A court has blocked–for now–the use of the Union Square Park pavilion as a privately run restaurant. “Opponents object to what they see as the privatization of park space and insist the city needs approval from the state legislature before moving forward. The new ruling lets the city renovate the Pavilion and rehabilitate the bathrooms, but halts plans to lease it out for a restaurant.”
Gothamist has links to all the latest news.
Look for some interesting shopping discounts, courtesy of the Union Square Partnership.
Next week (September 10 to September 14), Material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors. Curtain wall installation on upper floors will continue. Curtain wall installation on the lower floors will proceed along 5th ave inside the construction site.
The following week (September 17 to September 21) Material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors. Curtain wall installation will continue on all floors. Curtain wall installation on the lower floors will proceed along 5th ave inside the construction site.
This weekend the site will be open on Saturday, September 8th for superstructure related activities and curtain wall installation between the work hours of 7AM and 5PM as permitted by the City. Con Ed is on site working on the building but is not in any of the streets.
The Times reports that Jackson Diner on University Place will be replaced by Nix, a high-end vegetarian restaurant. Gentrification by carrots.
The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation reports:
At a meeting for affected property owners last night, the Landmarks Preservation Commission unveiled two small study areas for potential proposed historic districts in the East Village — one on Tompkins Square North and one centered along Second Avenue between Houston St. and St. Marks. This is a preliminary step in their consideration of these districts; the next step will be a public presentation and hearing before Community Board #3’s Landmarks Subcommittee on Thursday, May 12 at 6 pm at BRC, 30 Delancey Street, btw. Chrystie and Forsyth Streets.
13th St.’s Corkbuzz has been closed for a year, and it looks like its sucessor, Varith, a new Thai restaurant, is set to open in the space. Renovations have just begun. A partnership between New York City Thai restaurant operators Top Thai and Valla Table has signed a 10-year lease.The deal includes 3,500 square feet on the ground floor, 1,000 square feet of basement space, and 2,500 square feet of lower-level space for a speakeasy-style lounge. Led by chef and operator Chuck Valla, the new restaurant will be named after Valla’s mother and represents “a deeply personal passion project for all parties involved,” Meridian said.
Here’s an interview with Chuck Valla.
Here are some details from the liquor license application:
–Premises will be operated and advertised as a full-service Thai restaurant with the kitchen open and full menu items available until closing every night.
–Hours of operation will be 11 AM to 11 PM Sundays through Saturdays (7 days a week). All
patrons will be cleared and no patrons will remain after stated closing time.
–Will not operate as a Lounge, Tavern or Sports Bar or allow any portion of premises to be
operated in that manner.
–Will not operate a backyard garden or any other outdoor area for commercial purposes including any sidewalk café and/or roadbed seating.
–Will play recorded background music at conversational levels only so as not to cause a
disturbance in any adjacent residences at any time.
–Will not have televisions.
–Will close all doors and windows at all times, allowing only for patron ingress and egress.
–Will not have patron occupancy/service to any portion of the basement of licensed premises.
–Will not install or have French doors, operable windows or open facades.
–Will not make changes to the existing façade except to change signage or awning.
–Will comply with NYC Department of Buildings Regulations and will keep current at all times required Permits and Certificates
–Will not have unlimited drink or unlimited food and drink specials. Will not have “boozy
brunches.” No pitchers of beer.
–There will be no “bottle service” or the sale of bottles of alcohol except for the sale of bottles of beer or wine products
–Will not have dancing, DJ’s, live music, promoted events, any event where a cover fee is charged or any scheduled performances, velvet ropes or metal barricades or security personnel/doormen.
The latest “doomsday” budget cut plans from the MTA include eliminating the W train, which would be an inconvenince at Union Square, although the R, N, and Q still head the same way, at least in Manhattan.