In open letter, community groups seek answers over recent removal of 2 CB3 committee chairs

Fifteen community groups and block associations within Community Board 3 have signed an open letter to local and state officials requesting an inquiry into the recent removal of Alexandra Militano and Carolyn Ratcliffe as chairs of the SLA Committee and Arts & Culture Sub-Committee, respectively. (Update: the letter now has 16 signees with the addition of the First Street Block Association.)

Community groups point to the Dec. 30 letter drafted by five CB3 SLA Committee members and the Facebook post from ex-Arts Chair Ratcliffe after the demotions via Chair Alysha Lewis-Coleman raised concern about the direction and mandate CB3 leadership and management is adopting regarding liquor licensing and arts and culture in CB3. 

According to a release that accompanied the letter, the signees are especially troubled over the continued support of the Lower East Side Partnership (formerly LES BID) in the CB3 SLA Committee process, which Militano and some residents have opposed in recent years. 

"My block association is deeply concerned about unchecked liquor license proliferation and its effect on our block”, said Stuart Zamsky, an officer of the East Fifth Street Block Association in the release that accompanied the letter. "The LES BID would tip the scale for landlords and usher in more licensing if they are involved in the CB3 process." 

Neighborhood groups previously expressed concern about the new SLA Committee chair, Michelle Kuppersmith, who they say doesn't have the necessary experience to delicately balance the competing interests of an expanding nightlife industry against quality-of-life concerns. Militano has more than 20 years of involvement with CB3. (The turmoil on the committee also led to the resignation last week of member Clint Smeltzer.)

There were several protest signs visible during the virtual SLA committee meeting on Jan. 11 ...

The open letter from the 16 community groups offers a six-tiered approach that will allow residents and CB3 to move into 2021 "on good footing and continue to work together to bring positive and inclusive change for our embattled communities." 

The letter follows ...

Open Letter to Electeds - CB3 Leadership by E.V. Grieve on Scribd

Community Boards hosting town hall to discuss the Open Restaurants and Open Streets programs

Open Restaurants and Open Streets, two programs the city introduced last year during the pandemic, are the subject of a virtual town hall this Tuesday night.

Community Board 3 and Community Board 6, which serves the east side from 14th Street to 59th Street, are hosting the event... with sponsorship by local City Council members Carlina Rivera and Margaret Chin as well as Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.

Per the invite: "Hear from agencies to clarify regulations and answer your questions to make these programs work better for us." 

The meeting starts at 6 p.m. You may submit questions in advance here.

Details to tune in follow:

Online: https://zoom.us/j/97467588948

By Phone: +1 646 518 9805, +1 929 205 6099

Webinar ID: 974 6758 8948

Reminders: CB3 to hear plan for protected bike lanes on Avenue C-East Houston Street

As noted last week, the DOT is proposing permanent protected bike lanes on Avenue C and East Houston Street to offset the closure of the East River Park greenway once construction starts in the spring. 

As Streetsblog first reported: "The lanes will run on Houston from Second Avenue to the waterfront and on Avenue C from Houston north to 20th Street, enabling cyclists traveling from below Houston on the existing bike lanes on Pike and Allen streets to connect with the bike network further north." 

So here's a reminder: CB3's Transportation, Public Safety, & Environment Committee will hear the proposal tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. The Zoom info is here.  

There are two other items on the agenda that might be of interest:

• DOT Freight & Mobility Unit: Houston St. Cargo Bike Corral Proposal and delivery strategy updates
• Open Restaurant street on Avenue B at 2nd Street: safety issues including emergency lane

Beetle mania: Tim Burton-themed bar-restaurant expands on 6th Street

Beetle House, the Tim Burton-themed bar-restaurant on Sixth Street, is expanding its footprint here between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Reps for the place virtually appeared before the CB3-SLA committee on Monday night. According to the questionnaire on file at the CB3 website, Beetle House will move into the adjacent space at the address.

Zach Neil opened Beetlehouse in 2016 ... and later expanded in other markets (Los Angeles, New Orleans). 

Beetlehouse has been closed since the PAUSE went into effect in March. However, their Instagram account promises that they "will be open by Halloween."

