!
Have you seen the refurbished Cooper Station Post Office?
And here's some history of the building via the Village Preservation blog:
[T]he building was designed by William Dewey Foster and constructed in 1936-37 as part of the W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration) to combat the Great Depression. Foster was responsible for designing structures in both New York City and Washington D.C., including ten post offices in New York City and its immediate suburbs.
Cooper Station was designed in the Classical Revival style and its most dramatic feature is the curve of the facade at the irregular corner of the site. Further highlighting the curve of this building is the two-story colonnade comprised of six receded Doric columns which delineate the corner bays.
The Cooper Station Post Office was listed on the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places in 1982.
Unfortunately, the building is not landmarked.
And other factoid: Newman on "Seinfeld" was said to work at this P.O., and the exterior made a super-quick cameo in "The Package," which originally aired on Oct. 17, 1996...
The new-look 100 2nd Ave.
The retail space was the longtime home of the Haveli Banjara Indian Restaurant, which quietly closed in October 2019.
Approved work permits with the city lists the following work happening at the address: "Convert first floor eating and drinking establishment into a residential apartment."
However, it appears that the ground floor will remain a retail space and the upper level, which Haveli used for seating, has been converted to a residence.
As previously reported, public records show that the building changed hands in March 2020 for $6.1 million ... with the Highpoint Property Group listed as the new owner. The Group's other East Village properties include The Slater at 174-176 First Ave. and The Topanga at 202 Avenue A. And in keeping with the the theme, No. 100 goes by The Callahan.
One EVG source said that the previous landlord died. The building had been on the market since September 2017, with an original asking price of $8.6 million.
In November 2017, the restaurant's staff told patrons that they would be closing in early 2018, with the hopes of finding another location nearby.
Haveli was the oldest surviving Indian restaurant in the East Village, opening in 1987. Banjara moved in here in November 2013.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Haveli Banjara Indian Restaurant said to be closing and relocating early next year
One EVG source said that the previous landlord died. The building had been on the market since September 2017, with an original asking price of $8.6 million.
In November 2017, the restaurant's staff told patrons that they would be closing in early 2018, with the hopes of finding another location nearby.
Haveli was the oldest surviving Indian restaurant in the East Village, opening in 1987. Banjara moved in here in November 2013.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Haveli Banjara Indian Restaurant said to be closing and relocating early next year
Tacos for a former taco shop?
A worker told EVG correspondent Steven that the space will be a taco shop... perhaps similiar to the previous tenant — Otto's Tacos here between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street. That quick-serve tacqueria closed at the start of the PAUSE in March 2020, and never reopened.
As we've noted, a lot of things have come and gone here through the years, such as Good Guys, a Subway (sandwich shop), part of a Max Brenner outpost and Burritoville. (Burritoville!)
A quick look inside the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, opening next month on 1st Avenue
The pandemic has pushed back the opening from this past July.
As previously reported, Brooklyn Dumpling Shop will feature an automat-type arrangement for its 30-plus varieties.
From a more technical standpoint, per its website:
We're the first to enable a Zero Human Interaction (Z.H.I.). We're revolutionizing Q.S.R. (Quick Service Restaurants) with our proprietary technology and will be one of the first to launch hands-free self-ordering kiosks...
And if you'd like a video explainer...
While the shop may feature some high-techery, the interior will have a partly old-school look... EVG contributor Derek Berg caught a glimpse inside the other day... and spotted this wall photo of Audrey Hepburn inside the Horn and Hardart automat circa 1952. (The original photo is by Lawrence Fried) ...
Workers gutted this single-level structure on the corner ... dividing the storefront into several spaces. The other new tenant here is the Japanese health-food cafe AO Bowl, now in soft-open mode.
The previous single occupant, Foot Gear Plus, closed in July 2018 after 40 years in business.
Monday, January 11, 2021
Advocacy group: The city's value engineering study for East River Park does not exist
A value engineering study, an oft-cited factor behind the city's change of plans in September 2018 to bury/elevate East River Park by eight feet as part of the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, does not exist, according to advocacy group East River Park Action.
On Friday, in a reply to the group's Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request, NYC's Department of Design and Construction (DDC) stated that the city's value engineering report could not be sent because:
"DDC's search of agency records revealed no responsive documents for [the FOIL] request."
