Popular NYC Bar, Market Close Due to Unstable Building

The busiest time of year for a Hell’s Kitchen gay bar and a farmers market will be much quieter this year, due to an unstable building next door.

Therapy, on West 52nd Street between 8th and 9th Avenues, and Stiles Farmers Market both have to close their doors because the businesses are so close to a condemned building. The Department of Buildings shut down the businesses temporarily due to a nearby building that has sat dormant for a decade, and posed a danger.

Crews from the Department of Building and Office of Emergency Management were seen Wednesday working on the demolition of the building.

Therapy, a Hell’s Kitchen staple for more than 15 years, typically has some of the most popular drag performances in the city every night of the week, but now the lights on the stage are dark — and will remain that way for some time. It is especially bad timing for the gay bar, as June is Pride Month with millions expected to come to the city to celebrate.

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who represents the section of Hell’s Kitchen, is pressing to get the demolition completed as quickly as possible.

The owner of the condemned building is complying with the orders, according to the DOB, and has hired a private engineer and contractors to bring the building down. The adjoining buildings can be reoccupied once the building has been brought down to “a safe level.”

Photo Credit: NBC 4 New York

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