This expansion also officially marks the end of Cherin Sushi N Ramen's time at the address. They had been closed since March as well.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• 'Merica dream fades as Zerza returns to 6th Street

On the CB3-SLA agenda tonight: A Chinese restaurant for the former Cucina Di Pesce space

Here are a few of the applicants on CB3's SLA committee docket tonight for new or expanded liquor licenses and methods of operation:

• Jadeite, 87 E. Fourth St.

A Chinese restaurant called Jadeite is in the works for the former Cucina Di Pesce space on Fourth Street just west of Second Avenue.

Here's a description of what to expect from chef-owner JinYu Zhong via the questionnaire at the CB3 website:

At Jadeite, we are dedicated to showcase you a new way to understand Chinese culture through Chef Zhong’s memories and love of food and her experiences at various fine dining restaurants. This is a set tasting menu of ten courses, marrying the best of both worlds.

And the sample menu...



The questionnaire notes that Zhong has extensive restaurant experience in her family's restaurant business in China. In NYC, she has cooked at 11 Madison Park and attended the Culinary Institute of America.

Plant-based celebrity chef Matthew Kenney was previously OK'd for another restaurant concept in this space. However, those plans never materialized.

Cucina Di Pesce closed in September 2018 after 32 years in business. (They have been hinting at a return to the East Village in a yet undisclosed location.)



• Nostro East Village, 75 Second Ave.

The low-key Italian restaurant opened on Second Avenue between Fourth Street and Fifth Street back in the fall.

They are now applying for a beer-wine license for the space. This outpost of the Brooklyn-based Nostro has been BYOB to date.



• Hayaty, 103 Avenue A

The Mediterranean restaurant and hookah bar between Sixth Street and Seventh Street is looking to expand its hours of operation to 4 a.m., according to the questionnaire online at the CB3 website.

Hayaty made headlines in early January. According to the NYPD and multiple published reports (such as the Post and NY1), a fight that started inside Hayaty ended up in a police-involved shooting on Avenue A that led to the death of two men.

The CB3 committee meeting is tonight at 6:30. Location: the Public Hotel, 17th Floor, Sophia Room, 215 Chrystie St. between Houston and Stanton.

On the CB3-SLA docket tonight: A 10th Kitchen for Avenue A; Coppelia for East Houston

Tonight marks the second of Community Board 3's SLA & DCA Licensing Committee meetings for the month.

Among the applicants vying for new liquor licenses:

• A 10th Kitchen (A 10th Kitchen Inc.), 162 Avenue A

An applicant is on tonight's agenda for the vacant restaurant space (pictured above) between 10th Street and 11th Street. There's already signage up for the venture, called A 10th Kitchen.

There aren't many details on the application (PDF here) other than that A 10th Kitchen will serve a menu featuring "New American" cuisine between the hours of 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday with an 11 a.m. start on the weekend.

The questionnaire shows 13 tables for 26 guests along with a six-seat bar. The applicant, listed as Enkeleda Kelmendi, has not been licensed before, per the paperwork.

Flinders Lane closed here in August 2018 after five-plus years in service. Before the Australian restaurant, this space was previously The Beagle ... and Orologio before that.

---



• Corp to be formed by Beatrice Rodriguez Dearma, 157 E. Houston St.

An outpost of Coppelia, the 24/7 Latin diner on West 14th Street, is vying to open at 157 E. Houston between Allen and Eldridge. The application (PDF here) shows space for 58 diners as well as a bar with 14 stools.

The diner is part of the same family as Yerba Buena, the now-closed restaurant at 23 Avenue A, and Toloache, the Mexican bistro up in Midtown.

157 E. Houston was, until late 2017, the Latin tapas joint Macondo East.

Side note: The paperwork for this applicant previously (and mistakenly?) showed up at 205 Allen St. ...



... the former Domino's pizza space, which looks as if a new tenant is on the way in...



The CB3 committee meeting is tonight at 6:30. Location: the Public Hotel, 17th Floor, Sophia Room, 215 Chrystie St. between Houston and Stanton.

A look at tonight's CB3-SLA agenda

[Brasserie Saint Marc]

Community Board 3's SLA & DCA Licensing Committee will meet twice this week to hear applicants vying for new or modified liquor licenses.

Brasserie Saint Marc, which opened at 136 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street in October, is back on the agenda for the following proposed changes:

Brasserie Saint Marc (UKI Freedom LLC), 136 2nd Ave (op/method of operation/add DJ, Live Music (Acoustic), promoted events, any event at which a cover fee is charged, scheduled performances, add more than 12 private parties per year, add unlimited drink specials, add boozy brunches with food, extend Happy Hour, add Jukebox and Karaoke, add Video/Arcade Games)

They withdrew their application ahead of last month's committee meeting.

