Crowdfunding help for the residents displaced by Madison Reality Capital construction on 14th Street

The Cooper Square Committee helped establish a GoFundMe campaign for the tenants displaced from 642 E. 14th St. by a vacate order. 

On Nov. 28, as we first reported, the residents — most of them in rent-stabilized units — were abruptly vacated after ongoing excavation on a Madison Reality Capital-owned 24-story development next door on the SW corner of Avenue C destabilized the five-story building. 

The city gave tenants a short time on Nov. 28 to leave the premises. The Red Cross put up the residents in a Chinatown hotel through Dec. 3. During a rally on Dec. 14, several residents discussed their makeshift living situations, from the apartments of friends to shelters. 

The residents, local advocates, and elected officials have called on Madison Realty Capital to provide accommodations for the displaced residents from the firm's extensive LES portfolio. 

So far, according to the GoFundMe campaign: "Madison Realty Capital has offered up to 10 apartments, all one-bedrooms, but at rents that most of these modest income tenants cannot afford. Several households are families that need 2 bedroom apartments, which MRC says it can't accommodate." 

Here's more from the campaign:

Cooper Square Committee, local elected officials, and legal service organizations are assisting the tenants in their efforts to find affordable relocation housing as soon as possible and to get Madison Realty Capital and their landlord, Jack Lebewohl, to make repairs to their building so that they can return to their apartments at some point in 2024. 

With your help, the tenants can access housing they can afford while they temporarily relocate. We estimate it will cost about $95,000 to help the tenants cover the difference in rent at new apartments in NYC and to cover the cost of food since they can't cook in the shelter, and they have had to buy new clothes since they can't access their apartments. They will need to buy furniture for their relocation apartments as well. 

And from residents...

"This last month has been met with the most traumatic uncertainty for my neighbors and me, and while we should be celebrating the holidays or looking forward to the new year, we're instead couch hopping or living in shelters. We are exhausted and broken, and after almost 4 weeks, we're still left in the dark about what comes next." — Lindsey, Apt. 7 

 "I have four young children who miss their neighborhood, who miss their school, who miss our friends. I wish nobody would go through this, what we experienced in the last couple of weeks." — Mohamed, Apt. 13 

"We got kicked out of our home in the cold winter. We are homeless, and we are in pain. We need justice! Major Eric Adams and fellow New Yorkers, Please, Please stand with us. Josh Zegen of Madison Realty Capital and our landlord Jack Lebewohl are NOT getting away with this. " — Lin. Apt. 17 

"Please help us — we are homeless, in shelters, or staying on friends' couches. Neither our landlord nor Madison Realty Capital have yet to offer affordable long-term housing." — Susan, Apt 6 

You can find the campaign here. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Residents ordered to vacate after excavation next door destabilized this 14th Street building 

• Displaced 14th Street tenants seek support after city orders them to vacate their building

Displaced 14th Street tenants seek support after city orders them to vacate their building

Photos courtesy of the Cooper Square Committee unless marked

On Thursday afternoon, displaced residents of 642 E. 14th St. came together to seek support after neighboring construction work left them without homes. 

On Nov. 28, the residents — most of them in rent-stabilized units — were abruptly vacated after ongoing excavation on a Madison Reality Capital-owned 24-story development next door on the SW corner of Avenue C destabilized the five-story building. (We were the first media outlet to report on the situation.) 

The city gave tenants a short time on Nov. 28 to leave the premises. The Red Cross put up the residents in a Chinatown hotel through Dec. 3. We've heard from tenants staying with friends... and others are now said to be in shelters. Parents with children discussed how their routines are upended as they have been shuttled from the building to hotels to shelters and have missed days of schooling.

On Thursday, with the support of elected officials and the Cooper Square Committee, several tenants spoke out, detailing how they are struggling to reestablish their lives this holiday season without much help from anyone. Residents said they have heard little to nothing from the landlord, Jeremy Lebewohl, or the building's property manager, Ranger Management.

Before the rally, Madison Realty Capital reportedly told District 2 City Councilmember Carlina Rivera that they are open to discussing housing accommodations with the displaced residents from the firm's LES portfolio, though no other specifics were offered. 

