Drilling in Rear Yard of 151 Ludlow Street Worries Neighbors

One month after 151-153 Ludlow Street changed hands in a $15.5 million transaction, all signs are pointing to potential property redevelopment. Drilling in the rear yard was enough to raise the antennae of neighbors worried about the future here.

Two contractors were spotted in the backyard of 151 Ludlow Street with a makeshift rig to, presumably, study soil samples. Typically, this type of survey work (usually with a Davey Drill) is conducted when property owners plan to redevelop land. It’s really the first outward step that something bigger is happening behind the scenes.

The drilling didn’t last too long, though, as we hear that neighbors reportedly called 311 on the lack of permits for the work.

And clearing out 151 Ludlow wouldn’t be too difficult. We’re told that there is one resident left upstairs, and ground tenant La Margarita pizzeria is moving up the block in the fall. (Before selling, Arwen allegedly wanted them out.)

The new owner is no walk in the park, either. You’ll recall that Slate Property Group is now landlord, which should ring bells. Slate is reviled this side of the Bowery for its involvement in the ongoing Rivington House scandal plaguing City Hall. Slate, China Vanke Co., and Adam America Real Estate together purchased the former nursing home for $116 million in February 2016 after the city lifted the deed restriction.