Ownership is also seeking a license for a sidewalk cafe. Also on the sidewalk cafe agenda tonight: Ruby's Café, which debuted this past October at 198 E. 11th St. at Third Avenue.

Here's a look at the rest of the agenda for tonight's meeting:

• El Sombrero (Two Almontes Corp), 108 Stanton St. (op/alt: to use basement to store alcohol/method of operation: change hours to 11 am to 2 am Sunday thru Thursday and 11 am to 4 am Friday and Saturday; change number of employees to 8; to hire 1 security personnel for Friday and Saturday to check ID)

• The Crown (Bridgeview Hotel LLC), 50 Bowery (op/method of operation/add recorded/background music to roof-top space)

• Norman's Cay (Norman's Cay Group LLC), 74 Orchard St. (op/alt/to license adjacent space)

New Liquor License Applications

• Ichibantei (Lucky One Enterprises LLC), 20 St Marks Pl (op)

• Corp to be formed by Erinson Salce, 112 Rivington St. (op)

• Cozy Cafe (Cozy Cafe Corp), 43 E. 1st St. (upgrade to op)

• Nostro East Village (Romi Ripa LLC), 75 2nd Ave (wb)

A noteworthy scratch: Applicants for Ichibantei have been on the CB3-SLA agenda multiple times dating to November 2018 for the former Grassroots space on St. Mark's Place.

Tonight's meeting starts at 6:30, Perseverance House Community Room, 535 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

We'll have details later about CB3's SLA committee meeting on Wednesday night.

Brasserie Saint Marc looking to expand offerings with live music, sidewalk cafe and boozy brunches

[Photo by Steven]

Brasserie Saint Marc opened at 136 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street back in October.

Management is now hoping to amend their method of operation by offering live music and boozy brunches, among other enhancements, according to materials (PDF here) posted to the CB3 website ahead of this month's SLA committee meeting on Monday (Jan. 13).

Here's a thumbnail overview of the numerous requests/changes via CB3:

Brasserie Saint Marc (UKI Freedom LLC), 136 2nd Ave (op/method of operation/add DJ, Live Music (Acoustic), promoted events, any event at which a cover fee is charged, scheduled performances, add more than 12 private parties per year, add unlimited drink specials, add boozy brunches with food, extend Happy Hour, add Jukebox and Karaoke, add Video/Arcade Games, add sidewalk cafe

One EVG observer who lives nearby notes the proposed changes are sounding more in line with the method of operation of a bar-club rather than of a French restaurant.

The CB3-SLA committee meeting is Monday night at 6:30 in the Perseverance House Community Room, 535 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

So you want to serve on your local Community Board

Application season continues for the 2020-2022 class of Manhattan Community Board members. So this is your chance to be part of your local Community Board (CB3!).

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer's office sent out a notice yesterday about the applications, which are due Jan. 21. Per the EVG inbox:

Interested in what gets built in your community and how government works to deliver services in your neighborhood? Apply to join one of Manhattan's 12 Community Boards.

Every Community Board has 50 seats which are filled for two-year terms by volunteers, who are selected by the Borough President and local City Council members. Half the seats are up for appointment or reappointment every year.

Community Boards get a seat at the table in high-stakes land use, real estate, and zoning negotiations, and they work directly with city agencies to influence how government services are delivered at the neighborhood level.

If you'd like to serve as a member of your Community Board, apply online here! Community Board applications will be open until 5 p.m. on Jan. 21.

Physical applications (downloadable here as a PDF) may also be dropped off at the Manhattan Borough President’s Office or mailed and postmarked by Jan. 21, but online submissions are strongly preferred.

Brewer's office said that CB appointments will be announced at the end of March.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The community board-State Liquor Authority drinking game

Last-minute notice about a PS 64 town hall tonight

There was very little advance notice about this... Community Board 3's Arts & Cultural Affairs Subcommittee is hosting a town hall this evening about the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on Ninth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C.

It happens from 6:30 to 9 at the Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

The flyer promises an array of local elected officials, including State Sen. Brad Hoylman and City Councilmember Carlina Rivera, as well as city officials. Is the Mayor really going to be there?

