Peridance Center: Dance in Stables

French country fare in the space formerly occupied by Bak Kitchen in our building on 13th St.

Between 12th and 13th St. on University Place, the cleaners is moving, the European cookie store that no one needed is closing, and the Verizon store is gone. Is it a case of all leases running out at the same time? Who knows? What’s next? Who knows???

Warby Parker’s 200th real-world store is located nearby at 73 5th Avenue.

Next week (January 16 to January 20), Superstructure work will continue at and 3rd, 4th and 5th floor levels. Sidewalk shed along 14th Street has been opened and we will open the sidewalk shed along 5th ave completing the sidewalk shed work.
The following week (January 23 to January 27), we will continue superstructure concrete and slabs on 3rd, 4th and 5th floor levels.
This weekend the site will be open on Saturday, January 14th 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 to the normal work this Saturday we will be installing a new crane on 5th Ave. that will service the site for the duration of the project. During the installation 13th St. will be closed as well as some lanes on 5th Ave.

The New School, has picked up 34-42 West 14th St, a five-story, 180,000 square foot building, for $153 million.

The seller was Samson Associates and the sale closed on Jan. 10, according to the Commercial Observer. Samson had owned the property since 1985. The building’s tenants will remain and pay rent to the school until their leases expire but those leases won’t be renewed. The school will take over space over time and convert it to academic uses. The building has about 25k SF of ground-floor retail space and comes with additional air rights.

Note that price: $153 million.

Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe announced the selection of the City Farm Café as the new operator of a seasonal café in Union Square Park, managed by O-V Hospitality Group, LLC (“O-V”), a New York-based restaurant management firm.

From May through October, anticipated to begin in 2012, this seasonal café will provide park users with a casual and affordable food service in the newly restored historic Pavilion in Union Square Park, part of a long tradition of unique and diverse food services in City parks. In keeping with Union Square Park’s history as the birthplace of the City’s first Greenmarket and with the Parks Department’s initiative to provide varied and healthy food options in City parks, City Farm Café’s menu will feature seasonal produce and other food products from the Union Square Greenmarket.

In the off-season, the Pavilion will be used for a range of educational and recreational activities open to the public from November through April. The Parks Department plans to sponsor childrens’ programs, fitness programs, and films, and the Greenmarket plans to organize public education programs to encourage healthy eating habits.

“City Farm Café submitted an inventive proposal for a seasonal café that will take full advantage of the locally grown and produced fresh food sold at the Union Square Greenmarket,” said Commissioner Benepe.