In response, East River Park Action issued the following statement:
This means that the present massive $1.45 billion plan lacks the basic justification for the change that doubled the cost and destruction.According to a “Fact Sheet” from de Blasio’s office on Sept. 28, 2018, "The adoption of the new design follows a value engineering study performed earlier this year and a review of the project by a panel of experts with experience from around the nation."
In addition, the independent analyst from the Dutch firm, Deltares, who Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Councilmember Carlina Rivera hired, also reportedly requested this value engineering report:
"The 'value engineering report' leads to the conclusion that Alternative 4 can be completed faster and with a greater degree of certainty," he wrote. However, he never saw the document. "This value engineering report is not publicly available," he noted.This nonexistent value engineering study and invisible review by a panel of experts paved the way for the new plan and scrapped a less destructive plan that had been developed over years of community and city joint planning.
The city's current plan, which has been met with outrage by community members, will raze the 57.5-acre East River Park, bulldozing 1,000 mature trees and rebuilding the park atop eight feet of landfill meant to protect the Lower East Side and surrounding neighborhoods from a 100-year-flood event and sea level rise.
In October 2019, the city announced that they would phase in the construction so only portions of the park are closed to the public at any given time. According to various reports, the city has committed to leaving a minimum of 42 percent of East River Park open to the public. It is projected to be complete in 2025.
The start of construction, which had been slated to commence this past fall, was delayed until this spring, according to a recent presentation the city made.
However, given the revelation about the value engineering study, "we demand the city stop the ESCR plan so it can be further reviewed," Fannie Ip of East River Park Action said in a statement. "This is not the 'Greener, More Equitable' NYC, which the de Blasio administration has repeatedly promised."
You can read East River Park's full statement and ongoing concerns at this link.
Costume drama: Halloween Adventure is closing next month
The costume shop has been holding big sales since early December, arousing suspicions of a closure, though nothing had been made official ... Time Out was able to get confirmation from an employee last week...
According to SecretNYC, the store will shut down at the end of February. A worker blamed the closure on a lack of business in recent months during the pandemic.
The company has been around since 1981 with outposts and pop-up shops in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Here's some of the store's EV history via Time Out: 
[Halloween Adventure] first opened a temporary pop-up store in 1991 and continued to open pop-ups in the East Village until 1996, including at spaces that now house Forbidden Planet on East 13th and Broadway and the Fed/Ex Kinkos on Astor Place.
In 1996, it found its permanent home in what used to be a World Gym at 104 Fourth Ave. and in 2004, it expanded and got a second entrance at 808 Broadway.
Thanks to Steven for the photos!
A deli-grocery for the southwest corner of 14th Street and Avenue A
The posted work permits state that a "deli & grocery" is in the works for the address...
This is a pretty small space, so it may very well be a deli-grocery of the smoke shop variety.
Dion Cleaners held down this corner for 35 years ... until this past November.
The Schmackary's outpost on Cooper Square isn't reopening
The bakery, sporting 75-plus varieties of cookies plus brownie's, etc., never reopened after the PAUSE in March 2020. Their main store on West 45th Street remains in business as does its online service.
Schmackary's opened here in July 2019... Previously: Pourt, the cafe-work space combo, closed after 11 months in December 2017 here in the retail base of the Marymount Manhattan College dormitory.
Carving out a retail space at 56 St. Mark's Place
The retail for-rent sign that arrived on Friday shows that there are three spaces available — spread out over the ground, first and second floors and featuring more than 10,000 square feet in total. The space can also be combined. (The listing isn't online just yet.)
Not sure what's in the space currently ... or why this the right time to put more retail on the market when plenty of empty storefronts line the neighborhood.
Thanks to Steven for the photos!
Can you spot the one-floor addition atop 94-96 Avenue A?
🤔
Late last week, the construction netting on the south-facing wall at 94-96 Avenue A came down, revealing even more of the one-floor extension on the building here on the northeast corner of Sixth Street.
Several readers have commented just how poorly the new floor fits in with the old building...
The building's square footage increased from 8,304 to 10,151. Despite the expansion, the taller No. 94-96 will have 10 residential units instead of the current 11. The filing also shows that there are plans for a roof deck.
Penn South Capital paid $9.6 million for the property in March 2019, per public records. Pini Milstein was the principal owner of the building as well as the operator of the Sidewalk, which closed in February 2019 in the retail space after 32-plus years.
The bar-restaurant August Laura has been the tenant since October 2019.
