Club Element and Its New Drill Rig

What has congestion problems, lives on a high-trafficked Lower East Side corner, and just started hosting again? If you guessed Element, you win a million Space Bucks. Seriously, though, this nightspot is back in business for its weekly soirees after a considerable hiatus. Fancy rides are again dropping off high-heeled skirts and dapper dudes, waiting in line despite the weather.  But yesterday afternoon, something else was delivered to the historic Provident Loan Society building at 225 East Houston. Something foreboding.

The “Davey Drill” arrived yesterday at the corner of Essex and East Houston. This heavy-duty equipment is generally employed before a huge construction/demolition project to test water levels and gauge the composition of the fill, rock, and soil beneath the street. These preparatory readouts provide a better snapshot of scope for excavation activities.

So, why is this bad boy sitting outside all hot and ready to go?  Back in late 2010, Element brass blamed the closure on the building being sold.  Are the new owners cashing in their chips?  There are currently no permits on file at the DOB. Whether it’s slight structural modifications or something more dire, like demolition, it appears change could eventually befall this corner plot…