New Eight-Story Building in the Works at 87 Hester

Here we go again. Seems everywhere we look these days, low-rise buildings on the Lower East Side are being razed for height. For glass. For luxury. For upscaling. Whathaveyou.

87 Hester Street was always an interesting sight to behold. A lobster farm on a valuable corner lot with seafood swimming in window tanks. Always an opportunity for photo ops. That all ended back in February when Lobster Farm Seafood Wholesale closed its gates for the last time. Not much activity was afoot in public eye, yet behind the scenes, plans were executed for a skyline change.

As we speak, “full demolition of one-story commercial building by both powered hand tools and mechanical equipment” is now underway. The sidewalk shed arrived earlier this week, behind which hides the demolition machinery. Once leveled, 87 Hester will be reincarnated as an eight-story mixed-use finger structure. Indeed, according to zoning documents approved in the DOB database, floors three through eight are to be residential, with retail stores on the ground level and a “health care facility” on two.

The new project has a proposed height of 80 feet, though with a two-story setback of 24’8″.