EVG Etc.: 2nd Avenue fire headlines

The early morning fire on Saturday that destroyed the vacant 48 E. Seventh St. and neighboring Middle Collegiate Church at 112 Second Ave. made international headlines (BBC here, for instance).

Workers have started demolishing No. 48 (one source at the scene said they'd remove what's left of the 5-story building, bringing it down to two levels so FDNY officials could continue their investigation to the cause of the fire). 

Meanwhile, officials were examining the historic church's façade to see what might be salvageable.

Happening now! Assessment of the @middlechurch facade structure and possibility of saving it. @evgrieve pic.twitter.com/hmJe5FlW9n

— Gili Getz 🔥 (@giligetz) December 6, 2020

Hopefully we will learn more about the fate of the structure in the hours/days ahead.

Meanwhile, the Times provided a thorough piece on the history of Middle Collegiate Church, which was built here in 1892. A fact that surprised some people: The church houses the New York Liberty Bell, which dates to 1725. No word on the fate of the bell. 

A few other select headlines:

• NPR has an interview with Rev. Jacqui Lewis, senior minister at Middle Church.

• CBS 2 covers the church's virtual service yesterday. (Middle Church has not had an in-person service since before the pandemic.)

• Gothamist provides an update on the Hopper House, the shelter operated by the Women's Prison Association at 110 Second Ave. that had to be evacuated. (Find our post on this here.)

There will be multiple storylines continuing to emerge from this tragic fire. We'll continue to provide updates on the latest developments. 

Thank you to everyone who has shared photos from the scene. And as many people have said, the fire brought back awful memories from the deadly explosion that leveled 119-123 Second Ave. in March 2015.

For some people watching the fire on the SE corner of 2nd Avenue & 7th Street this morning, there were unpleasant flashbacks to March 26, 2015, when the gas explosion wiped out the NW corner. 2 men died there that day.

[Photos by @NYPDSpecialops & Jonathan Jones] pic.twitter.com/16TujGbp6R

— evgrieve (@evgrieve) December 5, 2020

The Tompkins Square Library's East Village Arts Festival continues online this week

As mentioned last week, the fourth annual East Village Arts Festival at the Tompkins Square Library branch went virtual this year... there are several free events remaining this week. Details below. And you may register for the events here.

Monday, Dec. 7 at 6 p.m.: Mom and Pop Storefronts: Online Curator Talk with Karla and James Murray. James and Karla Murray, acclaimed photographers and authors of "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York" will discuss and show the work created by the participants of their 2020 Mom and Pop Storefronts workshop. In partnership with the East Village Community Coalition, James and Karla taught participants how to use photography and oral history to raise public awareness, build community and encourage advocacy. 

Thursday, Dec. 10 at 1 p.m.: Virtual Walking Tour: Artists, Writers, Musicians of Tompkins Square. Please join us for a fun online walking tour hosted by library manager Corinne Neary and local photographer Michael Paul. 

Thursday, Dec. 10 at 6 p.m.: Online Book Discussion. Village Preservation will host an online discussion with author Miranda Martinez, and her book, "Power at the Roots: Community Gardens, Gentrification, and the Puerto Ricans of the Lower East Side."

Saturday, Dec. 12 at  3 p.m.: Online Discussion with an Artist: Delphine le Goff. Among many other projects, le Goff has recently started sketching East Village buildings and businesses. She will show some of her work, discuss her process and inspirations, and answer questions. 

Sunday's parting shot

A view toward the northwest from several blocks away... where, presumably, a combination of the demolition and today's high winds stirred up this smoke-dust from the fire-ravaged corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street... 

Thanks to Elissa Jiji for the photo...

Week in Grieview

Posts from this past week include... (and thanks to Vinny & O for the photo from Tompkins Square Park yesterday) 

• Second Avenue fire coverage: here ... here ... here... here ... and here. 

