Vapiano Plans Makeover

The Greenmarket’s economic impact on the Union Square community is unmatched. Businesses congregate within walking distance, and thousands of shoppers, chefs and onlookers visit the market’s dozens of farmers four days a week. Forty years later, Union Square continues to be on the forefront of healthy living and environmental learning as we welcome Project Farmhouse, GrowNYC’s new permanent center for sustainability and education. Located next to the Hyatt on 4th Avenue and 13th Street, the community center will offer dynamic programming year-round such as training for farmers, cooking classes for children, film screenings, special events, and panel discussions.

Here’s the official word on how the renovations are going:

Spring weather has brought with it a flurry of activity in Union Square Park, both in the new playground and at the construction site.  Parents and kids have been taking full advantage of the warm sunny days by swinging, climbing and sliding their way out of the winter doldrums.  The Partnership’s new landscape efforts, including more than 260 ornamental shrubs and 650 perennials, will soon be underway, as well as the creation of additional seating opportunities in the center lawn, in front of the new Pavilion entrance and around the James Fountain (a/k/a Mother & Child).

In construction news, structural work on the Pavilion columns and ceiling beams has finished at last, and the protective plywood barriers have been removed from the front of the building, exposing the beautifully restored neo-classical interior to passersby.  As the Pavilion elevator is installed and tested, interior lighting fixtures, gates and handrails round out the final touches of building restoration work.

Park visitors can soon make use of the restroom facilities as they, too, near completion.  Last week, eco-resin panels were mounted above the granite walls to enclose the building, allowing the final plumbing fixtures to be installed.  Once complete, the Parks Department will work closely with the Department of Buildings to inspect all systems in order to open the facilities for the busy summer season.

The former East West Bookstore on 5th Ave between 13th and `14th will soon open as Human Food, an upscale takeout place with vegan and “paleo” offerings.

Everybody loves Artichoke Pizza on East 14th, but the wait is too long.

Next week (February 25 to March 1), material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors inside the building as well as roof work. Additionally we will begin work on the new sidewalks around the building. We have begun dismantling the construction hoist on the building exterior and will continue to do so for the upcoming weeks.

The following week (March 4 to March 8), material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors and roofs as well as sidewalk work.

This weekend the site will be open on Saturday, February 23rd for interior, superstructure, sidewalk, and hoist removal related activities between the work hours of 7AM and 5PM as permitted by the City.

We’ve had Thai restaurants as downstairs neighbors before, and now a new one may be coming to replace Corkbuzz at 13 East 13th. A liquor license application has been filed by Varith, a “family-run” Thai restaurant that has a highly regarded sister operation called Valla Table in Hell’s Kitchen run by Chuck Valla, who was a private chef prior to opening this first place in 2021. Looks good.