Little Italy's Hottest Outdoor Art Space Could Be Replaced by a 7-Story Apartment Building

LITTLE ITALY, MANHATTAN — A vacant lot in Little Italy that has become a haven for public art in recent years could be replaced by a seven-story apartment building with ground-floor retail, if plans filed last week by the developer, Wonder Works Construction, are approved by the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB).

The empty lot, located at 114 Mulberry St., is currently empty. However, it has become an outdoor art gallery of sorts in the years since 2012, when the Little Italy Street Art project — or L.I.S.A. project — set about "bringing together a diverse group of street artists to historic Mulberry Street in the Little Italy neighborhood of New York City to create Manhattan's first and only mural district."

The lot is now surrounded by impressive murals on the walls of the neighboring buildings, including Ron English's "Temper Tot," a play on "The Incredible Hulk" character.

The L.I.S.A. project has also hosted the LoMann Arts Bazaar at 114 Mulberry for the past two years — a way to draw attention to nearby street art and provide an outdoor showcase for local artists. (Video below.)

Wonder Works Construction applied for a permit to build on the empty lot last week. The developer is hoping to construct a seven-story, mixed-use building with 23 apartments atop 5,409 square feet of commercial space.

The project's architect is listed as Karl Fischer — an extremely prolific NYC architect whose recent residential designs have been very modern-looking, brick-and-glass structures, oftentimes with lots of little balconies.

Patch has contacted both the developer and the architect of the proposed new building for more details. Check back for updates.

Lead image via Google Maps