Historic copper door returns to synagogue-turned condos on 6th Street

[EVG photo]

On Saturday, workers placed the refurbished front door back on the former Congregation Mezritch Synagogue at 415 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue... the door is made of red oak and faced with copper on its outside. The New York Times noted last December that the door "is being returned to its original state, though some wooden panels are being replaced by glass."


[Photo by Michael Hirsch]


[MH]

Here's a photo of the door as it looked in April 2014...


[Photo by Bobby Williams]

A worker told EVG Facebook friend Michael Hirsch that this main entrance will no longer be used... that the entrance to the building will be on the right-hand side...



...right by the newly arrived Prince tag...



The worker also claimed that the congregation will no longer have a presence in the building, which, if true, comes as a surprise.

As previously reported, the synagogue — active here since 1910 — had fallen on hard times, "with a dwindling membership and few resources to maintain the building," as the Times noted. Previous plans called for the demolition of the building. Those plans never materialized, and a new developer, East River Partners, emerged and proposed the current arrangement.

Also, for background via the Times:

As part of the current agreement, the developers are providing at least $20,000 annually to the congregation for the next 198 years, in addition to a $600,000 payment up front. East River is also giving the synagogue a $180,000 “fit-out allowance” for the synagogue to design and rebuild the sanctuary and other spaces, like offices or meeting spaces in the basement.

So, if the synagogue isn't going to have a presence here, what's the money going for... and who has it? Of course, the worker could have simply been confused (or misspoke), meaning that the whole structure will no longer house the synagogue.

The three residences (two units will have the original stained-glass windows) will range in price from $2.95 million to $4.4 million.

The building's slogan is "History reimagined … For modern living."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Plan to add condos to historic East Sixth Street synagogue back on

Play spot the potential penthouse atop the East Village synagogue

A final look inside the Anshei Meseritz synagogue on East Sixth Street

Stained-glass windows removed ahead of condo conversion at Congregation Mezritch Synagogue

Condos at former East 6th Street synagogue will start at just under $3 million

Sidewalk bridge comes down as condo conversion continues at former East 6th Street synagogue

History reimagined with $4.4 million penthouse at former 6th Street synagogue

Icon Realty shaves $4 million off of its 9th Street townhouse ask

[Image via Streeteasy]

Icon Realty's 7-level townhouse at 327 E. Ninth St. has been on the market these last six months as both a $30,000 rental and a $17-million whole-building buy.

Icon recently dropped the ask from $17 million to $13 million.

And to refresh your memory about the design and amenities... here's Streeteasy:

Designed by Isaac & Stern Architects with interiors by Paris Forino, this brand-new building was designed with a traditional limestone facade that stands as a new classic. Utilizing modern finishes that establish a new contemporary elegance, this home raises the benchmark for luxury living in the East Village.

Each sunlit floor offers open layouts and a transitional aesthetic featuring a light color palette which has been highlighted by White Appalachian Oak Floors with radiant heating and Christopher Peacock Kitchens with luxurious Italian Arabescato Marble countertops and backsplashes.

Bathrooms feature Dornbracht fixtures adorned with Zebrino Marble.

The building features outstanding private outdoor experiences with private balconies on each floor, an expansive roof deck and multiple landscaped private patio spaces with copper trimmed LED perimeter lighting and full outdoor kitchens.

The townhouse — nearly five years in the making — is at the site of a former parking lot here between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Icon's 9th Street townhouse now available for $17 million

The big dig begins for 6-story, 2-unit condo on East 9th Street

East Ninth Street parking lot will yield to 6-floor residential building

A look at Icon Realty's 9th Street building where the rentals are $30k a month

An abandoned car in an empty lot that will soon yield a 13-floor residential building

Walking on East Houston near Ridge Street, we noticed an abandoned car in the long-empty lot on the south side of the street... not sure how long it has been there...



Anyway, spotting the car served as a reminder to check in on the status of these lots. Last summer, The Lo-Down reported that an unknown buyer has purchased the two vacant lots at 327 and 329 E. Houston St. for $8.4 million, as well as two adjoining parcels at 331 E. Houston and 163 Ridge St. for another $4 million.

It's part of the portfolio that belonged to reclusive real-estate baron William Gottlieb.

