1) Before we get to the news at 160 Imlay, a quick story from Alexis Robie, who has been watching this building without interruption since the warehouse years: "A few months ago, I happened upon the woman who brings food for the guard dog at 160 Imlay. She was sitting on the curb, outside the fence waiting for someone to let her in. Her cell phone had died, so I loaned her mine. Apparently, someone was on the way, but I did float the idea of just tossing the 40 lb bag over the chain link and letting the dogs go wild. As someone who looks out at the construction daily, I must say there has been no change in the last six months. Except, of course, the slow unraveling of the Christo-like mesh wrapping that was supposed to protect the concrete structure."
On to the news: Blogger Redhooky has come out of semi-retirement to report that last week the state's highest court reversed a dismissal of an action to stop construction. That means no condos for now. Says 'Hooky, "So there it sits for another winter, watched by a couple of tough German Shepherds and an abandoned, or, more likely, stolen Mercedes. In other words, game on."
2) Regarding the empty parking lot at 26th and 6th, a Curbed commenter (Holy shit! when did we get comments? -ed.) offers this: "McSam Hotel, a Queens-based hotel development company, recently purchased a 6,476 square-foot parking lot at 121-125 West 26th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. The closing price was $9.3 million. The Chelsea location will eventually contain a hotel. The new owners anticipate a spring 2007 opening."
BREAKING: A Curbed reader emails, "FYI, that parking lot on 26th near 6th was operating normally earlier this week, but just had the car-lift devices and guard booth removed. A fence was being put up when I walked by about an hour ago."
3) Nobody cares about the east side of 9th Ave. between 54th and 55th, which, in our opinion, is a damn, crying shame.
4) Conversely, apparently everybody cares that 4 Downing St. in Bed-Stuy/Clinton Hill is Broken Angel, in-progress work of art and residence of Arthur Wood, Best Urban Folly of 2001, site of a Dave Chapelle block party, and subject of the gaze of Brownstoner, Forgotten NY, and Banana Nutrament (?!). Says one reader, "It's a mess inside." Of course, we all know that what matters is on the outside. [photo above by Scott Dyer]
· Rumblings & Bumblings: Hungry Guard Dogs at 160 Imlay [Curbed]