CB3's September meetings included mention that the Arts & Cultural Affairs Subcommittee was finalizing plans for a town hall tonight. But we never heard anything about the event. There haven't been any notices in the local press or email invites from CB3. I found the flyer on the bottom of the CB3 website — only after seeing it this morning on the La Plaza Cultural Instagram account.

On Feb. 7, local elected officials gathered outside the building and urged the city to reclaim the property for community use. Read more background about the long-vacant property here.

Property owner Gregg Singer recently filed another lawsuit against the city.

This week in CB3 committee meetings: plans for P.S. 64 town hall, updates on Mount Sinai Beth Israel's new hospital

A few items of interest this week at Community Board 3 committee meetings (aside from the SLA), which are open to the public to attend:

Monday (tonight!)
Arts & Cultural Affairs Subcommittee
6:30 p.m., Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street

• The committee is finalizing plans for a town hall about the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on Ninth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. This event will take place on Sept. 23 at Theater for the New City. We'll update when the details of the town hall are made public.

On Feb. 7, local elected officials gathered outside the building and urged the city to reclaim the property for community use. Read more background about the long-vacant property here.



Tuesday (tomorrow!)
Transportation, Public Safety, & Environment Committee
6:30 p.m., University Settlement at Houston Street Center, 273 Bowery

• There's an informational presentation on Mount Sinai Beth Israel's new hospital at 302 E. 14th St. and 311-315 E. 13 St. Mount Sinai reps will provide info about the loading zone, traffic and construction plans.

As previously reported in the fall of 2016, the Mount Sinai Health System is in the midst of its years-long project to rebuild Mount Sinai Beth Israel, transitioning to a network of smaller facilities throughout lower Manhattan.

The plans include an expanded facility on 14th Street and Second Avenue, which includes a new 7-story hospital on 13th Street. In July, Mount Sinai Beth Israel officials released more details on their "$1 billion downtown transformation," which you can read about at this link.

On tonight's CB3-SLA agenda, applicants for 185 Avenue C, 507 E. 6th St.

[185 Avenue C]

Here are a few of the items on tonight's CB3-SLA agenda...

New Liquor License Applications

• Rumba NYC Bar & Grill Corp, 185 Avenue C between 11th Street and 12th Street

A bar-restaurant with a Latin-influenced menu called Rumba NYC Bar & Grill is in the works for this space. The proposed hours are 2 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday; with a 2 a.m. close on Friday and Saturday.

The applicants also run Salome Latin Cuisine on Westchester Avenue in the Bronx, per the questionnaire on the CB3 website.

There has been a lot of turnover in recent years at this address. The last tenant, Bar Taco, which closed earlier this year, arrived in early 2018, taking over the space from a short-lived venture called Malcriada, a self-described "Latino Gastropub" ... which arrived after Kaz, another short-lived venture that lasted seven months.

Cafecito, the Cuban-style cafe, had a good run here, closing in early 2016 after 14 years in business.


[505 E. 6th St.]

Items not heard at Committee

• Entity to be formed by Jae Lee, 507 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. (wine-beer only)

A Korean-American restaurant called Nowon will open in this space.

The applicant, Jae Lee, has been running the well-regarded kitchen at Black Emperor on Second Avenue. He was previously the executive chef of Rice & Gold at Hotel 50 Bowery.

NowOn's hours are listed at 5 p.m. to midnight during the week, with a noon opening on Saturday and Sunday. Find the full questionnaire here.

No. 507 was last Carma East, the dim sum bar that closed in early 2019.

Tonight's CB3-SLA committee meeting starts at 6:30 at the Perseverance House Community Room, 535 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Pub in the works for longtime corner bar space on Houston and Suffolk

On the CB3 agenda tonight: AMA Raw Bar on Avenue B, The Pineapple Club on 6th Street

There are several items of interest on tonight's CB3-SLA docket. Here's a look at two of the applicants:

• 190 Avenue B

A restaurant going by AMA Raw Bar is in the works for the former Kingsley space between 11th Street and 12th Street.

The food here is described as "Asian seafood," per the questionnaire posted to the CB3 website. The applicant, listed as Harvey Woo, plans to use the backyard garden. In total, there are 30 tables for 64 guests as well as a 10-seat bar. The proposed hours are 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Thursday; until 3 a.m. on Friday ... with an 11 a.m. open on Saturday and Sunday.

