Two Alarm Blaze Forces Shops and Apartments to Vacate
A fire that originated in the basement of a dry cleaner on E. 22nd St. and First Ave forced the shut down of the whole mixed use building which contained a dry cleaner, a cafe and four floors of residential apartments. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
| 27 Feb 2026 | 04:08
A two alarm blaze that erupted in the basement of a 116 year old building at 22nd St. and First Ave. on Feb. 20 took firefighters two hours to extinguish. The building has been shut down since the night of the blaze. (
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Firefighters from Ladder 5 on E. 14th St. stretched ladders to the roof of the five story building to do a floor-by-floor search to make sure everyone was safely evacuated. There were no civilian casualties but two firefighters were injured. (
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Outside the front of Skyline Dry Cleaners on Feb. 27. The shops on the ground floors were forced to close after the fire and have no target date for reopening. (
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Notice posted outside the front of the building informing tenants of a pending fire investigation by the insurer. (
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Jugos cafe was also damaged from the fire, and has closed down temporarily (
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Sign outside Jugos writing ‘We are closed du (sic) to fire next door - W hop (sic) to open soon - No gas & watr (sic).” (
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A restaurant and a dry cleaner and four floors of residential apartments are still shut down after a two alarm blaze erupted in the basement of a 116-year-old building on the corner of First Ave. and E. 22nd St.
Ladders could be seen stretching to the rooftop of the five story building on the night of the blaze on Feb. 20, at 377 First Ave. as firefighters worked from the roof down to make sure all residents were safely evacuated. There were no reports of civilian casualties but two firefighters suffered minor injuries. One refused medical attention at the scene and another was transported to a local hospital.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation but the building has a number of open building code violations, including one case from 2014 that cited the building for electrical violations, which according to the Department of Building web site is still listed as an open violation.
The fire originated in the basement of Skyline Cleaners and smoke traveled through the building to the rooftop. The fire call was received at 9:03 p.m. and it over two hours for firefighters to declare the blaze was under control at 11:09 p.m. The fire went to a second alarm at 10:06 p.m. prompting a response from Engine 12, a west-side unit.
The building department and the emergency response team reported that the building owner has yet to request a post-fire an inspection. There is no secured date for reopening the building.
A small cafe serving juice and small bites, Jugos, which was adjacent to the dry cleaner where the fire originated was also severely impacted by the fire. They currently have no gas or water and are unable to resume service but a sign outside said the shop hopes to reopen soon.
The building is owned by a limited liability corporation, Gramercy First Avenue LLC, which is headed by Majid Kahen, of Kahen Properties. It was purchased for $6 million on Oct. 23, 2015, city records show.
Kahen Properties, the real estate portfolio he heads was valued at $417.2 million, by Pincus. By valuation, 83 percent of the holdings are in Manhattan with some buildings in Brooklyn and Queens. Twenty six of the 19 properties are walk-ups, indicating that they are older residential units although the firm appears to have turned its attention to luxury developments in recent years.
The company developed the upscale Adele, at East Houston Street and Avenue D one of the pioneering luxury buildings in Alphabet City and in 2018 built the Mason, a 23-story luxury tower at 145 Madison Ave. near East 31st Street. In 2022, the firm bought three tenement buildings in Lenox Hill stretching from 1020 Third Ave to 1026 Third Ave. near Bloomingdales between E. 60th and E. 61st. for a total of $34 million.
Those tenements were demolished and replaced with the 30 story Remi building, which is now renting luxury aparements starting at $5,000 for a studio and $6,900 for a one bedroom.
According to the Housing Preservation Department, the building that was the site the Feb. 20 fire has a history of violations. In February of 2014, before Gramercy First Ave LLC took over the building, there was a report of an unsafe electric wiring condition consisting of exposed electrical wiring at the ceiling in the 2nd room at apartment seven on the fifth floor.
There are currently seven open building code violations at the address.
Posted on the front door of the dry cleaner’s building is an “EVIDENCE” notice stating not to disturb the ground floor, as well as any electrical systems.
An official at Kahed Properties LLC, said the building is waiting an inspection in order to reopen the units but declined further comment.