The residents 

"Over two weeks ago and without any notice, myself and fellow residents of 642 were abruptly displaced from our homes. Amid this crisis, our landlord and management company's silence has been astonishing. They have left us tenants to fend for ourselves and forced us to find other accommodations, whether it be crashing with friends or utilizing shelter services in an already inaccessible city. This deeply traumatic experience has underscored the urgent need for stronger tenant rights." — Sky Yeatts 

"I was so astounded and frightened to learn that MRC seemingly did not take proper precautions to protect the 120-year-old building where I have lived for over 30 years BEFORE they started digging the foundations for their 24-story building next door. I am approaching retirement with modest means to support myself. Because of MRC’s carelessness, I am effectively homeless and afraid for my future." — Michael Hawley

"I have lived in this building since 1986. My kids were raised there ... The city knew about the damage in 2019 from the construction, but they still allowed them to build the 24-story building. Because of that, me and my family have no choice but to live in a shelter, and my kids have missed too many days of school. They all miss their neighbors and friends dearly, and the company’s responsibility right now is to figure out a way for us to move back so we can come back to our neighborhood. Me and my brother [Sayed] have never been separated, and now he's at another shelter, and my kids miss him so much, and he can't even visit us because our shelter doesn't allow visitors." — Mohamed Dawod

[Above photo by Camila Soliz]

The elected officials 

 "What occurred at 642 East 14th Street is a tragedy, which has displaced many of my constituents. My team has been working hard to help those impacted find shelter. The city and the landlord should make all diligent efforts to get these folks back into their homes as quickly as possible. We must ensure that when developments are green-lighted, they do not cause damage to neighboring buildings." — Assembly Member Harvey Epstein 

"Construction next door should never lead to residents not knowing where they will sleep at night. Yet, after months of reporting concerns to the Department of Buildings, that is exactly what happened to the residents of 642 E. 14th St., whose building was issued a full vacate order due to structural damage caused by construction in the adjacent lot. Property owners, developers, and the Department of Buildings have an obligation to put residents first and ensure full protection during construction. The residents of 642 E 14th Street need answers, and they need housing. Madison Realty Capital and Ranger Management must provide impacted residents with month-to-month leases at the same rate on apartments in the neighborhood, ensure their belongings are secured and stored for free, and provide the right to return to their apartments or the long-term housing option of their choosing." — City Councilmember Carlina Rivera

The landlord 

Jeremy Lebewohl, who also owns the famed Second Avenue Deli, was not present during the rally. Lebewohl told the Post that he "warned the city that construction next door could compromise his building — and even hired an engineer to access the property who 'warned them that what they were doing was excessive.'"

He also said that reps from the Department of Buildings told him that his structure was fine. Now 642's future is potentially in doubt. 

Lebewohl's attorney, Adam Leitman Bailey, told the Post that three independent engineers hired to assess the damage each concluded the building would have to be demolished. There is nothing on file with the Department of Buildings to collaborate on that evaluation.

The developer 

Madison Square Realty is the third owner of the long-empty lot (since 2009) in the past seven-plus years. Madison Realty Capital paid Opal Holdings $31.3 million for the property in May 2020. Opal Holdings bought the parcel in June 2016 from Brooklyn's Rabsky Group for $23 million. 

A rep for Madison Square Reality told the Post that the developer had "provided structural safety solutions" for 642 E. 14th St. at the outset of the project, a building going as 14+C. The foundation work in this phase started in July.

"This issue was avoidable," the rep said in a statement, claiming the owners of 642 “have long neglected the property and have stonewalled our efforts to provide assistance to tenants by refusing to engage with us or local officials."

A Partial Stop Work Order on the site allows crews to perform dewatering operations to prevent further destabilization.

An addendum 

Following the press conference, residents described "an extremely strange thing" that took place. While the tenants and speakers were gathering for a group photo, "a mysterious woman," mostly hidden under winter clothes and a hat, made her way through the crowd to get to the padlocked entrance, where there's now a makeshift plywood wall and door.