• RIP Miguel Algarín (Wednesday) 

• The annual Holiday Tree Lighting in Tompkins Square Park is canceled due to COVID-19 (Friday)

• C&B is expanding on 7th Street (Wednesday) 

• A visit to the Tree Riders (Thursday) 

• A visit to Paradise Alley at Duane Park (Friday) 

• The Tompkins Square Library's annual East Village Arts Festival is underway online (Tuesday) 

• This week's NY See panel (Thursday) 

• Where a grand elm stood (Tuesday) 

• Gallery Watch: edenchrome for all at ASHES/ASHES (Wednesday) 

• Report: City drops plan for hotel special permit requirement south of Union Square (Monday)

• Signage arrives for Cadence, the latest Ravi DeRossi venture on 7th Street (Monday) 

• Vin Sur Vingt Wine Bar opening an outpost on 2nd Avenue and 11th Street (Tuesday) 

• New restaurants for this stretch of 4th Street (Wednesday) 

• Loverboy has apparently closed on Avenue C (Friday)

• Phebe's has decided to close for now (Wednesday) 

 • Bagels — and a deli — for 9th Street (Monday) 

• A new home for Home Town Village Convenience Store on St. Mark's Place (Thursday)

---

Follow EVG on Instragram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.

Updating: Demolition of 48 E. 7th St. is imminent

Sources at the scene on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street say that the demolition of what's left of the fire-damamged 48 E. Seventh St. is imminent ... workers were waiting for a meeting to take place betweem various DOB and FDNY officials this morning ...

There was no word about the fate of the Middle Collegiate Church, the historic structure that was erected here in 1892. 

FDNY officials have not revealed the source of the fire that started at No. 48 early yesterday morning and spread to the church next door. Four firefighters were treated for minor injuries.

Updated 11:45 a.m. 

The demolition is underway...

Happening now! Demolition of East Village building after massive fire. @evgrieve pic.twitter.com/8xdGK8OG8a

— Gili Getz 🔥 (@giligetz) December 6, 2020

Updated 12:45 p.m. 

Steven took these photos...

An EV Pop Up Flea today

Some of the vendors from the Avenue B Flea will once again be selling their wares on East Houston and First Avenue (on the garden corner — Peretz Square) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

The Facebook invite has the full list of vendors ... everything from vintage clothing, handmade jewelry and vinyl rock and soul records.

And here's a photo via Stacie Joy from the last sale here on Nov. 21...

It's Book Swap Sunday

Today marks another Book Swap Sunday outside the Tompkins Square Library branch on 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B... from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Per the organizers:

Let's share our used books to help us get through this pandemic together. Leave your donations, and take home some others. Reading is a safe survival tactic!

By the way, this is not an officially sanctioned NYPL event — the location just happens to be outside the Tompkins Library branch.

Photo from last Sunday by Stacie Joy

Saturday's parting shot

A look at the SE corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street this evening after the fire...

A heartbreaking look at what's left of Middle Collegiate Church

Thank you to Billy the Artist for sharing these photos of the fire-damaged Middle Collegiate Church on Second Avenue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street...

The displaced residents of the Hopper House on 2nd Avenue need help with donations

See update at the end of the post about clothing donations!

The early morning fire on Seventh Street and Second Avenue also displaced the residents of the Women's Prison Association at the landmarked Hopper House at 110 Second Ave. 

An estimated 22 residents were forced to flee the building early this morning without any of their possessions. Local Assemblymember Harvey Epstein is spearheading donations for the residents, who are temporarily staying at 347 E. 10th St. at Avenue B. New or gently used women's clothing and toiletries will be appreciated — as well as gift cards (CVS and Target were cited). 

Olga Rodriguez, who works for the advocacy organization dating here to 1845 devoted to women with criminal backgrounds, told CBS New York that the fire took over the shelter "in minutes." 

"It was very scary, and the ladies were running in their slippers, in their bathrobes, in their pajamas. They were sleeping," she said, adding that she's not sure what will happen if the building is deemed unsafe. "These ladies have gone through a lot," she said. "They don't need to go through this, too." 

Diana McHugh, director of communications for the association, told CBS News that everyone is OK, but women had to leave behind personal belongings, including phones and clothes. 

And... 

The women, who were soaking wet from standing in the rain this morning after being evacuated, have been temporarily relocated to a nearby family shelter in Alphabet City. 

Residents at the family shelter provided the women with food, blankets and dryers for their clothes. McHugh said, however, that the association is expecting high costs because of the fire. 