Kingsley closed back in early September without any notice to patrons after three-plus years in business.



• 509 E. Sixth St.

The Pineapple Club will be bringing "American Polynesian" cuisine to the former Out East space here between Avenue A and Avenue B.

The public questionnaire on the CB3 website shows that the two-level space will have 40 tables seating 101 guests, with another 20 seats for the bar. The proposed hours are listed as 5 p.m. to midnight on Tuesday and Wednesday, with a 4 a.m. close Thursday through Saturday, and 10 p.m. on Sunday. There's also a brunch service on Saturday and Sunday.

The questionnaire doesn't mention the background experience for the applicants — listed as Travis Odegard, Panos Kourakos and Nazar Hrab.

There's also a sample menu with the online questionnaire ...



Like Kingsley, Out East quietly closed... the space went dark in December 2017 after eight months serving a seafood-centric menu from the proprietors behind places like Beauty & Essex and Stanton Social.

Tonight's CB3-SLA committee is at the Perseverance House Community Room, 535 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. You can frontload at Sophie's or the Ace Bar on the block.

Ainsworth eyes former DBGB space on the Bowery; Ruffian team to the Eddy

Here's a quick look at several more of the applicants on tonight's CB3-SLA committee meeting docket. These are existing East Village operators looking to expand...

• Ainsworth to the Bowery

Ainsworth, the growing chainlet of upscale sports bars, has applied for a new liquor license for 299 Bowery in the Avalon Bowery complex between First Street and East Houston Street. (Questionnaire here.)

This outpost of Ainsworth (there's also one on Third Avenue at 11th Street) will be open for lunch and make use of the sidewalk cafe that DBGB tried to muster enthusiasm for.

DBGB closed here nearly two years ago, with chef-owner Daniel Boulud citing "erratic" patronage on this corridor during the week. Perhaps Ainsworth, a SantaCon hotspot, can bring in a steady stream of patrons.



• Ruffian Wine Bar owners taking the Eddy space on Sixth Street

In a sale of assets, the owners of Ruffian on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue plan to open an "American/Italian" restaurant called Kindred here between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (Questionnaire here.)



The Eddy closed last month after five-plus years at the address.



• The Woodstock in the works for 99 Third Ave.

The owners of The VNYL across the Avenue here between 12th Street and 13th Street have plans for a Neapolitan pizzeria called the Woodstock for this address. (Questionnaire here.)



The previous occupant, Thaimee Table, was seized by the Marshal in early May.

Tonight's CB3-SLA committee is at the Perseverance House Community Room, 535 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Reminders: This MTA Select Bus Service Open House is tonight

There's an MTA Select Bus Service Open House tonight (April 8) from 6-8 at the 14th St. Y, 344 E. 14th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

The background: With a new planned SBS route to go into effect ahead of the partial shutdown of the L train later this month, the MTA may eliminate several M14A and M14D stops throughout the East Village and Lower East Side in an effort to speed up service along the bus lines.

Hit this link for more on the MTA's plan.



As the flyer atop this post shows, there's opposition to the plan ... including an online petition with more than 1,000 signatures here.

The meeting tonight is to hear more about the plans and raise any concerns or voice your approval, etc.

Previously

On the CB3-SLA docket tonight: Jimmy's No. 43, Luthun, Outpost Brewhouse, Headless Widow

[The currently closed Jimmy's No. 43]

Here are a few of the applicants on CB3's SLA committee docket tonight for new liquor licenses (find the full agenda at this link) ...

• Paloma Rocket, 41 E. Seventh St.

We've mentioned this one before. Jimmy Carbone is collaborating with Graham Winton of Paloma Rocket for a new venture in the currently-closed Jimmy's No. 43 on Seventh Street.

As Carbone told us last year: "Operation-wise, it will pretty much be the same — the same Jimmy's vibe." The menu will feature Carbone's pizza.

Carbone is currently recovering from a series of spinal surgeries after discovery of a previously undiagnosed staph infection that spread to his spine. Read more about his recovery here.



• Luthun, 432 E. 13th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue

For more, let's head over to a preview that Jennifer Gould Keil had at the Post last month:

[C]hefs Nahid Ahmed and Arjuna Bull have joined forces to open their first restaurant, Luthun, this spring.

Named for Ahmed’s mother — the name means “something new and unexpected” in Bengali — the 800-square-foot restaurant will have 30 seats in the former Teshigotoya space ...

