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Abandoned Allen Street Bathhouse to Become Snack Stand, Report Says

By Jack D'Isidoro | February 12, 2016 5:21pm | Updated on February 14, 2016 7:22pm
 These abandoned bathrooms once serviced the customers of an elevated track that ran along Delancey Street before it was torn down in the 1950s.
These abandoned bathrooms once serviced the customers of an elevated track that ran along Delancey Street before it was torn down in the 1950s.
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Hester Street Collaborative

LOWER EAST SIDE — The dilapidated, 1930s-era bathhouse on the Allen Street Mall — the focus of several rehabilitation attempts over the years — is slated to be repurposed into a “food service facility,” according to a Request for Proposal (RFP) from the Parks Department.

The city’s Economic Development Corporation fielded questions from Community Board 3’s parks committee about the specifics of the proposed eatery Thursday night.

The committee, which will return its recommendations for the yet-to-be finalized RFP in March, questioned the need for a concession stand in the neighborhood, as well as the nutritional value of the food offered, according to Bedford + Bowery.

The vacant brick building, which sits just north of Delancey Street, was originally constructed to accommodate the passengers of the since-demolished Second Avenue elevated subway. The Allen Street “comfort station,” as it was called, has been abandoned since in the 1950s.

According to Bedford and Bowery, $2 million from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation is already available for the project, but it’s estimated the total cost could be double that amount.

A recent look inside shows there’s plenty of work to be done.

The community board's District Manager Susan Stetzer declined to provide further information about the RFP at this time. The EDC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.