BY THE VILLAGE SUN | The Village will be losing another garage — and gaining another mega-mansion.
The historic five-story garage at 332 W. 11th St. was sold in December for a hefty sum and plans are apparently to residentially convert it into a single-owner residence.
Two attendants at the garage, between Washington and Greenwich Sts., on Tuesday confirmed the building’s sale (which is also confirmed on Property Shark) but said that it will be a little while before the structure is transformed.
One of them said the project will happen “in a year or two.” The other said “in two or three years.”
The 25,000-square-foot garage is part of the landmarked Greenwich Village Historic District, so is protected from demolition. The building was constructed in 1905, just 12 years after the first gas-powered automobile was produced in America and three years before the first Ford Model T rolled off the assembly line.
The second attendant, after stepping out of a vintage black Camaro he had just pulled out in front for a customer, indicated the job will be a gut-rehab and the external facade will be preserved.
“He’s gotta maintain the front,” he said. “They were asking for 49, 50 [million]. They didn’t get $30 million.
According to Property Shark, the sale price was $26 million.
As for the buyer’s identity, the attendant did not have his full name.
“All I know is Charles,” he said.
According to Department of Buildings records, in 2008 a neighbor across the street lodged a few complaints about lights from the garage shining “too brightly” into her living room and bedroom at night. In September 2003, it was reported that a man fell down an elevator shaft in the place.
The block, between Washington and Greenwich Sts., features quaint spots like 11th St. Cafe and Turks & Frogs wine bar. It will eventually get a bit quieter once the garage is gone. But one neighbor anticipated the construction work is going to be noisy.
The palatial project will be part of a trend. Just a block to the south on Perry St., work is ongoing on an all-new six-story mansion for Steve Cohen, the Mets owner and billionaire hedge-funder.
If the sale was consummated in Bitcoin tell Jack he’d better spend it before it evaporates.
The people who are living on this block are really lucky: shutting down a parking garage is such an improvement of life quality. Reduction of motor vehicles, endless noise, honking.
The garage that was demolished on Jane St was also a blight, the block is much more pleasing today.
E 11th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues used to have 2 parking garages. One was demolished in 2008 and was replaced with an apartment building: 36 residential units for people instead of cars. When the day will come and the other one will be demolished/converted it will be an instant relief to the neighborhood.
We at the 11th street cafe now spilled out onto West 11th Street will really miss Jack, the previous owner of many years, with whom we had vibrant daily exchanges until the Pandemic came along. Jack knows who we are!! We celebrated close to thirty years with him through many elections, sometimes just kibitzing — often serious. His children too were often there. BIG CHANGE.
Ah yes…in the ’90s when I was still working I had a 1964 gold Mercury classic car. I could not keep it on the street. I did not use it for driving around Manhattan. I used it only to drive out of town.(Oh the nightmare of finding a parking space in a safe location.) And the fees for garage parking were excessive. My month’s space rental started at $95….. Over the years it increased and increased until 10 years later it cost more than my apartment. My lifestyle was also changing. I sadly bid goodbye to my beloved car and drove away from the garage and a changing Meat Market.