Updated: East Village Pizza removes its curbside dining structure

Photos by William Klayer 

Workers this morning were removing the curbside dining structure on the Ninth Street side of East Village Pizza on the SW corner of First Avenue... the crew was hired by the pizzeria (this was not a city removal)...

Meanwhile, the status of outdoor dining is now in flux. 

As Gothamist reported last week: 

New York City is expected to set a limit on fees for restaurants seeking to participate in its yet-to-be-unveiled outdoor dining program, marking a significant victory for the restaurant industry. 

The plan would place a cap on licensing fees as well as a structure for annual "consent fees," the amount that restaurant owners would need to pay to rent city streets, according to multiple people privy to the discussions. They asked not to be named because they are not authorized to discuss private negotiations. 

 Mayor Eric Adams has pledged to establish a permanent outdoor dining program, promising to address complaints about unsightly and noisy sheds that sprouted when the city allowed free use of the streets and sidewalks as an emergency measure during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Negotiations continue between the city and City Council. Per Gothamist: "Deciding whether roadway dining should run year-round as opposed to seasonally has been another closely watched debate."

Updated: 

And after the structure was removed... like it was never there...

Updated 3:30 p.m. 

Workers also removed the curbside dining structure at Beron Beron on the NE corner of 10th Street and First Avenue (thanks for Steven for this photo)...