Blue Man Group Sells its LES Studio for $5.4M
48 Clinton Street, Oct. 2017
The Blue Man Group finally divested from its longtime Lower East Side property. Their Clinton Street studio space traded hands this month for $5.4 million. It comes with an additional 4,653 square-feet of development rights, allowing for a new project of roughly 10,120 square-feet.
Buyer of record is Dr. Arani Bose, the co-founder of the medical device company Penumbra. He reportedly plans to redevelop for his foundation.
The building itself had been on the open market for more than a year at $7.2 million without takers. It’s also the first property in Manhattan “to be sold to a Qualified Opportunity Fund in an Opportunity Zone,” according to the New York Post.
The Tetris-like 48 Clinton Street typically keeps to itself, but a lot happened behind those doors. This was the last stop of the storied LoHo Studios, which got its start on Lafayette Street in 1983. The room – founded by brothers Edward and Victor Luke – became a popular destination, and acted host to artists Willie Nelson, Patti Smith, Joan Jett, Yo La Tengo, Art Garfunkel, and Joey Ramone. LoHo moved here in the late 1990s, where it would reside until Blue Man Productions purchased the facility in 2007 for $5 million. The blue-faced crew behind the off-Broadway show of same – purchased by Cirque du Soleil last year – used the space for rehearsals, recording sessions, producing commercial spots, and auditioning new Blue recruits.
Recent Stories
Under Presure from Chinatown, Mayor Pledges $80M to Restore 70 Mulberry Street
The fire-scorched school building at 70 Mulberry Street will see life anew, thanks to massive city funding. Mayor de Blasio announced yesterday in his morning press briefing that the new budget contains a line item for $80 million dedicated to restoration of the historic building. Hizzoner spent a solid four minutes discussing how Chinatown was […]
Fearing COVID-19 Resurgence, De Blasio Halts Indoor Dining Indefinitely
Not so fast. Phase 3 of the reopening plan is slated to launch on Monday. However, it arrives without the resumption of indoor dining at bars and restaurants, as initially conceived. Mayor de Blasio announced the news at his morning presser yesterday, citing the nationwide surges of COVID-19 cases and the elevated dangers of indoor […]
When Rivington House Wouldn’t Clean its Garbage Mess, a Neighbor Stepped In
A Good Samaritan took responsibility where a multimillion-dollar hospital system would not. As previously reported, the outside of Rivington House – future home of Mount Sinai’s future Behavioral Health facility – essentially devolved into decrepitude with the accumulation of trash at the doorstep. Untouched for days on end. But one Lower East Sider took matters […]
Chillhouse Shutters Original Essex Street Spa
The list of coronavirus-related business closures is getting longer by the week. Today brings word that an Essex Street newcomer has bitten the dust. Chillhouse, a millennials-style spa at 149 Essex Street, is the latest to fall. Ownership announced the permanent shutter in an e-mail to customers Tuesday afternoon. “As we all know too well […]
Hamilton Fish Park Pool to Reopen by August 1
In an about-face, the city announced yesterday that at least fifteen public pools will reopen across the Five Boroughs. Included in the lucky list is the Hamilton Fish Park pool, known to locals as the “Pitt Pool.” But the cooldown will have to wait another month. The reopenings are scheduled for August 1, and are […]
