Development Coming To UES Block As Last Building Faces Teardown

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The last remaining building on an Upper East Side corner will soon be torn down, and a mixed-use tower will take its place, according to city records and a local developer.

The developer, EJS Group, filed plans Monday to demolish the five-story building at 1303 Third Ave.: a brick walk-up near the southeast corner of East 75th Street.

In March, EJS paid $32.3 million to buy the four tenement-style buildings at 1303-1309 Third Ave., which once housed about three dozen apartments as well as a row of businesses, including the restaurants Bistro Le Steak and Candle Cafe. Within weeks, the company moved to demolish the buildings — except for 1303, which was still occupied.

Now, EJS will finally tear down the 111-year-old building, formerly home to McKeown's Pub, after the last remaining tenant was relocated, company president Theodore Segal told Patch. (Citing privacy concerns, he did not disclose the terms of the resettlement.)

In its place, he said, the company plans to erect a mixed-use building with a combination of retail and residential units. Since planning is still in its early stages, Segal was unable to say how large the building would be or when construction might begin — but vowed that the development will be “contextually appropriate and high-quality, consistent with the neighborhood.”

Just down the block, a vacant lot at 1297-1299 Third Ave. is up for sale by another firm, also marketed as a development site.

EJS's other recent projects include 150 East 78th St., a luxury high-rise near Lexington Avenue.

Previous coverage:

• Developer Buys Chunk Of Upper East Side Block For $32 Million
• 3 Upper East Side Buildings Face Demolition, Permits Show