"We'll be OK, but it will certainly have an impact on us, especially mid-pandemic. This has already been a very difficult time for our residents, just from a safety perspective and a mental health perspective."

We await news on the structural integrity and the extent of smoke damage to our beloved Hopper Home. pic.twitter.com/FUZX1iryau

— Women's Prison Association (WPA) (@WPA_NYC) December 5, 2020

Updated 12/6

They've received plenty of clothing donations... donations and gift cards are welcome now...

We are also in awe of the neighbors who poured in with clothing. We thankfully and respectfully decline any more – as you can see, you have taken great care of us in this way! 🙏 pic.twitter.com/xKvzP3Hf7C

— Women's Prison Association (WPA) (@WPA_NYC) December 5, 2020

Statement from City Councilmember Carlina Rivera on this morning's fire on 2nd Avenue

Local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera released this statement about this morning's fire on Seventh Street and Second Avenue ... which provides more details on damage to surrounding buildings:

Today, the East Village community is devastated and heartbroken at learning of the six-alarm fire that damaged or destroyed at least three buildings along 2nd Avenue between East 7th and East 6th Streets. 

Two of the buildings — Middle Collegiate Church, which appears to have been devastated, and the Women's Prison Association (WPA)'s Hopper House, which received smoke damage and other possible effects — are pillars of our community. We do not know the cause of the fire, which remains under active investigation. 

We hold the firefighters who were injured in the blaze in our thoughts, and I want to thank all the first responders who risked their lives to extinguish this fire. While I am thankful that no deaths have been reported, my heart is so very broken for the victims of this tragedy, who have been generational leaders in our community for social justice and equality.

My office is working closely with the FDNY, OEM, NYPD, DOB, and all other relevant agencies as they continue to assess the damage to 47 E. 7th St. (which was vacated earlier this year), Middle Collegiate Church, and the Hopper House. I promise that we will ensure this incident is investigated thoroughly.

We are also working to ensure that the 22 women who were residing at the Hopper House, and had to evacuate to WPA’s nearby family shelter, are provided with stable housing options and support. Donations to Middle Collegiate Church and WPA can be made at www.middlechurch.org/donate and www.wpaonline.org/donate, respectively.  

Middle Collegiate Church is one of the great, landmark institutions of our community, having served the New York City for almost 400 years and for over a century providing the East Village with spiritual and physical resources. They've taken care of so many during our City's darkest moments, from 9/11, to Superstorm Sandy, to the 2nd Avenue Explosion. 

And the Women’s Prison Association has provided housing, employment, and assistance for justice involved women for generations. The damage this fire has caused goes far beyond the structural effects alone.

But we know that our East Village community is strong and we will be there beside them every step of this recovery, however we can. As we begin this difficult work, I am inspired by the words of Middle Collegiate Church's Rev. Jacqui Lewis — someone who I’ve considered a close friend and adviser for many years — when she said this morning that "no fire can stop Revolutionary Love." I will take that spirit into my heart in the coming days and weeks as we continue our response and recovery.

Photo credit: FDNY Response Videos

FDNY update on this morning's fire

Here's a statement from FDNY Assistant Chief John Hodgens on this morning's fire on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street:

"Our units arrived in three minutes, very fast response time. Upon arrival we had heavy fire showing from the corner building on East 7th Street. We quickly transmitted additional alarms to get more help here. We knew this was going to be a big operation. Fire had extended into the church on 2nd Avenue and also into another building on 7th Street. We had all of our units in position and we were quickly able to contain it to that area. We have four minor injuries to Firefighters at this time. We are going to be operating here for a while. The fire is under investigation by our marshals."

As for a cause... the fire in the same building on Feb. 10 was electrical. And this? Unrelated...

Per FDNY Fire Marshals: Cause of the 3-alarm fire on 2/10 at 48 East 7th Street in Manhattan was accidental, electrical, building wiring. The current 6-alarm fire at the same location is unrelated. FDNY operations continue and Fire Marshals are on the scene. pic.twitter.com/0FI5KwGPBr

— FDNY (@FDNY) December 5, 2020

Top photo by Steven