Chicken Heaven

A state Supreme Court judge has lifted a temporary order blocking the city from rolling out its bedeviled 14th Street busway pilot. Justice Eileen Rakoff ruled that the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) complied with state law that mandates the agency study the impact of banning private cars on the surrounding residential streets.

After reviewing documents from the city and the coalition of Manhattan residents petitioning the busway, Rankoff lifted the temporary restraining order that blocked the pilot’s July launch on Tuesday. DOT spokesperson Alana Morales says the agency is beginning work “immediately” and will launch the busway on Monday, August 12.

Transit advocates who have long called for the pilot program, which was originally timed to launch with work on the L train’s Canarsie Tunnel, praised the ruling as a “huge victory.”

“When riders organize, the whole city wins,” says Danny Pearlstein with the Riders Alliance. “The 14th Street busway will provide faster and more reliable bus trips, saving precious time for tens of thousands of people who badly need it.”

Others charge that the ruling sets a key precedent for other streets where residents seek to use the courts to “circumvent the democratic process in order to preserve the car-dominant status quo”— such as Central Park West where members of an Upper West Side condo board are suing to block a bike lane, says Marco Conner, the deputy director of Transportation Alternatives.

Your reporter visited an open house at 15 Union Square West. The verdict: the ceilings are incredibly high and the windows are huge. Fixtures are fantastic although overdesigned for someone with more sedate tastes. The most interesting feature: an interior atrium complete with 19th century ironwork and a skylight that will be restored. Incredible to see it. The big problem: these apartments are insanely expensive.

This remarkable site from the Greenwich Village Society for Historical Preservation takes us on a lot-by-lot tour of Lower 5th Ave. from 8th St. to 14th St., telling the story of every building at every address over time. Layer after layer of history is revealed, with lots of photos. A remarkable effort!

The curved dome atop 44 Union Square, the former headquarters of Tammany Hall, is structurally completed and the geometric glass panels that enclose the lattice frame are beginning to be installed. The renovation is designed by BKSK Architects and developed by Edifice Real Estate Partners. CNY Group is in charge of construction on the historic, 90-year-old landmarked structure, which is being expanded to 70,348 square feet. Two new floors will be housed beneath the dome and receive abundant natural daylight.

Reminder: the co-op’s annual meeting takes place on Monday, January 30, at 7PM at the International Seafarer’s House, 123 East 15th St. second floor (take the stairs to the right of the entrance for easiest access).