The global menu is influenced by the countries and top eateries where the chefs have worked — from Lespinasse and Café Gray to El Bulli, The French Laundry and The Fat Duck.

The plan is to offer two tasting menus, one of which would be vegetarian, both seasonally driven and well-priced along with a small and “world-focused” wine list, the chefs say.

You can find the questionnaire with more details at the CB3 website. Here.



• Outpost Brewhouse, 503 E. Sixth St.

The applicants for this space at 503 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B were on the January docket, but scratched.

The premise has changed a bit from what we saw in January. The proposal now calls for an all-day establishment called Outpost Brewhouse.

According to the questionnaire posted on the CB3 website, the proposed hours are Monday-Tuesday (3 p.m. to 4 a.m., Wednesday-Saturday (7 a.m. to 4 a.m.) and Sunday (8 a.m. to 2 a.m.)

There's a mission statement of sorts on the questionnaire that notes: "As longtime locals, the management and owners want to create a space for young families, longtime residents and neighbors to enjoy some elements the community has been lacking over the years. We aim to implement a brighter space to a dark street and to contradict all of the dark 'corner bars' on the street and neighborhood."

They go to describe Outpost Brewhouse as "a destination for young families and professionals that enjoy some of the refined points in life in coffee, food, beer and cocktails."

The applicants have operated a handful of bars, including the Trading Post on John Street in the Financial District and the Globe on 23rd Street. Closer to home, the applicants also own Solas, a mainstay on the SantaCon circuit, on Ninth Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Cholo Noir, the Chicano-inspired bar-restaurant, was the last tenant here.


[EVG file photo]

• Headless Widow, 99 First Ave.

An applicant whose previous listed experience was as a bartender at Michael Jordan's The Steak House N.Y.C. is looking to open an establishment with a six-table sidewalk cafe called the Headless Widow. (Not sure of the origins for the name — an unpublished Washington Irving short story perhaps?)

The sample menu on file with the questionnaire shows a variety of pub-fare offerings — burgers, salads, sandwiches and main courses like the Headless Widow Fish and Chips. The proposed hours are 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., with a 2 a.m. close Thursday through Saturday.

The corner space on First Avenue at Sixth Street was previously Umm Burger for 13 months.

The CB3 committee meeting is tonight at 6:30. Location: the Public Hotel, 17th Floor, Sophia Room, 215 Chrystie St. between Houston and Stanton.

Ellis looking to bring comfort food to 6th Street

Updated Jan. 14: This item was withdrawn ahead of tonight's meeting.

A bar-restaurant called Ellis serving American comfort food is in the works for 503 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

A group of applicants are on this month's CB3-SLA agenda for a new liquor license for the address.

According to the questionnaire on file for public viewing at the CB3 website (PDF here), the establishment has proposed hours of 2 p.m. to 4 a.m. Monday through Friday, with opening hours of 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The configuration shows 11 tables seating 48 guests and a bar with 15 stools.

The sample menu for Ellis on the questionnaire features a variety of salads and sandwiches, categorized under Smaller Plates and Larger Plates...



The applicants have operated a handful of bars, including the Trading Post on John Street in the Financial District and the Globe on 23rd Street. Closer to home, the applicants also own Solas on Ninth Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, which regularly serves as a main stop during SantaCon.

Cholo Noir, the Chicano-inspired bar-restaurant, went out of business here last August, first with handwritten notes indicating the trusty "closed for renovations." They never reopened after 13 months at the address.

The CB3 committee is Monday night at 6:30. Location: the Public Hotel, 17th Floor, Sophia Room, 215 Chrystie St. between Houston and Stanton.

New owners set to take over the 33-year-old Sidewalk Bar & Restaurant on Avenue A

[EVG photo from November]

A new ownership team is on this month's CB3-SLA agenda for the Sidewalk, the 33-year-old bar-restaurant-live-music venue on Avenue A at Sixth Street.

The applicants are hospitality veterans Laura Saniuk-Heinig and Alyssa Sartor. (Saniuk-Heinig is the general manager at the Bar Room on East 60th Street; Sartor co-owned August Laura in Carroll Gardens.)



The questionnaire on file at the CB3 website (PDF here) describes the food/menu concept as "American bistro."

Live music, a longstanding tradition here, will apparently continue.

