News

Reading International has announced  he closing of construction finance facilities totaling US $57.5 million to fund the non-equity portion of the anticipated construction costs of its redevelopment of 44 Union Square in New York City. It’s the historic building at the corner of 17th and Union Square East that is historically known as Tammany Hall.

The redevelopment of 44 Union Square will add approximately 23,000 square footage of rentable space to the current square footage of the building for an approximate total of 73,322 square feet of rentable space, inclusive of anticipated BOMA adjustments and subject to lease negotiations and the final tenant mix.

DNAinfo Reports:

A 31-foot-tall sculpture resembling a stick of pink rock candy will rise on the plaza at 14th Street and Union Square East this fall, officials said.

The installation — dubbed “Rose Crystal Tower” and designed by renowned glassblower Dale Chihuly — will consist of a 22-foot structure made of glass-like resin sitting on top of a nine-foot base, according to Parks Department representatives.

The department is looking into whether it will be possible to use power sources in the area to light the sculpture from the inside, according to Jennifer Lantzas, deputy director of public art for the agency.

The tower will consist of numerous layers of pink crystals stacked on top of each other to create a column, according to early renderings.

The resin which Chihuly is using in place of his usual glass materials will be hard enough to withstand breakage, according to Dale Lanzone of Marlborough Gallery, which is sponsoring the Union Square installation.

“You could throw a rock at it or really do whatever you wanted to break it and it’s not going to break,” he said at Community Board 5’s Parks and Public Space Committee meeting Monday.

This will be Chihuly’s second public exhibition in the city, coming on the heels of an installation in the New York Botanical Gardens that will debut in April. It will be displayed from October 2017 until October 2018.

Chihuly, who sports a distinctive eye patch stemming from a glassblowing accident, is known for his creations that range from flora and fauna to abstract designs that have helped turn glassblowing into an avante-garde artform, Lanzone said.

“In the world of glass, he really invented the art form,” Lanzone said. “Chihuly is synonymous with glass sculpture.”DN

A tempting lineup of sandwiches awaits at the compact new Make Sandwich shop from Spencer Rubin, who owns the Melt Shop chain. He hired Josh Sharkey, the founder of Bark Hot Dogs, as culinary director. The nine preset sandwich combinations, like tri-tip steak with salsa verde, range in price from $7.95 to $11.95. All sandwiches are made to order in five to seven minutes with ingredients like Parmigiano-Reggiano, organic eggs and Pain d’Avignon bread. You can devise your own from a long list of choices for $10.95, with extra charges for some toppings: Make Sandwich, 135 Fourth Avenue (at 14th Street), 212-398-2602, makesandwich.com.

The team behind the world-famous Union Square Greenmarket, GrowNYC, just launched Project Farmhouse, an event space and sustainability center that hosts workshops, galas, speakers, community meetings and interactive exhibits. The new space is located on 13th Street, on the ground floor of the Hyatt Union Square.

They pretended like they would be back, but vegan-friendly Blossom du Jour on our block of 13th St. is done.

Crumbs Bakery on University and 13th has closed…for the second time.

The corner of 4th Ave. and 13th St. is vacant once again.

Sales are hot hot hot at 27 East 12th St., the upcoming skyscraper on the site of Bowlmor Lanes. Even though the building doesn’t yet exist, at least 20 of the 53 units, including both zillion-dollar penthouses, are sold. Movin’ on up.

Ralph Lauren Denim and Supply, a fixture on the corner of University and 12th for the past few years, is done.

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.