(Photo: @AstorPlaceNYC)
Last month, the city’s Department of Design and Construction told us the Astor Place cube was set to return in June. Today was supposed to be the big day, according to a construction update noticed by EV Grieve. But alas, the newly redesigned Alamo Plaza is still as cube-less as a sad cup of iced coffee left out in the sun too long. The city now says it won’t happen till August.
A DDC rep told us today that the cube was “awaiting final inspection by the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation. Once completed, it will be delivered and re-installed.” A spokesperson for the Parks Department, which has traditionally been involved in the upkeep of Tony Rosenthal’s beloved sculpture, added, “The City is looking forward to an installation of the Cube in August. The Cube must first be inspected by a conservator.”
While we wait for that to happen, there is some exciting news on Astor. The first of the long-gone lampposts bearing the handiwork of neighborhood legend Jim “Mosaic Man” Power has been reinstalled. Back in 2014, after Power got word that the city planned to temporarily uproot the iconic lampposts that he had meticulously beautified over the years, he went about destroying his own art as a protest against the redesign of Cooper Square and Astor Place. The Mosaic Man eventually got on board with the project and began restoring the seven poles, according to DNAinfo.
Yesterday, the Village Alliance, which helps maintain the plaza, tweeted a photo of the first pole’s triumphant return.
The first of the #mosaicman mosaic lamp poles being returned to #AstorPlace after restoration. More to come!! pic.twitter.com/A2ohb6XD7J
— Astor Place NYC (@AstorPlaceNYC) June 21, 2016
But don’t go rushing out for a mosaic selfie just yet. As of today, the pole was under wraps.
(Photo: Daniel Maurer)