Good Old Days, West Side of Union Sq.

Next week (March 12 to March 16), Superstructure work will continue at 7th and 8th floor levels. Deliveries for the internal systems of the building have been ongoing and will continue, although they should not greatly affect the flow of pedestrian and road traffic.

The following week (March 19 to March 23), we will continue superstructure concrete and slabs on the 8th floor level. Deliveries for the internal systems of the building have been ongoing and will continue, although they should not greatly affect the flow of pedestrian and road traffic. We also have an approved After Hours Variance for Thursday and Friday in anticipation of a large concrete pour happening on one of those days.

This weekend the site will be open on Saturday, March 10th for superstructure related activities between the work hours of 7AM and 5PM as permitted by the City. To control noise levels within the site, work activities will be limited to the placement of formwork and concrete, plumbing and electrical work, rebar for concrete placement, using the crane and equipment to support all activities. Safety horns are used, and required by law, to coordinate lifting with the crane and to alert the workers of the danger overhead. We have directed the operators to limit the use of horns to one short sounding and to use the crane later in the day so as to avoid any excess noise.

In addition, tomorrow, Friday the 9th, we will be starting operations at 6am in anticipation of a large concrete pour and will more than likely, with notification of the Department of Buildings, be going later into the evening to finish. Also on the weekend of the 10th the 14th St. Con Ed Vault utility connection street work will continue per DOT Permit granted for weekends only.

Union Square Wines at the corner of 4th Ave. and 13th St. is having one of its periodic 30% off sales. Buy 12 bottles, and you get the discount. If you choose carefully, this can be an amazingly good way to restock your wine cellar.

Signs announcing “#SaltBae coming soon” have been plastered on a space at 220 Park Avenue South, near Union Square, where a location of Japanese chain Haru Sushi once stood. Salt-sprinkling, internet sensation Nusret Gökçe first brought his famed Turkish steakhouse Nusr-Et to NYC in January, opening a 150-seat restaurant in Midtown.

But if Gökçe is indeed responsible for this signage, it could be slated for something other than a steakhouse. In February, he announced plans for a new burger chain, to be aptly named Salt Bae, telling the New York Post he’s plotting multiple locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The signage on the space says just “saltbae,” accompanied by an illustrated version of the butcher.

Critics fell harshly on Nusr-Et, finding the theatrical dinner served overpriced, mediocre steaks. Eater’s own Robert Sietsema described the beef as “a little rubbery” and “low on flavor,” although Pete Wells from the Times seems to have enjoyed his dining experience, going as far as calling the steak “terrific.”

The chain has over a dozen locations around the world, but only one other U.S. location exists in Miami, according to its website.

The Union Square Night Market by Urbanspace returns to the South Plaza, featuring over 35 rotating local food vendors serving a diverse mix of flavors and summer fun.

Open from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., it’s the perfect place to enjoy bold bites, good company, and the energy of summer evenings.

2025 Schedule:

• Thursdays & Fridays: Now through June 27

• Thursdays only: July 24 – August 7

• Thursdays & Fridays: September 4 – October 17

A reminder that the co-op’s annual meeting takes place on Tuesday June 9 at 7PM.

The location is the Seafarer’s International House at 123 East 15th St. on the second floor. It is right near Irving Place.

What might be next in the Virgin Megastore space? The New York Post has these rumors:

RELATED Cos. is negotiating with several tenants at One Union Square South for the Virgin Megastore space, sources said. The chain, which was purchased by Related and Vornado Realty Trust in 2007, is closing the store in late May or early June. All US-based Virgin Megastores are due to shut down by the summer.

Related controls the Union Square outlet, while Vornado handles the one in Times Square, which is closing in April to make way for Forever 21, the retailer that signed a megadeal for 100,000 square feet. The two real-estate giants licensed the then 11-unit Virgin chain precisely so they’d be able to control the retail in their buildings.

Sources said the asking rent in Union Square has recently dropped to $15 million per year from $25 million. According to its CoStar Group flyers, Winick Realty is seeking $700 a foot for the 26,000-foot ground floor and $150 a foot for the 31,035-foot lower level. One Union Square South, at 52 E. 14th St., includes the hulking Metronome artwork on the lower north side of the luxury apartment tower that rises from the retail base. Some of the prospective tenants include CVS and Best Buy, which has its eye on the Circuit City space now being controlled by the bankruptcy court.

Last fall, Related signed a letter of intent with Nordstrom Rack for about 40,000 feet. But Nordstrom in the end was reportedly loath to bring its off-price success story into the Big Apple before it snagged an A-plus site for the upscale department store flagship and nixed the Union Square opening. A Nordstrom spokeswoman said, “We will keep looking for a great spot to serve our customers.”

There is also talk that Forever 21 might jump from Vornado’s Whole Foods building at 40-48 E. 14th St., which also hosts Filene’s Basement, and expand into 19,200 feet at One Union Square. The Forever 21 store, which opened right after 9/11, has seven years left on its deal. But a buyout doesn’t make sense in the current economic climate.