Did You Know Union Square Is Farther West Than Port Authority?

From Curbed.com:

Word of the imminent demise of Greenwich Village’s iconic Bowlmor Lanes arrived in early 2014, when EV Grieve reported that site owner Billy Macklowe—whose father is none other than Harry Macklowe of 432 Park Avenue fame—wanted to slap a condo tower up on the site. Details of the new development have been few and far between in the meantime, but 6sqft has gleaned a few primary renderings of the project that seem to confirm 1) that it’s actually happening, and 2) that it will be amongst the tallest residential buildings in the neighborhood. According to 6sqft, the building will rise 23 stories to stand a “modest” 280 feet, and will contain 56 condos averaging more than 2,000 square feet apiece.

Plans filed with the Department of Buildings list SLCE as the Architect of Record, but a design architect has yet to be pegged, at least publicly, for the project. The building, which consumes a majority of the western side of the block between East 12th and East 13th streets, will have bike parking, a ground-floor community facility, a resident lounge and terrace, a parking garage, and ground floor retail.

Hersha Hospitality Trust, owner of upscale and select service hotels in major metropolitan markets, announced that the Company has entered into a purchase and sale agreement to acquire the 175-room Hyatt Union Square hotel in New York City at 4th Ave and 13th Street for total consideration of $104.1 million, or approximately $595,000 per key. The transaction is expected to close shortly after the seller completes the hotel’s construction. The consideration to the seller consists of $36 million paid to the seller in cash, the cancellation by the Company of a $10 million development loan made to the seller, accrued interest on the loan and the assumption by the Company of two mortgage loans secured by the hotel in the original aggregate principal amount of $55 million. While this purchase and sale agreement secures the Company’s right to acquire the completed hotel, the Company is not assuming any construction risk, including the risk of schedule and cost overruns. The hotel is expected to open in 2012.

This 1911 photo looks east across 5th Avenue to the current site of the New School, with an additional glimpse down 13th St. You can clearly see the “press” building that is now the apartments across from our front door.

An unusual crime at Giant Bagel, on the corner of Universty and 13th, last Friday night:

Three peed-off perps brutally beat a man for taking too long in the bathroom at a Greenwich Village bagel shop, police said yesterday. The thugs — identified as Osman Jalloh, 19, Amadou Diallo, 21, and Mohamed Sow, 21 — became enraged waiting for Zaaven Castelan, 23, to finish his business in a restroom at Giant Bagels on University Place at 10 p.m. Friday, sources said. When Castelan emerged from the bathroom, the trio started pummeling him, the sources said.Police quickly rounded up the men.

From the NY Post:

University Place is about to get a new, fun restaurant: the first New York outpost of Vapiano, a German-based chain of some 30 casual Italian eateries, which will open soon at 113 University at 13th Street. A Newmark Knight Frank team including Jeffrey Roseman repped the tenant and a Newmark team also repped the landlord, the Amalgamated Lithographers Union. Vapiano has locations in six other US cities. In Manhattan, it will have about 7,000 square feet on two levels in a long-vacant space. The asking rent was $200 per square foot. The chain, which calls itself a “fuel stop for grown-ups,” serves inexpensive antipasti, salads, pasta and pizza prepared on-site as customers watch. (Many dishes are priced under $10, according to Vapiano’s Web site). The new place also promises a full bar and “lively happy-hour scene.” Roseman chuckled, “It’s been described as a fast-casual cross between Mario Batali and Chipotle with uber-style.”

Have a look at Vapiano.

Get the complete Union Square Summer in the Square schedule here.