Plan by Developer to Demolish East Village Block Put On Hold by Buildings Department
The buildings at 50-64 Third Ave.–which include both commercial and residential units–comprise nearly all of an East Village block between East 10th and East 11th Sts. The developer Kinsmen Property Group hopes to demolish the whole row. However, the NYC Department of Buildings told Straus News that multiple objections have stalled the demolition plans as of this week.
| 21 Aug 2023 | 04:20
50-64 Third Ave., a row of buildings that the developer Ari Zagdanski and his firm Kinsmen Property Group now hope to demolish. Objections to their filings have put the knock-down on hold. (
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Just about an entire block in the East Village may be smashed to the ground, but problems with demolition filings at the Department of Buildings have put the project on hold for now.
Crain’s New York Business previously reported that developer Ari Zagdanski, “the CEO and founder” of Kinsmen Property Group, was “set” to demolish 50-64 Third Avenue. The buildings collectively hold 31 apartments (no new leases have been signed since 2021, but Crain’s notes that this doesn’t necessarily mean the units are unoccupied).
Now, a spokesperson for the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) has pointed out to Straus that outstanding objections have interrupted Zagdanski’s aspirations to turn the block into rubble.
Further study of the objections indicates issues with the “phased demolition sequence,” specified as “a clear and detailed demolition sequence in narrative and illustrated on the plans. All phases shall be designated by a number or letter to clearly depict the required sequence of the work.” Other requirements such as pedestrian protections, debris removal plans, and the “context” of the demolition vis-à-vis adjoining buildings are also seemingly being objected to as inadequate.
Inadequate in this case reportedly means nowhere to be found. Essentially, as the DOB spokesperson put it, Kinsmen was “missing a lot of the required drawings for the proposed demolitions.”
In addition to residential units, the demolition zone would encompass the Asian restaurants Kotobuki and TLK.
Kinsmen could not be reached for comment as of press time.