The woman had keys to the lock and entered the building. Some of the residents peppered her with questions, which she refused to answer, and threatened to call the police on anyone who entered behind her. 

It's not known who she was — a rep from the city, or possibly the landlord or management company. 

"No one knows really what was going on there or why she chose that moment to open the building — temporarily and for a brief period of time," one resident told us.

Come out to support the tenants of 642 E. 14th St., displaced by the Madison Reality Capital development next door

Tenants and local elected officials today will be holding a rally outside 642 E. 14th St., which was abruptly vacated after ongoing excavation on a Madison Reality Capital-owned 24-story development next door on the SE corner of Avenue C destabilized the building. (We were the first media outlet to report on the situation.) 

The city gave tenants a short time on Nov. 28 to vacate the premises. The Red Cross put tenants up in a Chinatown hotel just through Dec. 3. We've heard from tenants staying with friends... and we understand others are now in shelters. (Read about the Dawod-Hemeida family here.) 

With the support of elected officials and the Cooper Square Committee, the tenants will be asking for temporary housing until they are allowed back into their homes. 

Today's rally starts at 12:30 p.m. outside 642 E. 14th St. near Avenue C.

And the photos below are from Sunday... showing the now-vacant building ... and the pit next door...

First on EV Grieve:

Residents ordered to vacate after excavation next door destabilized this 14th Street building

EVG Etc.: Harvey Fierstein supports La MaMa; Pinky's Space sues NYC

Sophie's on Fifth Street the other evening

• Chef King Phojanakong of Kuma Inn on Ludlow Street dies at 54 (Eater) 

• City officials show indifference over Josefa Bonet, a resident of the Riis Houses, who had four times the normal level of arsenic in her system when she died (The City) 

• Harvey Fierstein donates a $250,000 matching grant to La MaMa (Playbill) 

• Pinky's Space sues NYC for $615,000 for tearing down outdoor dining shed (NY Post ... previously on EVG) 

• Bad Habit and Caleta debut at 133 Avenue A (Eater ... previously on EVG)

• What to do if you don't have heat in your apartment (The City) 

• Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village tenants secure rent-regulated status (Gothamist) 

• Cage the Elephant lead singer busted for gun possession at the Bowery Hotel (The Daily Mail) 

• NYPD makes arrest after robbery at the Metro PCS store on 14th Street and First Avenue last week (NY Post) 

• Is New York City facing a "doom loop" scenario? (Gothamist) 

• Gotham Burger Social Club coming to Essex and Rivington (Forbes) 

• Catch the original "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" on the big screen down at Metrograph this weekend (Offical site) 

• At Anna Delvey's NYE party (artnet)

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo from Cooper Square Friday evening by Carol from East 5th Street) ... 

• Help for Chino Garcia (Friday) 

• The Trader Joe's Wine Shop on Union Square has permanently shuttered (Thursday) ... Here's the midnight email that employees of the Trader Joe's Wine Shop received about the closing on Union Square (Friday) 

• A visit to Aliens of Brooklyn on 9th Street (Thursday)

• On 5th Street, some residents say they want green space and not senior housing (Monday, 84 comments) 

• Cafe Mocha, destroyed by fire in 2020, is reopening in a new East Village location (Monday) 

• East Village cafe AO Bowl closes, owner blames Sen. Schumer (Monday) 

• A memorial for Jack the cat on 7th Street (Wednesday) 

• A look at the remaining red-tailed hawk fledgling in Tompkins Square Park (Tuesday) 

• TabeTomo owners have new venture planned for St. Mark's Place (Tuesday) 

• El Primo Red Tacos primed for 151 Avenue A (Wednesday) 

• Here's info about a Virtual Rat Academy for East Village business owners, gardeners and residents (Tuesday)

• Signage alerts: Hi-Note on Avenue B; Le Burger on 5th Street (Wednesday) 

• iSouvlaki has closed on 12th Street (Thursday) 

• Today in iconic hotel awning sightings (Monday)

• Manhattan Marketplace coming soon to 1st Avenue and 12th Street (Monday) 

• [solidcore] bringing the pilates to 14th Street (Monday) 

• 5 years later, signs of progress at 180 2nd Ave. (Wednesday) 

• Seeing (Empanada Mama) red on 14th Street and 1st Avenue (Thursday) 

 ... and earlier this summer, a Janovic Paint & Decorating Center opened at the former Duane Reade on Third Avenue and 18th Street... we missed that the company closed the outpost on Fourth Avenue near 10th Street... 