Plans were filed in February for a 13-floor residential building with 78 units for the L-shaped 331 E. Houston St./163 Ridge St. parcel. (The DOB disapproved the first round of plans on June 14.) Records show that Stephen B. Jacobs is the architect for the project. (His firm's East Village work includes the Copper Building on Avenue B and the Village Green on East 11th Street.) Jon Halpern of "East Houston Development LLC" is listed as the owner on the DOB permits. (Halpern is a partner and head of Real Estate Investments at Marathon Real Estate Mortgage Trust.)

There are also demo permits on file for the former laundromat here...



There's nothing on record for 327 and 329 E. Houston St.

As for the car, perhaps a test run for the future parking garage here?



Previously on EV Grieve:
An L-Shaped footprint ready to make its impression on East Houston Street

Luring potential East Village condo buyers with a DJ and fine art raffle — not to mention an open bar and Katz's

The folks at Prudential Douglas Elliman are throwing a big party (hot!) Tuesday evening to introduce "2 hot new developments" — the Copper Building at 215 Avenue B at 13th Street ... and the no-fancy-name 525 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. As you can see in the disco-ball decorated flier above, potential condo buyers and various crashers will be treated to an open bar and food from Katz's. ("Send a salami to a condo buyer in...")



So, you know about Upper Avenue B's out-of-place Copper... But how about 525, which is real close to "THE ONLY REAL FRAT HOUSE AT NYU!" According to the listings for one of the seven available homes:

525 East 12th Street is one of the latest and finest new boutique condominium developments of the East Village. Superiorly located, this unique floor through lofts project, is facing the serene, beautifully landscaped Sauer Park. The building offers private keyed elevator that opens into each apartments, T.V. intercom system, 10 Years tax abatement, low C.C. and much more. This garden duplex is one of the most unique properties in downtown. Townhouse living: Gracious entry leads into an extraordinary double height living room with walls of windows overlooking your own private landscaped garden. The enormous chic Italian SCIC chef's kitchen is open through a Caesar stone quartz bar and equipped with a Subzero fridge, Wolf Range, A Zepher exterior vent that removes all cooking odors, Miele… D/W and Marvel dual zone wine cellar. The upper floor occupies the south facing bedrooms that give onto Sauer Park, the master bathroom with double sink and Neptune bath and the second bathroom that's furnished with green glass tiles and natural stone. Family room/ mezzanine includes the Washer and Dryer and its own WIC. Each zone has its own self controlled HVAC unit.

Prices at 525 range from $1.2 to $1.8 million.

Starting The Copper Age

Walking by the Copper Building on Avenue B at 13th Street at night... you'd get the idea that people have moved into the luxury condos...





Indeed, one reader has reported that he or she has seen moving trucks out front. And a Streeteasy commenter said: "I was told the first tenant will be moving in on August 4th."

Speaking of Streeteasy, just five of the 17 units remain on the market. Of those left to sell, three of the units are the super-swanky penthouses... including the pièce de résistance (which is French for expensive condo) — the four-bedroom, four-bathroom home with "sweeping" views of downtown Manhattan. Last fall, the price of this 4x4 was bumped up by $250,000 to $3.85 million, where it remains today....

A look at Icon Realty's 9th Street building where the rentals are $30k a month

The two residential units at Icon Realty's 327 E. Ninth St. have been on the market (per Streeteasy) for the past month.

So far, no takers for the rentals here between First Avenue and Second Avenue at this site of a former parking lot.

The listing notes that this building — nearly five years in the making, somehow — is "Redefining the Townhouse Experience."

Here's part of the pitch:

Designed by Isaac & Stern Architects with interiors by Paris Forino, this brand-new building was designed with a traditional limestone facade that stands as a new classic, elegantly utilizing modern finishes that establish a new contemporary elegance, raising the benchmark for luxury living in the East Village.

Both beautifully appointed residences offer open layouts and a transitional aesthetic featuring a light color palette which has been highlighted by radiant heated White Appalachian Oak Floors and Christopher Peacock Kitchens with luxurious Italian Arabescato Marble countertops and backsplashes.

Bathrooms feature Dornbracht fixtures adorned with Zebrino Marble.

Both residences feature outstanding private outdoor experiences with private balconies on each floor, a private expansive roof deck and multiple landscaped private patio spaces with copper trimmed LED perimeter lighting and full outdoor kitchens.

And photos...





The quadruplex and the triplex are asking $30,000 per month (with one month free on a year-long lease). Also, there is no fee.