Previously on EV Grieve:
• 1-floor expansion planned for Avenue A building that housed the Sidewalk
• The building housing the former Sidewalk sells on Avenue A
Sunday, January 10, 2021
Sunday's parting shots
Week in Grieview
• A 21-story office building planned for the former B Bar & Grill on the Bowery (Friday)
• Cafe Himalaya reopens, thanks community for support after family member dies from COVID-19 (Wednesday)
• RIP Hanshi Wilfredo Roldan (Thursday)
• Concern again for the historic Merchant's House Museum on 4th Street (Wednesday)
• A new era for Via Della Pace on 4th Street (Monday)
• The gas is back on at Tompkins Square Bagels on Avenue A (Monday)
• This week's NY See panel (Wedensday)
• Gallery Watch goes to the Home Alone Group Show at ATM Gallery (Wednesday)
• [plant-baked] debuts on 7th Street (Friday)
• A bar called Spike's is coming to 218 Avenue A (Wedensday)
• 5 Napkin Burger Express gives way to Tamam Falafel on 14th Street (Friday)
• Hope for Little Poland in 2021? (Tuesday)
• Citing "restrictions, bans and curfews for the restaurant industry," the Dumpling Shop closes (Monday)
• Bibi Wine Bar takes a winter break (Tuesday)
• Gino Sorbillo now closed for renovations on the Bowery (Wednesday)
• 2021 development watch: 124 E. 14th St. (Tuesday)
• Van Leeuwen reopens post-fire on 7th Street (Tuesday)
• Tio Pio debuts on 14th Street with quick-serve Latin cuisine (Tuesday)
• Local artists give kids something to smile about at new dental outpost on Avenue A (Tuesday)
• The Boilery has closed on 3rd Avenue (Monday)
• Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse has closed for now on the Lower East Side (Sunday)
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Follow EVG on Instragram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.
Saturday, January 9, 2021
Saturday's parting shots
[Updated] Missing animal
As seen at the Sixth Street and Avenue B Community Garden. Thanks to Robert Miner for the photo.
Turns out this is a Fennec fox ... and the fox was found safely and back with his/her owner...
Community Boards hosting town hall to discuss the Open Restaurants and Open Streets programs
Community Board 3 and Community Board 6, which serves the east side from 14th Street to 59th Street, are hosting the event... with sponsorship by local City Council members Carlina Rivera and Margaret Chin as well as Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.
Per the invite: "Hear from agencies to clarify regulations and answer your questions to make these programs work better for us."
The meeting starts at 6 p.m. You may submit questions in advance here.
Details to tune in follow:
Online: https://zoom.us/j/
By Phone: +1 646 518 9805, +1 929 205 6099
Webinar ID: 974 6758 8948
Reminders: Saturday No. 2 of MulchFest starts SOOOON
Today marks the grand finale of MulchFest season, as the chipper will be out in Tompkins Square Park from 10 a.m. to ??? Swing by for the festivities ... and generous amounts of mulch to take home.
The Sanitation Department is also collecting and composting (non-decorated) trees left curbside through Jan. 15.
Thanks to Steven for the photo earlier this week!
Friday, January 8, 2021
'Five Years' to start the New Year
A televised version of "Five Years" by David Bowie from 1972... from "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars."
Bowie was born on this day in 1947. (And he died on Jan. 10, 2016.)
A 21-story office building planned for the former B Bar & Grill on the Bowery
Permits were filed yesterday for a 21-floor mixed-use development — a 283-foot-tall office building — at the site of the former B Bar & Grill on the Bowery.
According to the proposed plan, the well-employed architect Morris Adjmi's building will encompass 98,799 square feet, with 26,000 square feet set aside for use as an unspecified community facility.
Permits show office amenities that include several roof terraces and a "passive recreation" area. There's also a mention of a bicycle rental or repair shop on the ground floor.
As we first reported on Dec. 8, permits were filed to demolish the one-level structure that housed the B Bar & Grill on the Bowery at Fourth Street from 1994 through the start of the COVID-19 PAUSE last March.
CB Developers paid $59.5 million for a stake in 358 Bowery, previously a gas station before its conversion into the onetime hotspot. B Bar owner Eric Goode, who owns a handful of hotels, including the Bowery Hotel across the way, has been assembling air rights to build a larger development on this corner space.
As for the B Bar, it was expected to close for good this past August. However, the bar-restaurant never reopened after the PAUSE. As we reported back on April 3, nearly 70 B Bar employees were laid off without any extension of benefits or offer of severance pay.
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