Renderings have been revealed for a new condo building planned for the site of the catastrophic East Village gas explosion that killed two people in March of 2015.
The six-story luxury building, designed Morris Adjmi Architects, will have a total of 21 apartments and include a ground floor retail space. The Nexus Building Development Group purchased the sites at 119-121 Second Avenue (between East 7th and St Marks Place) back in February for $9.5 million, while the third plot destroyed by the explosion still awaits its fate after being purchased for $6 million in 2016.
(Morris Adjmi Architects)
Five people, including the owner of 119-121 Second Avenue, were charged in connection with the explosion, which killed a 27-year-old busboy in a sushi restaurant named Moises Ismael Locon Yac, and 23-year-old diner Nicholas Figueroa. 13 others were injured.
Prosecutors say the explosion was caused by owner Maria Hrynenko, her building manager son, and others illegally tapping into a gas line from a neighboring building. All pleaded not guilty, with the trial expected to begin this September. (Hrynenko's son died last year at age 31.)
The lots are located within the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District, and plans for the new condo will require approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission. First, Community Board 3's Landmarks Committee will review an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness, in a meeting Monday night, EV Grieve reports.