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A mural representing the Ukrainian spirit at the Standard East Village

Last evening, the Standard East Village officially unveiled a new mural in support of Ukraine outside the hotel's Fifth Street side. 

Kyiv-based artist Waone Interesni Kazki created the work. Titled "From Legend to Discovery," the mural "represents the resilience, life and spirit of the Ukrainian community."

The hotel on Cooper Square held an opening party for the unveiling, with proceeds said to be going to the Ukrainian Museum nearby on Sixth Street and Palianytsia, a Ukrainian charity initiative based in Lviv, Ukraine, that helps refugees and war victims.

Eyes on 5th Street

ICYMI: This mural, depicting the eyes of Eric Garner, was created by the French artist JR, debuting on Election Day here outside the Standard East Village on Fifth Street at Cooper Square.

Per the hotel's Instagram account, the piece was originally presented at the Millions March in December 2014, and again for the Wide Awakes day global march on Oct. 3. 

"The piece is a reminder to keep our eyes open, and continue to fight for racial justice and against police brutality. "

Garner died after being put in a chokehold by now-former NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo during an arrest on suspicion of selling untaxed cigarettes. The investigation continues into how the NYPD handled the aftermath of Garner's death in July 2014 on Staten Island.

The Standard East Village sets reopening date

The Standard East Village has set a July 24 reopening date here on Cooper Square at Fifth Street.

This is the first of the Standard properties to reopen for guests. (The Standard London is back on Aug. 7, for instance; the Standard High Line on Sept. 7.) You can find their health and safety standards at this link.

The hotel went dark when NYC went on PAUSE in mid-March. A few other luxury hotels have already reopened in the city.

Meanwhile, the Standard's cafe returned to service this past Friday...

Week in Grieview

[Outside St. Stanislaus on 7th Street yesterday via Derek Berg]

Posts from this past week included...

• NYPD's body-cam footage shows the deadly police shooting on Avenue A and 7th Street from Jan. 9 (Friday)

• A Visit to Odessa Restaurant (Thursday)

• The Marshal seizes Hotel Tortuga (Tuesday)

• On second thought, Jiang Diner is moving back to 5th Street (Wednesday)

• Brooklyn Bean Roastery arrives on Avenue A (Tuesday)

• Last Dance: Lafayette Street live music venue closes tonight after just 4 months (Tuesday)

• Rock on: Remembering Bill Graham's Fillmore East (Wednesday)

• Tio Pio bringing its rotisserie chicken to 14th Street (Tuesday)

• Hearts for Gem Spa (Monday)

• Demolition watch: 183 Avenue B (Wednesday)

• Police looking for suspect who stole 3 Phase 2 paintings from Avenue C studio (Wednesday)

• Idlewild Coffee Co. coming to 5th Street (Friday)

• Chairnobyl (Wednesday)

• That Thai Direct renovation is taking longer than expected (Tuesday)

• Checking out the new International Center of Photography at Essex Crossing (Monday)

• MAD Toast House has gone out of business (Thursday)

• Change is coming to Kmart on Astor Place (Wednesday)

... and yesterday, EVG regular Lola Saénz spotted acclaimed photographers Janette Beckman (left) and Martha Cooper on Second Avenue...



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CB Developers pay $59.5 million for an interest in 358 Bowery — current home of the B Bar & Grill and likely a new development

[Via Google Street View]

It looks like the corner site that houses B Bar & Grill, which helped usher in a new upscale era on the Bowery when it opened in 1994, will yield to a new development with the help of air rights from nearby parcels.

