Latest New School Construction Update

It’s at this time of the year that street life returns to our sidewalks, and with it comes litter, especially on 13th St., where fans of Joe Coffee linger on our stoop, smoke up a storm, and drop their butts. Such is life in the big city. The big problem with this is that we sometimes get sanitation tickets that aren’t our fault. The Board of Directors has a very cordial relationship with Joe’s owner, Jonathan Rubenstein, who is a good guy and a great example of a successful local entrepreneur fighting off the big chains. He’s busy expanding his empire, but he does care and responds to our complaints. In the meantime, feel free to remind visitors to our stoop not to drop their trash, and if you have the time, call 311 to complain because city inspectors will get Joe’s attention.

Check it out.

The buildings feature various architectural styles and were home to garment manufacturers in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. On September 25, 2018, the Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously voted to add seven buildings to its calendar for consideration as individual landmarks. The buildings are located at 817 Broadway, 826 Broadway, 830 Broadway, 832 Broadway, 836 Broadway, 840 Broadway, and 841 Broadway. All of the buildings are south of Union Square in Manhattan. 

The Landmarks Research Commission studied the area south of Union Square between 5^th Avenue and 3^rd Avenue, including where Broadway intersects the area, for historical preservation opportunities. The Landmarks Research Commission selected the seven buildings for their distinctive, intact architectural features and the importance of the buildings in Broadway’s history. The buildings were built between 1876 and 1902, a period where this area south of Union Square experienced rapid commercial development from a growing garment industry. Many of these buildings highlight innovative construction methods for this time, including the use of steel frames, electricity, and elevators. Of the seven buildings, five were built in the Renaissance Revival style.

The Greenmarket’s economic impact on the Union Square community is unmatched. Businesses congregate within walking distance, and thousands of shoppers, chefs and onlookers visit the market’s dozens of farmers four days a week. Forty years later, Union Square continues to be on the forefront of healthy living and environmental learning as we welcome Project Farmhouse, GrowNYC’s new permanent center for sustainability and education. Located next to the Hyatt on 4th Avenue and 13th Street, the community center will offer dynamic programming year-round such as training for farmers, cooking classes for children, film screenings, special events, and panel discussions.

It’s almost too painful to think about. And while we’re at it, goodbye, Wet Nose Doggy Gym. Looks like the first three buildings along that side of 13th St. will come down and be replaced by…more condos.

Not exactly Occupy Wall Street, but this is what Union Square looked like on Labor Day 1882. Fun parade.

The nonprofit behind the Union Square Greenmarket plans to open a new community space in the neighborhood to host events and classes on sustainability and nutrition, and provide a spot for other nonprofits in the city to gather near Union Square, according to GrowNYC Assistant Director Julie Walsh. The space, called “Project Farmhouse,” is expected to open at 76 E. 13th St., near Fourth Avenue, by November with a test kitchen, a conference room and a vertical grow wall with moving trays designed to rotate plants so they all get the ideal amount of water, fertilizer and light, said Kate Chura of GrowNYC, who is overseeing the project.