H/T Steven

Previously on EV Grieve:
The big dig begins for 6-story, 2-unit condo on East 9th Street

East Ninth Street parking lot will yield to 6-floor residential building

Famous people looking at buying East Village home

According to a Hollywood Life exclusive, Katy Perry, who is famous for some reason, and her beau Russell Brand, are house shopping around these parts...

An eyewitness tells us she ran into the wacky couple walking into an open house at an apartment building in the East Village on April 11, just as she was walking out.

Dressed like they hadn’t changed since going out the night before — our eyewitness says Russell was wearing skintight leather pants, while Katy was sporting a skin-tight mini skirt with lace print and platform shoes — the couple checked out the two bedroom apartment in the village’s Alphabet City neighborhood. And although we couldn’t get an asking price out of her, our eyewitness did tell us that she heard Russell ask if he could use the bathroom, which is apparently a big no-no at open houses.

Hmmm... the Copper Building had an open house today... Here are other open houses today that fit the bill...

[Photo via]

Dollar Plus store opens below million-dollar condos

As we've noted (here and here), the East Side 99¢ shop was moving from East 14th Street to become the first retail tenant in the Copper Building.

And on Saturday, the Dollar Plus store opened here on Avenue B at East 13th Street ... where a handful of the 17 residences top the $1 million mark, according to Streeteasy.

... and last night, with the new sign above the front door...

Early renderings of the building do not show any discount stores in the retail space...

Finding the right retail tenant in upscale housing must be difficult. For instance, a 7-Eleven opened in the ground floor at 52E4 — the 15 stories of condo on the Bowery and East Fourth Street.

Regardless, the Dollar Plus store is a good one.

7-Eleven alert: Are 2 chain stores replacing Bar on A and Angels & Kings?

[From August]

In recent years, when a business closes around here, it's inevitable that the Starbucks-7-Eleven-Subway rumor makes the rounds as a replacement.

We heard this after Graceland closed ... when 34 Avenue A was looking for a new tenant ... when Kate's Joint closed on Avenue B ... when 219 First Avenue had retail space available; ditto for the Copper Building retail ground floor — and so on. Sometimes it turns out to be true, and other times, it's just a rumor. Or something people use merely as a threat.

So we heard the Starbucks-7-Eleven-Subway whispers about the recently shuttered Bar on A at East 11th Street. In part, these rumors surfaced because Ben Shaoul of Magnum Real Estate owns the building ... and two of his East Village properties are now home to a Starbucks (First Avenue at East Third Street) and a 7-Eleven (Broadway and East 12th Street). On Monday, one of the construction workers gutting 170 Avenue A told told a reporter from The Local that a 7-Eleven was taking over the former Bar on A space.

[Photos by Shawn Chittle]

However, in addition, workers have cleared out Angels & Kings, Pete Wentz's onetime emo hangout behind Bar on A at 500 E. 11th St. (aka 170 Avenue A). According to the work permits for No. 500: "REMODEL EXISTING STAIR CONNECTING CELLAR AND FIRST FLOOR. REMOVE INTERIOR NON-LOAD BEARING PARTITIONS AT FIRST FLOOR."

[Last evening via EVG reader Cheryl Pyle on Facebook]

An EVG regular who has been watching all this unfold thinks that the two spaces together are too big for just a 7-Eleven, and believes that the two spaces would yield both a 7-Eleven and a Subway. Or a Starbucks. This is only a theory. But plausible.

In January, the CB3/SLA gave the OK for the people behind Keybar on East 13th Street to take over the Angels & Kings space and open a bar-restaurant serving Hungarian food. No word on whatever happened to those plans.

However, there's nothing just yet on the DOB permits pointing specifically yet to a 7-Eleven, Starbucks or Subway. One connection: The applicant of record for both 500 E. 11th St. and 170 Avenue A is Bentonville, Ark.-based Harrison French & Associates, an architecture and engineering firm whose clients include 7-Eleven, Starbucks and Subway. (Harris French did the 7-Eleven on Broadway at East 12th Street and East 14th Street.)

In any event, nothing official has been released about the corner's future. But given NYC's current retail environment, you may want to get ready for the first national, non-bank chain/franchise on Avenue A. And probably not the last.

Copper Building getting a handle on things

New development: Handles on the balcony doors! Now we're looking forward to seeing the rest of the balcony.

