Reminders: CB3 votes on the mayor's proposed tech hub tomorrow night

Community Board 3 is expected to make its final vote tomorrow (Tuesday!) night regarding the Mayor's plans for a tech hub.

Earlier this month, CB3's Economic Development Committee and Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee voted in favor of creating a "workforce development and digital skills training center" at the former P.C. Richard site on 14th Street at Irving Place.

The mayor's 20-floor project requires several zoning changes, and faces many hurdles before getting the final OK. After the full CB3 board, the Manhattan borough president and the City Planning Commission will weigh in before the issue comes before City Council for a vote later this year.

Back on Friday, amNew York explored the ramifications of the proposal in an article headlined Village residents worry proposed Tech Hub could speed neighborhood’s transformation into ‘midtown south’

The CB3 meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at PS 20, 166 Essex St. just south of Houston. Tomorrow's CB3 meeting will be streamed live on YouTube, as the Lo-Down noted.

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

Valentine's Day post-mortem

Sad photo on Second Avenue and Fifth Street via Derek Berg...

650 E. 6th St.prepped for demolition; new condoplex on the way

An EVG reader shared the news this past Friday that workers started prepping the four-story 650 E. Sixth St. for demolition.

The building here just west of Avenue C is coming down to make way for a 7-story building that will apparently house condos.



This comes nearly two years after the building's new owners filed plans for the project. (The DOB OK'd the new-building permit in December.)

As New York Yimby noted in January 2016: "The 8,491-square-foot project will include 7,761 square feet of residential space, which means units will average 1,552 square feet apiece, indicative of condominiums."

Public records show that this building changed hands for $2.8 million in August 2013. The new owner is named East Village LLC in the filing.

No sign of a rendering just yet via RSVP Architecture Studio, whose other EV work includes the incoming condoplex on Second Avenue and First Street.

Meanwhile, in a positive development on this block, the city finally removed one of the two portable boilers late last year that had been parked here since Superstorm Sandy in 2012.



Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Plans in the works to convert 650 E. 6th St. to condos

Residents voice concerns about quality-of-life issues on 14th Street and 1st Avenue

There has reportedly been an increase in the number of residential complaints about a variety of activities on 14th Street and First Avenue.

The intersection was a focal point of discussion during a recent 13th Precinct Community Council meeting. (The 13th Precinct has jurisdiction starting on the north side of 14th Street.)

Town & Village covered the meeting. From their report:

The intersection at East 14th Street and First Avenue has recently become a hub for the homeless as well as unsavory characters who’ve been loitering, making neighborhood residents feel unsafe, a number of neighbors have been saying.

StuyTown Property Services general manager Rick Hayduk told the precinct commanding officer, Steven Hellman, that management has gotten an uptick in calls about the area.

“We wanted to heighten awareness about First and 14th because there’s been an increase in vagrants,” Hayduk said.

Residents have also voiced complaints to [City Council Member Keith] Powers’ office about aggressive panhandlers on the north side of East 14th Street across First Avenue from Stuyvesant Town and in front of the Papaya Dog and near the vendors at the corner.

There was a report of a stabbing outside Community Grocery & Candy on Jan. 11. Two men had reportedly gotten into an argument inside the store, and it turned violent out on the sidewalk.

More about the new venture from Pilotworks on the Bowery

Two weeks ago I mentioned that Pilotworks was the new commercial tenant at 347 Bowery. (Just the ground-floor space.) That was after spotting signage touting Pilotworks — which offers co-working space for food professionals — arrived on the corner here.





A rep for Pilotworks shared more about what they will be doing with the space. (Basically businesses who are part of Pilotworks will be selling their stuff here.)

Via the EVG inbox:

Pilotworks - Culinary Incubator is Opening FIRST Retail Space on Bowery

I’m excited to announce Pilotworks ... is opening their FIRST RETAIL concept on the Bowery in Spring/Summer 2018. Located at 347 Bowery ... food businesses (AKA members or makers) that operate in Pilotworks kitchens across the country will have access to increased visibility and exposure for the very first time.

The location is already catching eyes because the exterior is outfitted with REAL RESIGNATION LETTERS from members at Pilotworks, including Hometown Poke from the Pilotworks Providence (RI) kitchen, and Stagg Jam and Watermelon Road, both based out of the Pilotworks Brooklyn kitchen. These resignation letters represent the moment a dream becomes a reality and a true testament to the importance of pursuing what you LOVE.

Here's more about Pilotworks from their website:

Pilotworks is a new kind of business on a mission to change the landscape of the food industry. We operate high fidelity culinary incubators across the United States that provide specialized products and services to entrepreneurs in the food community to help them bring new companies and ideas to market.

Through our holistic approach, selected companies benefit from our flexible and affordable infrastructure, outsourced services, personalized mentorship, distribution reach, educational events and workshops as well as our vibrant community of culinary professionals looking to innovate the industry. Pilotworks (headquarters in Brooklyn) recently closed a $13MM round of Series A financing led by Techstars Ventures and Acre Venture Partners, alongside a group of world class venture capitalists and food industry veterans.

Pilotworks also has outposts in Chicago, Dallas, Portland, Maine, and Newark, N.J.

