Six Years Later, Locals Calling for Completion of Allen Street Mall Upgrades
This image has been archived or removed.
The Allen Street Mall – those eight segments of median running from South Street to East Houston – has come a long way in the last decade. Essentially beat up and left for dead, the Department of Transportation finally took notice that changes were needed, and began implementing upgrades six years ago.
Project plans were announced [PDF] in 2009, a few months after the city completed the prototype section at Delancey Street. In the ensuing years, five of the thirteen total blocks were renovated and beautified thanks to an infusion from the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. for $5 million. Since the cash went dry, however, there have been few substantial updates to the seven remaining blocks, which cost about $1 million apiece to reconstruct.
Weak links remain. Most of the incomplete blocks sit north of Delancey, where there has been close to zero attention the last decade. Aside from the pilot “mall connections” at Rivington and Stanton that transpired six years ago (never made permanent), it’s been status quo. Not to mention, the constant construction along East Houston for new water main infrastructure all but obliterated the trail head.
This image has been archived or removed.
Locals are starting to make some noise to spur project completion. For instance, the SPaCE Block Association is presently rallying the troops to help draw attention and secure funding to reconstruct the stretch between Madison and Hester Streets.
According to the Parks 2016 Capital Priorities report, the Allen Street Mall is at #13 on the list for relief. So, it might take awhile for anyone to really listen. Unless the local politicians get involved.
Yet, it’s also worth noting that there is still $2 million allocated to the overall project, but earmarked for the purposes of renovating the abandoned bathhouse at Delancey. An additional $2.2 million is needed to see that through, though. (That money will be reallocated if the bathhouse renovation doesn’t proceed)
This image has been archived or removed.
Recent Stories
‘Peasant’ to Stay on Elizabeth Street Under Chef Marc Forgione
So, it turns out that Peasant will remain on Elizabeth Street, after all. But under new ownership. One month ago, we reported that founding chef-owner Frank DeCarlo reportedly decided against renewal. An apparent change of heart unfolded in the interim… The New York Times this week disclosed that DeCarlo sold the business to Marc Forgione, […]
Longtime Orchard Street Laundromat Felled by Rent Hike
A longtime laundromat on lower Orchard Street is set to close by year end. The Orchard Cleaner and Laundromat is counting the days to December 31, after which its lease reportedly expires. A purported rent hike for the renewal is the cause behind this latest closure. However, details regarding the percentage increase are not immediately […]
Evoking Department Store Past, The Ridley Launches Leasing on Allen Street with $19K Rental
Here’s your chance to live in a nineteenth-century department store, albeit at luxury pricing. In an obvious nod to the pedigree of 66 Allen Street (aka 315 Grand) – the spot was once Ridley & Sons Department Store – the remodeled upper floors are repositioned as “luxury apartment rentals” called The Ridley. Not a “deal” […]
‘Nostalgia Train’ is Back on the Rails this Holiday Season
All aboard! The Nostalgia Train is back. The New York Transit Museum and the MTA has again brought the festive flavor of yesteryear to the underground. The preserved 1930s R1-9 train cars are now in regular rotation every Sunday from now until New Year’s, an annual tradition on the rails since 2007. The weekend train […]
Beastie Boys’ Former Party House for Sale on Chrystie Street
There was a Dispatch in the New York Post last week that touched upon the availability of 55-59 Chrystie Street. Bankrupted and liquidated of its occupants – all commercial – the court-ordered bankruptcy appointee seeks to refill the ranks. The 46,350-square-foot building was reportedly undergoing upscaling to “higher-rent creative tenants” when, after shelling out roughly $1.9 […]
