A 2008 rendering of the planned plaza which has been much revised
Cooper Square Plaza – We just attended an update meeting on the progress of the proposed Community Plaza to be constructed on Cooper Square. Water tunnel work will continue throughout the summer, but plaza work is anticipated to begin in March 2013. There will be another joint CB#2 and CB#3 Public Hearing to review revised plans and an updated schedule in September.
Chinatown Brasserie moving out and a French Restaurant is moving in….See Grubstreet Coverage and Eater
Mercat at 45 Bond has an additional corporate partner and will offer a new Mexican beef cuisine by Fall. An updated Community Agreement is in place with the same method of operation and attached to the application. Short version: Operating hours Sunday through Wednesday till midnight; Thursday through Saturday till 1:00 am; total occupancy 120 people; dedicated street personnel Thursday through Saturday 8 pm to closing.
302 Bowery: Within days of Patricia Field’s move out at 302 Bowery into her exciting new diggs at 306 Bowery/296 Elizabeth we started getting inquiries from Food and Beverage applicants for her old space. Never before licensed and in the middle of more than 21 full OP licensed venues, the spot is asking rent of $40,000/month! We are encouraged to know that Kathy Grayson, principal at The Hole gallery is really pushing for another gallery owner next door, if you have any great contacts or ideas, help her out.
The Culture Project, as you may have noticed, is back at 45 Bleecker St. with an exciting line-up of fall plays and plans for a performance venue downstairs for film screenings, acoustic music performance and limited event rentals. They are seeking a full OP license but are willing to accept stipulations. There will be no license for the upstairs space. We will be discussing a Community Agreement throughout the summer in preparation for an application hearing in September. With the recent addition of several licensed venues at the Papp Theater it is increasingly more obvious that legitimate theater venues are dependent on additional income generating enterprises. We’ll be doing our best to strike a reasonable balance that can ensure NoHo’s reputation for cutting edge theater.