As for the residential portion of No. 347, the Annabelle Selldorf-designed 13-story luxury building features five stacked and expensive town homes. The site was previously the Salvation Army's East Village Residence, which closed in 2008.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Salvation Army's former East Village Residence will be demolished on the Bowery

Whatever happened to that really ugly hotel planned for the Bowery?

Looks like 347 Bowery will be home to a 13-floor mixed-use residential development

The future of 347 Bowery (sorta!) revealed

Let's take a look at 347 Bowery, now and in the future

347 Bowery getting its zinc supplements

Openings on Avenue A: Mama Fina's House of Filipino Sisig

Mama Fina's House of Filipino Sisig, an Elmwood Park, N.J.-based restaurant, recently opened its first NYC outpost at 167 Avenue A between 10th Street and 11th Street.

The family-owned restaurant serves dishes such pork sisig, lumpia shanghai and crispy pata. (You can find their menu here.)

A post shared by Mama Fina’s NYC HOFS 🇵🇭 (@mamafinasnyc) on Feb 24, 2018 at 11:10am PST

Mama Fina's hours are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday until 10 p.m.; Sunday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. They are closed Tuesdays.

This space had been empty since Moonstruck Eatery closed in July 2016.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Mama Fina's signage arrives on Avenue A

Garbage bags now adorn the windows at Out East

Out East has been closed the past two months here on Sixth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

There hasn't been any sign of activity at the restaurant — except for the black trash bags that someone covered the windows with last week...



There was never any announcement about a closure at the seafood-centric restaurant that aspired to bring a little Montauk to Sixth Street. The Out East website has "expired" while Open Table notes the place has permanently closed.

One EVG reader who dined here a few times noted that after a strong debut last April, Out East quickly fell apart, with disorganized service and marginal food and portion size for the price.

The operators of the two-level, 124-seat restaurant — which underwent an extensive gut renovation to make it Out East — have been involved with hotspots such as Beauty & Essex and Stanton Social. Perhaps they will try something different in this space.

Noted

[Click for a better view]

Goggla shares this photo today from East River Park ... art doubling as an Urban Etiquette Sign (or the other way around).

Feb. 25

An EVG reader just spotted someone discarding this tree on Second Avenue between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place... the tree still looks plenty lively a mere two months after The Big Day.

Anyway, one of the first candidates for MulchFest 2019.

Week in Grieview

[Last night at Royal Tailor on 11th Street]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Pile driving for new building on Avenue C prompts arrival of crack monitors next door (Wednesday)

At the annual Mr. Lower East Side Pageant (in Queens) (Monday)

Jimmy Carbone and Paloma Rocket collaborating on new venture for the Jimmy's No. 43 space (Tuesday)

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

Honoring actor Joseph Sirola at Theatre 80 on St. Mark's Place (Monday)

Bad news for fans of Siggy's Good Food (Wednesday)

Still House relocating to 9th Street (Friday)

Clay Pot opens on St. Mark's Place (Tuesday)

A London-based hairdresser gave free haircuts to the homeless in Tompkins Square Park (Tuesday)

Avant-Garde-Arama at Performance Space grand re-opening (Thursday)

Retail for rent signs arrive for Steiner East Village storefronts (Tuesday)

A look at the former GG's space on 5th Street (Friday)

McSorley's turns 164 (Monday)

A spin through Downtown Yarns on Avenue A (Thursday)

Awaiting repairs for a sidewalk vault on 4th Street (Wednesday)

All is quiet at 75 1st Ave. (Thursday)

Last weekend for the Stone on Avenue C (Thursday)

Report: Financial firm takes the Death Star penthouse (Wednesday)

Chat 'N Chew reboot opens (Tuesday)

...and an opossum update from last night in Tompkins Square Park...

Opossum spotting! Dog barking at poor Opie up in his tree! @evgrieve pic.twitter.com/NiXovGhM0O

— EdenBrower (@edenbrower) February 25, 2018

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The Landmarks Preservation Commission under Mayor de Blasio's watch

In the Daily News today, Eric Uhlfelder — author of “The Origins of Modern Architecture” — contributes an opinion piece titled De Blasio vs. NYC’s historic buildings.

As he writes, even properties within historic districts are at risk of redevelopement ... and "the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the last line of defense for protecting historic New York, is rolling over rather than pushing back."

Two key players are responsible for LPC contradicting its own mandate: Chairwoman Meenakshi Srinivasan — who openly questions the LPC’s right to tell architects what to do — and Mayor de Blasio, who is promoting redevelopment at the cost of the city’s architectural heritage.

A recent study commissioned by the New York Landmarks Conservancy showed the Landmarks Commission in a typical year approved more than 99.5% of all applications in historic districts.

De Blasio named Srinivasan chair of the LPC in 2014 after her stint as chair and commissioner of the Board of Standards and Appeals, "an agency known for granting zoning variances to expand development rights."

In the East Village, Uhlfelder notes how "the LPC ignored requests by preservationists to landmark a group of Beaux-Arts apartment buildings, permitting development of a new graceless hotel." This would be the incoming Moxy hotel on 11th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue.

Saturday's parting shot

Photo on Fourth Avenue today by Derek Berg...