"We are looking forward to keeping the music aspect of the room still alive. Exactly what kinds of shows, we do not know yet," Saniuk-Heinig told me via email.

And will they keep the Sidewalk name? "We are in talks with the current owner, but no decision has been made," she wrote.

Sidewalk opened in the corner spot in 1985 ... eventually expanding to the space next door when Sophie's relocated to its current home on Fifth Street.

The biannual Antifolk Festival has been held here since 1993. The music venue has helped launch the careers of singer-songwriters like Regina Spektor, Adam Green, Kimya Dawson and Jeffrey Lewis. The Sidewalk still hosts live music, open mic nights (one of the longest-running ones in the city) and reading series seven days a week.

Sidewalk underwent a full renovation in 2011. Amnon Kehati, one of the Sidewalk partners, died in February 2015 at age 64.

The committee meeting starts tonight at 6:30. Location: The Perseverance House Community Room, 535 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.


[Photo from 1997 by Dave Buchwald]

On 2nd Avenue, new owners for 12th Street Ale House, Durden

New ownership has taken over the 12th Street Ale House here on Second Avenue...


[Photo from Friday]

Rob Gelardi, the longtime manager of WXOU Radio Bar on Hudson Street who became the owner in 2008, is one of the principals here. (The place was previously owned by the folks behind Tile Bar on First Avenue and The Magician on Rivington.)

CB3 OK'd a new liquor license (sale of assets) back in September. It doesn't appear that much will change. The applicant's questionnaire posted on the CB3 website (PDF here) stated that:

• 12th Street Ale House will offer neighborhood residents a clean and comfortable place where they can enjoy good drinks and conversation. A casual and relaxing environment, catering to young and old alike.

• Cocktails will be well crafted and reasonably priced.

• 12th Street Ale House will provide a welcoming place for employees of the many neighboring businesses to unwind after work.

• The new owners of the 12th Street Ale House are longtime successful operators of similar bars in New York City. They understand the importance of quality, cleanliness and great customer service.

Gelardi recently opened Radio Amsterdam on the Upper West Side.

-----



Meanwhile, on Second Avenue at 13th Street, a new owner is set to take over Durden, the "Fight Club"-inspired sports bar.

Curt Huegel will appear before CB3's SLA committee tonight for a new liquor license at the corner space. (The questionnaire is here.) He runs a handful of bars-reaturants around the city, including Campagnola, Printers Alley, Galli and Bill's NYC.

The paperwork at the CB3 website lists this as a "sale of assets" ...



Durden opened in 2013... taking over the space from the ol' Nightengale Lounge.

The committee meeting starts tonight at 6:30 in the Perseverance House Community Room, 535 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

CB3 committee meeting tonight includes discussion on storm-proofing East River Park

[East River Park as seen last month]

A CB3 committee meeting that wasn't on anyone's radar is now receiving attention.

This is the third item for discussion during tonight's Parks, Recreation, Waterfront, & Resiliency Committee meeting:

• Rebuild By Design proposal RFP for stewardship of East River Park.

It's not exactly clear what is being discussed tonight. (This 6sqft piece from the summer is a good primer on the RFP process.)

In any event, one neighborhood activist is sounding the alarming to help raise awareness in an email sent last night:

This is a devastating NEW PLAN that the City wants to shove through regarding the East River. After a carefully studied plan, The Coastal Resiliency Project, since 2014, after Hurricane Sandy, with Millions of dollars committed by the City...The Mayor's Office in October 2018 wants to scrap that plan, instead will close the East River Park for 2-3 years, trashing all plantings, trees, and wildlife habitats to "raise" the park up 8 feet in land fill. The cost is $1.45 billion. This is an expedited "plan" because there is money to spend — however it is thoughtless, in the end won't work, and will destroy the East River Park as we know it.

The email included a wrinkled flyer...



As previously noted, the city's new resiliency plan calls for "lifting" East River Park by up to 10 feet from Cherry Street to 13th Street when work starts in March 2020.

However, to do this, the city will need to close East River Park for up to three and a half years, bulldozing all the current amenities, including the recently unveiled new running track and soccer field, according to multiple published reports. (The Post and CBS 2 had stories on these plans.)

The meeting starts at 6:30 tonight (third agenda item) at the BRC Senior Services Center, 30 Delancey St. between Chrystie and Forsyth.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: The reality of storm-proofing East River Park in 2020