Lower East Side second in the city with 19 stalled developments; plus, Scott Stringer's plan for them

[Stalled site on Eighth Street and Avenue D]

From the EV Grieve inbox ...

Challenging New York to "turn sore spots into bright spots," Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer released a new report [yesterday morning], "Arrested Development: Breathing New Life into Stalled Construction Sites," which calls for a campaign to revitalize these sites — and their surrounding neighborhoods — with imaginative temporary uses.

The Borough President’s surveyed all 129 stalled construction sites in Manhattan and found that 37% had problems with litter; 60% had fencing that was in disrepair or vandalized, and half of the sites had sidewalk obstructions. New York may be living with these eyesores for several years, the study found, because even if the economy turned around today there would be a considerable lag time before construction resumed and was finally completed on all 646 of these stalled sites citywide.

His report calls for the city to to pass legislation that permits property owners and government to create temporary public spaces on private property. "New York should also streamline the approval process for private uses — such as farmers markets, cafes, and performing arts spaces — and pass legislation guaranteeing that such temporary uses will not remove previous approvals for the site."

Interesting ... though could this open the door for more douchebaggery? Stringer cited the Timeshare Backyard on Ludlow Street as a good example of this temporary usage. We only ever heard complaints (noise ... water) about this place, where, among other things, you could pay to spray a woman wearing a white T-shirt with a hose for entertainment.

But. Given the right idea... How about putting up a screen (or paint a wall) and have a weekly movie night...? Nothing mainstream. Find someone to curate the series. Show some John Cassavetes or something. You get the idea.

In any event, according to the report, Community District 3 — which includes the Lower East Side, Chinatown and the East Village — had the second-most number of stalled sites in the city with 19. (District 1, which includes Tribeca and Lower Manhattan, had the most with 20.)

Several of the stalled projects in this neighborhood are being, uh, unstalled, such as 75 First Avenue and 427 E. 12th St.

It's a comprehensive report, which you can find here...

Arrested Development: Breathing New Life Into Stalled Construction Sites

A Cooper Union memo about St. Mark's Bookshop

An anonymous reader left this comment yesterday:

Internal Memo from today.....
To: The Cooper Union Community
From: The Office of Public Affairs
Monday, September 26, 2011

Last week the Board of Trustees discussed the ongoing matter regarding St. Mark’s Bookshop, which we understand many in the Cooper community have been following. We are sharing with you the outcome of that meeting before we inform those outside of The Cooper Union who have expressed interest in the resolution of St. Mark’s request. The Board of The Cooper Union is giving serious consideration to the matter regarding St. Mark's Bookshop. After discussion at its recent meeting, the Board decided to have the situation thoroughly examined by its Finance and Business Affairs committee. The Board believes that the request deserves the committee's analysis, the outcome of which will be announced at the end of October.

This is in line with what the St. Mark's owners told Jeremiah Moss last Friday.

Large warehouse wanted

So we spotted this on the plywood along Third Avenue between 13th Street and 12th Street Saturday...

Intrigued, we emailed the address listed...

Turns out the people behind Unicorn Meat NYC — "an underground, art based nightlife production group" are looking for permanent space. Per the Unicorn Meat website:

We will fill the walls and ceilings with LED art and 3D projection. It is our belief that people controlling the underground nightlife scenes in NYC are simply not doing what they could be doing with warehouse space. It's our dream and passion to bring you an eclectic and electronic based space that will blow you away and take you to another place.

In the email, Unicorn's Alex Kay wrote, "We get large multi-thousand person crowds and need to be able to put them somewhere we can run. Venues in NYC are difficult to work with so we are starting our own."

Also:

"We put some of the signs up in ... Williamsburg and they disappeared. Why? I believe they were taken down by brokers who don't want us going around them. The one in the city stayed up."

Actually, as of Sunday, someone had removed this poster too. Or maybe someone wanted a closer look at the American Pole Fitness Championship crotch.

The campaign to save Heathers

[Image via]

We talked about Heathers several times last week after the CB3/SLA committee voted not to renew the East 13th Street bar's liquor license. (You can read our posts here ... and here.) As we noted, the liquor license expires on Oct. 31.

Eater reports that the State Liquor Authority votes on the matter on Oct. 1 (They work on Saturdays?).