Public records show that Charles Blaichman's CB Developers, whose portfolio includes multiple projects along the High Line, purchased an interest in 358 Bowery, which is owned by downtown hotel impresario Eric Goode, for $59.5 million.



Goode bought the property on the Bowery at Fourth Street in 2004 from the Cooper Union for $5.5 million. According to PincusCo, Goode, whose multiple interests include the Jane Hotel, the Bowery Hotel and the Waverly Inn, has been assembling air rights to build a larger project on this corner space.

In January and February 2017, Goode filed records with four additional parcels into a single zoning lot which would allow for a larger building on the site. In addition, Goode paid Granite Management, which owns two of those buildings, $1.6 million for 4,670 square feet of development rights and Goode paid $1.8 million to a small cooperative building at 32 East 4th Street for 4,012 square feet of development rights.

In reporting on the deal, @TradedNY speculated: "Office dev coming soon?"

The transaction will likely also mean the end of B Bar & Grill, whose arrival at the site of a former gas station was marked by controversy in 1994.

Per Forgotten New York: "The NoHo Neighborhood Association, Community Board 2 and the SoHo Alliance were concerned that this conversion would change the character of the neighborhood and mounted a lawsuit, arguing on the basis that the neighborhood was dominated by light industry and artists. The area had 47 one-story buildings, and there was a fear that precedent would be set for conversion of many these buildings into clubs." (The Times had a report here in 1994.) The plaintiffs withdrew the lawsuit in 1995.

To date nothing has been made public about the B Bar & Grill's future.

Unpacking what there is at the Moxy East Village, now open on 11th Street

The Moxy East Village opened for business last week (Sept. 12) here on 11th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue...

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Moxy East Village (@moxyeastvillage) on Sep 12, 2019 at 3:17pm PDT

The 286-room Marriott brand has four eating and drinking venues by TAO Group: Cathédrale, a French-Mediterranean restaurant from Chef Jason Hall, Little Sister, an underground lounge, Alphabet Bar & Café, and a rooftop bar opening in spring 2020.

Cathédrale has already held several events, including the 2019 Us Weekly Most Stylish New Yorkers party on 9/11 that included Lil’ Kim, La La Anthony and various cast members from the Real Housewives.


[Cathédrale]

Here's a description of each via the EVG inbox, and there is a lot to unpack here (condensed for space reasons) ... brace!:

Alphabet Bar & Café, situated in the lobby, serves as the social heart of Moxy East Village, comprising a bar, terrace, co-working lounge, and meeting studios that seamlessly transition from day to night. The seating includes plush sofas and swinging chairs; a Skee-Ball game provides a hit of nostalgia for the arcade era.

An interactive real-time graffiti installation lets guests use a tablet to draw their own tag or sketch a bit of street art, like a latter-day Basquiat or Haring, and see it projected on the wall [Ed note: Will the Peninstrator strike?] . ... Alphabet Café serves an all-day menu of custom artisanal brews by Intelligentsia Coffee, freshly baked goods, composed salads, and seasonal panini and tartines.

The centerpiece of Moxy East Village is Cathédrale, a French-Mediterranean restaurant conceived by Tao Group Hospitality Chef/Partner Ralph Scamardella, in collaboration with Executive Chef Jason Hall. As diners descend from the lobby — via a staircase that resembles a fire escape between two East Village buildings — they'll feel like they're discovering an abandoned architectural treasure.

That's thanks to the show-stopping Rockwell Group-designed main dining room, a triple-height space covered by Italian artist Edoardo Tresoldi's dramatic wire mesh sculpture that looks like the apparition of a grand domed ceiling. His ethereal sculpture for the ceiling of Cathédrale pays homage to the interior of the Fillmore East ...

Located on the lower level, adjacent to Moxy East Village, Little Sister is an intimate, seductive, sophisticated lounge — an update from the underground clubs that defined East Village nightlife in the 1990s.

Its clandestine, cavern-like feel is enriched by jewel-toned velvet sofas and plush banquettes, embossed leather accents, a glowing copper DJ stand, and a mirrored-copper bar illuminated by an overhead bank of backlit whiskey bottles. Wood-clad, barrel-vaulted ceilings evoke a hidden underground chamber where whiskey might have been stored in the bootlegger era. Legendary doorman Wass Stevens, will conspire to create an exclusive, in-the-know vibe at the ropes.

