New Hyatt Hotel Shaping Up

Expanded pedestrian space and more cycling lanes are central to a planned redesign of Manhattan’s Broadway between E. 17th and E. 21st streets, city officials announced on Monday.

The changes are subject to public outreach — but Department of Transportation officials said they could mimic a change to other areas of Broadway between Union Square and E. 50th Street, where crews in recent years have added more pedestrian plazas, outdoor dining space and wider crosswalks designed to keep pedestrians safe from crashes.

DOT officials also said they’re considering adding a two-way bike lane between E. 17th and E. 21st streets, which already has a one-way southbound lane for cyclists.

The city earlier this year completed an overhaul of Broadway between E. 25th and E. 32nd streets, adding more space for pedestrians, another two-way bike lane and other infrastructure designed to make motorists drive slower.

“This next phase of Broadway Vision will provide the same kind of vibrant public spaces connecting Union Square and Flatiron, just like our administration is doing with incredible success across the entire city,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement.

The latest planned improvements are just north of Union Square — and just south of where a taxi driver jumped a sidewalk last year, sending several pedestrians to the hospital.

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.

Watch the video of the newest entertainment to arrive in the ‘hood.

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation has been working hard to get landmark status for a wide swath of the blocks below Union Square, contending, correctly, that the locations were hotbeds of artistic innovation in post-war NYC. Abstract expression was born here, after all. To see their full proposal the Landmarks Commission, click here.

One great way to enjoy dining discounts all around town: Blackboard Eats. Sign up for free and you get occasional e-mails offering 30% off your *total* bill. No strings attached. It’s a great deal and a great way to try new places. Here in this neighborhood, Fredi Sandwich Shop and Low Country have been prior participants.

Here’s a guide to food and fun.