And more per Eater:

Rather than silently await their fate, Heathers is doing its best to turn public opinion in their favor by sending out a press release to plead their case. Owner Heather Millstone blames it all on the smoking law, saying that her customers have to go outside to smoke and despite their best efforts, sometimes these smokers make noise that drives her neighbors crazy.

You can read the rest of the post here.

The Free Willie Nelson on the road again

Special Ed sends along this photo last evening of the Free Willie Nelson getting a tow to Brooklyn ... presumably for some repairs after it caught fire on East Sixth Street a few weeks back....

In case you're going to the CB3 meeting tonight...

There's a a new location for the Community Board 3 meeting ... they were usually held at PS 20 on Essex Street ...

Ukrainian Museum, 222 E. Sixth St. (between Second Avenue-the Bowery). Starts at 6:30. No food allowed!

Per CB3:

We will be meeting at new locations every month as the DOE will no longer allow CBs to use schools free or allow the Community Education Council to sponsor meetings.

If you can suggest any accessible locations that can hold 150 people — please inform CB office at info@cb3manhattan.org.

How about Billy Hurricane's?

Noted

Billy Leroy, proprietor of Billy's Antiques, was rather alarmed by this scene the other night ... when the Hampton Jitney was discharging passengers at Houston and Allen ... we didn't realize that this location has been a drop-off location...

Steamed

10th Street and Avenue A the other day

Via EV Grieve reader Atron.

One way to warn motorists about a sinkhole

On East Third Street via @ThePeterHa on Twitter. By this weekend, those sinkhole warning stakes will be for sale on 11th Street and Avenue A...

A new East Village meets old East Village kind of moment

EV Grieve reader Alex shared this anecdote just now...

A coworker told me this story this morning, thought you'd enjoy it:

"On my way to work, I saw a man in a beige suit with a laptop bag pissing on a Mercedes Benz just off Astor Place while talking on his cell phone. I shit you not."

Naturally, I asked for photographic proof; he says the guy turned around and looked at him, so he couldn't take a photo.

Space that houses Native Bean on Avenue A is for rent

If you walked past Native Bean on Avenue A this past weekend, then you probably saw that new "for rent" sign hanging above the gate...

The space is for rent. According to the listing at Tower Brokerage...

It's a 10-year lease at $10,000 per month. We understand that it's possible that Native Bean will stay here.

Starbucks makes it official on First Avenue

It wasn't a dream ... EV Grieve reader Marjorie Ingall passes along this photo taken at 49 1/2 First Avenue, the former home of The Bean ... As you know, Starbucks is taking over this space ... And here's some evidence... a shot of the architectural drawings and notes that were lying on a window seat on display last evening ...

Next stop, Hell.

Morrison Hotel Gallery vacates the Bowery

Back in March, the Post reported that "The Bowery is about to lose its last remaining atmospheric links to CBGB" — the Morrison Hotel at 313 Bowery.

At the time, Steve Cuozzo noted that the Morrison was on a month-to-month lease... apparently the Morrison folks have decided to leave... as the sign on the door shows...the space was almost empty, save a few framed photos waiting to be boxed up...

So what's next? Something fancy, for sure!

Per Cuozzo in March:

The 3300-square foot space at 313 Bowery now occupied by the Morrison Hotel music-photo gallery — named for the famous Doors album and a spiritual successor to the CBGB gallery that was adjacent to the club — has been put on the market by Elliott Azrak's The Max's Kansas City Co., which netleases the property's retail space from the Bowery Residence Committee.

"The netlease holders are looking for not just any tenant, but one who can leverage the history of the block and the unique Bowery demographic," one source said.

That could mean a restaurant/lounge — or another store similar to John Varvatos.

The secret club Extra Place by Max's Kansas City is also part of the deal.


[Photo from September 2009]

The Morrison Hotel SoHo NYC Gallery remains open on Prince Street. We reached out to the Morrison folks for comment/confirmation, and are awaiting word from them...

It's just another Saturday night on Avenue A

And on Saturday evening, this party bus rolled up to Diablo Royale on Avenue A... where a bridal party/bridesmaids extravaganza spilled out into the bar... an EV Grieve reader captured a moment of all this bar-hopping glory...

In total, the reader estimates the party bus idled here in front of the bar for a good 20 minutes or so...

... and a little video ...