Opening in Spring 2020, the rooftop bar is designed to resemble a coveted New York City backyard garden, with strung garden lights, abundant foliage and colorful patio furniture. A retractable roof allows the bar to be used in all seasons.

Behind the bar, liquor bottles will be displayed in stacked plastic milk crates — not unlike those you'd spot on an East Village sidewalk. On one wall, interlaced with crawling ivy, will be a mural that overlays a map of the area with images from the neighborhood's musical and artistic history.

A few other details...

The hotel has also produced a series of short videos titled "Off the Beaten Path," featuring neighborhood legends and characters who will talk about the East Village's past, present, and future that guests will be able to enjoy on the in-room TVs, online, and on the @MoxyEastVillage Instagram.

In addition, the hotel has forged exclusive partnerships with neighborhood institutions. It will be the preferred hotel partner for Webster Hall, providing VIP concert access to select guests. The prestigious art school Cooper Union will have their student's work shown on a dedicated channel on the in-room TVs and will exhibit select student works and host panels at the hotel while providing guests access to events on campus.

The foundation work got underway here in August 2017. Workers demolished the five residential buildings that stood here in the fall of 2016.

Previously on EV Grieve:
At the rally outside 112-120 E. 11th St.

6-building complex on East 10th Street and East 11th Street sells for $127 million

Preservationists say city ignored pitch to designate part of 11th Street as a historic district

Permits filed to demolish 5 buildings on 11th Street to make way for new hotel

New building permits filed for 13-story Moxy Hotel on East 11th Street across from Webster Hall


[112-120 E. 11th St. photo from May 2016]

[Updated] Eliza's Local now open at 2 St. Mark's Place

[Photo Monday by Steven]

We haven't seen much, if any, activity at 2 St. Mark's Place, the former St. Mark's Ale House near Third Avenue/Cooper Square... until Monday, when a worker was out painting the exterior.

CB3 OK'd a liquor license for the new owners of the space back in May. The owners for the new venture at No. 2 also run Draught 55, a brew pub (40 taps!) at 245 E. 55th St. that opened in 2012.

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Updated 12/6

The new saloon is called Eliza's Local... and they are now open. The bar is named for Elizabeth Hamilton (aka "Eliza") co-founder and deputy director of the first private orphanage in New York City. She was the wife of Alexander Hamilton. She lived next door at 4 St. Mark's Place in what was later known as the Hamilton-Holly House.
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According to the questionnaire at the CB3 website, the still-unnamed restaurant serving "American pub food" has a certificate of occupancy for 74 people, spread out over 19 tables and a 10-seat bar. The new place plans to operate from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sundays through Wednesdays, with a 4 a.m. close Thursdays through Saturdays.

The restaurant adjacent to the entry of the St Marks Hotel has been empty since Ayios Greek Rotisserie quietly closed at the end of 2017 after 16 months in business. St. Mark's Ale House had a 21-year run until July 2016. (And once upon a time it was the second location of the Five Spot Cafe.)

Previously on EV Grieve:
Cafe in the works for 2 St. Mark's Place, previously Ayios and St. Mark's Ale House

That 40s show: Get lost in the NYC Municipal Archives's online collection

The New York City Municipal Archives delivered an early holiday gift this month after putting their 1940s tax photo collection online. (Previously these were only available to view in person via microfilm.)

You can browse for yourself — there are 720,000 digitized photos! — at this link. High-resolution versions of these tax photos — print or digital — are available to purchase online.

Anyway, I spent every waking free moment in recent days a few hours getting lost in the archives. I posted a few photos here from this neighborhood, picking addresses that (mostly) will look familiar to you today. The top photo is from 14th Street and Fourth Avenue (now the Zeckendorf Towers, completed 47 years after this shot).

Here we go (in no particular order):

The Con Ed power plant on 14th Street and Avenue C...



The Church of the Immaculate Conception on 14th Street at First Avenue...



