From The New York Shitty Inbox: What’s Up At 259 Banker Street?

I have received a number of inquiries regarding this property. Follows are a few so you, gentle readers, can get the gist:

Hey Heather,

If you get a chance, take a look at the current partial stop work order on 259 Banker.  I was out of town, and am not sure entirely what happened but my upstairs neighbor has been on them like a rabid dog in the past couple of weeks.

She also told me they filed for, and were granted, a cabaret license for their “artist’s studio” but I didn’t have time to find any verification of that myself. She said she was able to find via the paper trail that they have spent over $200,000 on renovations that sound suspiciously like the renovations you’d make to a nightclub.

Maybe the artist living there is only doing so temporarily and was actually planning all along to make it back into a (legal) club? It sounds very, very familiar to me, although this time, they might actually have all the permits in place….

…a stop work order has been issued on this property but there are still doing work I believe they are making this a club again it is zoned industrial only no living

…Just some info a stop work order was issued at this same address recently yet work continues with no care for neighbors in the area or there safety.  This is a indutrial zone area we do not want another studio b it seems thats what is going to happen here

Here’s the deal…

Inasmuch as I can ascertain 259 Banker Street has been issued two permits. One is for a curb cut (Yes, this exciting stuff!). The other, as seen above, is for changing the occupancy of the second floor to an “eating and drinking establishment” and joining it with the first floor. To my knowledge neither a liquor license nor a cabaret license has been applied for. NOTE: both of the previous have to undergo a hearing via the Public Safety Committee of our local community board. Thus far I have seen no mention of 259 Banker Street on their agenda (which can be found online at Community Board 1’s web site). This does not mean the owner of this property does not plan to convert this space into some facsimile of its predecessor, Studio B, it simply means either he/she has not filed the paperwork yet or it has not matriculated through the system. The previous having been written, if/when I see this property on their docket I will post all the details on this site. As for the Stop Work Order…

Make that Partial Stop Work Order.

This was issued for debris falling into an adjacent property. As you can see this has been partially rescinded so the construction company can (ostensibly) erect some kind of scaffolding/protection for its afflicted neighbor. This may or may not be happening because…

another complaint has been filed for ongoing construction despite a Stop Work Order. As you can see, no construction activity was noted.

This is all I know (and probably can be known) at this time. For the time being here’s my advice for the folks who have contacted me (or anyone in a similar such situation):

1. Email ALL complaints to our/your local community board. Be sure to include any all complaint numbers and general description of what happened/is happening. The email address for Community Board 1 is: bk01@cb.nyc.gov
2. Watch the agendas for the Public Safety Committee. Any and all liquor license and cabaret license applications (the latter, I will note, are very rare) will find their way there before being issued.

I hope this has been helpful— or at least informative!

UPDATE, August 18, 2011: I have been contacted by the person residing at 259 Banker! We are in going to meet next week so he can tell me what’s going on!

Miss Heather