Obama, As Jesus, In Union Sq. Painting

From Crain’s New York Business:

The P.C. Richard & Son store near Union Square is going the way of the cathode ray television set and VCRs.

The city’s Economic Development Corp. has announced a request for proposals to redevelop a city-owned site at 124 E. 14th St. that for the past 19 years has been home to a two-level building occupied by the electronics and appliance store.

The EDC is encouraging developers to pitch projects that include new office space for booming industries in the neighborhood, such as technology and creative businesses. According to the city’s guidelines, the development could provide fledgling companies with the space to get started and also a location for young but established firms to transition from incubator and co-working spaces that have sprouted around the city into their own digs.

Proposals may also include residential space, although a spokesman for the city said the EDC’s goal is an office-focused development. Current zoning on the site, however, would seem to encourage a residential component. About 140,000 square feet of housing can be built at the address versus about 93,00 square feet of commercial space. A project could be a blend of the two.

Midtown South has become the city’s hottest office market, with space in the vicinity of Union Square especially popular for its access to transit, shopping, restaurants and tony residential neighborhoods.

“The current site of the PC Richard store will serve as a new tech hub in Union Square, capitalizing on the academic and transit advantages offered by the neighborhood and its proximity to the Flatiron district,” said Maria Torres-Springer, president of the EDC, in a statement. “This is just one example of how we are finding creative uses for the assets we have in a city where space is harder and harder to come by.”

Bids for the property are due by February, the spokesman said, which is the same month that P.C. Richard’s lease is set to expire.

Heres an NY1 video report on how well the commercial spaces ringing Union Square are doing, depsite the failures of Circuit City and Virgin.

Next week (February 13 to February 17), Superstructure work will continue at 5th and 6th floor levels.

The following week (February 20 to February 24), we will continue superstructure concrete and slabs on the 5th and 6th floor levels.

This weekend the site will be open on Saturday, February 11th for superstructure related activities between the work hours of 7AM and 5PM as permitted by the City. To control noise levels within the site, work activities will be limited to the placement of formwork and concrete, plumbing and electrical work, rebar for concrete placement, using the crane and equipment to support all activities. Safety horns are used, and required by law, to coordinate lifting with the crane and to alert the workers of the danger overhead. We have directed the operators to limit the use of horns to one short sounding and to use the crane later in the day so as to avoid any excess noise. Additionally 14th St. Con Ed Vault utility connection street work will continue per DOT Permit granted for weekends only.

Closed at the corner of 13th and 6th. Probably because for take out, the food was too pricey. Wonder what will fill that cursed space next.

For the next two weeks, through May 6, the New School reports that construction will be basically “more of the same.” In other words, they’re still digging the hole.

Gothamist reports that Nordstrom is very close to signing on to take over the Virgin Megastore space to install one of its discount Nordstrom Rack stores. Sounds fine, although some bloggers would much rather have a Target there.