The Tompkins Square Library branch on 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B...



McSorley's on Seventh Street...



East Houston looking southwest at Norfolk and Essex (P.S. 20 the Anna Silver School is on that corner now)...



Astor Place (where Starbucks is now in the retail space)...



Looking toward Stuyvesant Street and 10th Street from Second Avenue...



The southwest corner of Seventh Street and Avenue B... (where 7B/the Horseshoe Bar/Vazac's is)...



The Christodora House on Avenue B at Ninth Street...



St. Brigid's on Avenue B at Eighth Street...



66 Avenue A between Fourth Street and Fifth Street (where Ink on A, Alphabets, Mast, Lancelotti Housewares, etc., are today) ...



313-315 Bowery (315 would become CBGB ... then John Varvatos ... the Palace Hotel was around until 1993, when the Bowery Residents Coalition signed a lease for the upstairs space)...



224-226 Avenue B between 13th Street and 14th Street (Mona's is in one of those spaces now)...



125 E. Seventh St. at Avenue A (currently Miss Lily's 7A Cafe in the retail space)...



106 Avenue C at Seventh Street...



28-30 Second Ave. at Second Street (now the Anthology Film Archives and Manhattan Mini-Storage)...



... and one spot that's not entirely recognizable today — 25 Cooper Square (now the Standard East Village)

Workers remove artifacts from the vacant 14 2nd Ave., fueling speculation of new development

On Friday, an EVG reader spotted workers at 14 Second Ave., the now (mostly) empty lot adjacent to First Park that housed Irreplaceable Artifacts until its demolition by the city in July 2000.

As these reader photos show, some artifacts remained on site...





... and workers were removing them...









A little recent history for the address. According to published reports from the summer of 2000, a wall and two floors collapsed at 14 Second Ave. between First Street and Houston, which forced the evacuation of 51 apartments in three nearby buildings.

As The New York Times reported at the time:

A construction crew was making alterations to the first floor of the four-story shop, Irreplaceable Artifacts, in defiance of an order to stop work, a spokesman for the city's Buildings Department said.

City officials ordered the building destroyed, along with everything inside — including several Tiffany windows valued at $50,000 each and a walnut ceiling from William Randolph Hearst's collection. Evan Blum, the owner of Irreplaceable Artifacts, salvages fixtures from demolished buildings and refurbishes them. The collection was worth millions of dollars, Mr. Blum said.

No one was injured. (No. 14 was not for residential use at this time.)

The site has been tied up for years with litigation between Blum and the city. (The Observer has a nice recap here.)

Back in 2007, Blum proposed a 10-story hotel for the property. The idea didn't really go over well at a CB3 committee meeting in the summer of 2007. Per The Villager:

While presenting the preview of the hotel proposal to C.B. 3’s Land Use Committee, Blum’s attorney was met by passionate testimony from tenants of the neighboring Cube Building urging committee members to block it based on Blum’s previous record.

“Given the history of Mr. Evan Blum, it’s very hard to have a positive take on any proposal coming from him,” said Valerio Orselli, executive director of Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association, which manages the Cube Building. “He has a very cavalier attitude when it comes to laws and regulations in the city of New York.”

Blum later expounded on the project to The Villager:

“We intend to do something really nice and interesting and beautiful that the neighborhood could be proud of, as opposed to the crap that is being built around the neighborhood,” he said.

Blum described the project as “more philanthropic in nature, rather than a self-serving commercial interest,” and said it would be “geared toward the arts.”

The hotel would also venture into new gastronomic territory.

“We will be attempting to build the finest vegan restaurant in the city,” Blum said. “It’s something I’ve practiced for many years and it’s finally gaining more stature in society. I think it’s important that one evokes these principles.”

Back to Friday, the reader who shared these photos wryly noted: "Can luxury condos be far behind?"

Probably, but there's nothing yet on file with the Department of Buildings for the address. (And there are still Stop Work Orders dating to 2009 and 2000.)

Given all the luxurious developments — new and existing, like here and here — around this address, the parcel likely won't sit empty for too many more years.