Well, not really. We actually like the balconies just the way they are. Will make those outdoor cookouts all the more challenging. Will be fun to watch from a perch at Mona's.

Previously.

Looking at the retail component of recent East Village developments

There are currently three major upscale housing developments in progress in the East Village ... each of which will have a retail component:

• 21 Jupiter

A 4,300-square-foot TB Bank branch has inked a deal here at Second Avenue and East First Street. And there are those Mars bar comeback rumors too.

• The Jefferson



There are two retail spaces available here on East 14th Street at the former Mystery Lot...

• 84 Third Ave.

As far as we know, there aren't any deals in place yet for 84 Third Ave., the 12 story retail-residential combo coming to the corner of East 12th Street.

There you have all that.

So let's take a look back at three recent developments to see how the retail component fared...

• 2 Cooper Square



The retail space remains empty... and on the market since the apartments hit the market in 2009...

• 52 E. 4th Street



The retail portion of the 15 stories of condo on the Bowery and East Fourth Street sat empty, save a few odd pop-up shops (remember Bowery Bazaar in 2009?)... until plans for a 7-Eleven were eventually unveiled ... the convenience store opened on Dec. 23, 2011.

• The Copper Building



The retail space here on Avenue B and East 13th Street remained vacant for several years until the East Side 99¢ shop moved in last October.

So, the three high-end developments have yielded a 7-Eleven and a 99-cent shop (which relocated from around the corner). Residents are willing to pay big money to live here, but retailers aren't as interested to follow suit... What's going on here?

Week-end self-serve

I'm not one for weeks in review and what not ... but it did seem to be a busy week... As always,thank you for your comments... and news tips

So! A quick recap of a few of the posts....

• We looked at Allen Ginsberg's former apartment

• We called for a new bandshell for Tompkins Square Park.

• We watched Ray featured on CNNmoney.com.

• We discovered that "Party Girls" who like to be victim's of "sexy humor" were needed.

• We looked at night-time photos of the Copper Building (31 comments)

• We watched a video of the "underground" grilled cheese peddler (18 comments)

• We looked back at Shepard Fairey's mural on Houston and the Bowery

• We helped The East Side Community School compete for $500,000

• We learned that Red Mango closed

• We took pity on a sick Barney

• We met the former East Village "hipster" who may or may not owe the IRS big bucks

The disappearing storefronts of East 14th Street

Today, Ray's East Side 99-cent store on East 14th Street near Avenue B will close, as these photos by East Village Hawkeye show...





Ray has already moved around the corner, where he set up a 99-cent store in the base of the Copper Building last fall. The landlord here apparently wanted a big rent hike.

However, we do not know what will happen to Ba, who has a sliver of a shop next to East Side where he sells socks, gloves, phone chargers, etc. Ba told EV Hawkeye that he wants to stay in the neighborhood, but hasn't found a space yet. (Ray doesn't have enough space on B to accommodate Ba.)

Meanwhile, the storefront to the east, where La Isla was, remains for rent.



And there are several empty storefronts just to the west. ABC Animal Hospital moved last week to Avenue A ... Bargain Bazaar closed for good on Jan. 3 ... its neighbor to the east, Petland, closed and is supposedly relocating...

A still-unspecified new development will, some day, eat up much of the block. As we previously reported, eight parcels consisting of 222 Avenue A and 504 - 530 E. 14th St. (excluding No. 520) were leased for a 99-year period by the respective owner of East Village 14 LLC.

As we understand it, the remaining businesses will not have their leases renewed. What will be gone...

Another time, we'll discuss the next block up, past Avenue A, where all those single-level businesses are lined up next to the likely-closing Peter Stuyvesant Post Office. This is all drool-worthy space for some developer ...



Previously on EV Grieve:
East 14th Street exodus continues

Conspiracies: What next for 14th Street and Avenue A?

Those ongoing rumors about the future of East 14th Street between Avenue A and B

Petland is moving away from East 14th Street, fueling more new development rumors

[Updated with correction] 8-lot parcel of East 14th Street primed for new development

Bargain Express has closed on East 14th Street

Hey, what's for dinner?

Just looking at the floor-to-ceiling goodness of the Copper Building on Avenue B and 13th Street... these appear to be the model homes for prospective homesteaders...




Well, I hope the new residents get curtains or something before anyone moves in... or will we always be treated to a show?