Hyatt Hotel: Certified Open

Party City begins the new year with its demise.

Information is sketchy, but it appears that Pan Am Equities, the real estate company that owns the collection of “True North” apartment buildings, including one on our 13th St. block, is now in the process of reconfiguring 24-26 East 13th St., the former home of the New York Health and Racquet Club, into 39 apartments, up from the previous 24. The ground floor and basement may once again hold a fitness facility. It’s unclear if the overall size of the building will change, but it appears not.

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation maintains a cool interactive map that shows you all the places it is currently working to preserver the Village’s most important landmarks. They are very busy people.

The northeast corner of University and 13th St., looking east, circa 1935. That’s the corner with the Basics hardware store. Fascinating!

Our new downstairs neighbor on the 14th St. side is Anderson’s Martial Arts Academy. So head downstairs and kick some butt.

Next week (August 22 to August 26), contractors will continue to excavate earth and rock, and load out material. Installation of bracing rakers, line drilling, lagging and sheeting around the perimeter will progress as well. Concrete foundation walls will continue along the perimeter of the site. Interior core foundation work will continue along the perimeter of the site. Interior core foundation work will proceed. The following week (August 29 to September 3 ), we will continue with concrete foundation walls, line drilling, rock excavation, loading out, and interior core foundation work & underground plumbing. DEP will continue to work on the water main along 13th Street.