Friday, May 30, 2014

Roosevelt Island East River West Pier Outdoor Seating Food Concession Coming This Summer From Hudson Related - Intent Is To Create A Public Plaza

What's going on at the Roosevelt Island East River West Pier Waterfront Food Concession?

Yesterday RIOC employees were putting up Roosevelt Island West Pier banner signage on the railings.


Reported last April 7:
After completing the renovation of the West/Subway Pier, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) today put out some outdoor tables  and chairs for staging purposes on the Pier today.

We're not quite ready for sitting down with a bite to eat at the Pier, but soon it will be ready.

During April 7 meeting of RIOC Operations Committee meeting (full audio web cast of meeting), RIOC President Charlene Indelicato reported that the Riverwalk Bar & Grill owners, who operated Pier NYC at the Subway/West Pier during summer of 2012, declined to operate the venue this summer. (The Pier was closed during 2013 due to damage from Hurricane Sandy).

Instead of Pier NYC, Ms Indelicato said that RIOC intends to bring in Food Trucks to operate in the area this summer...
The answer is that RIOC will not be bringing Food Trucks to the Pier but recently awarded  operations of the Waterfront Pier Concession for this summer to Hudson Related, developers of Southtown Riverwalk buildings and the Main Street Master Retail Leaseholder.

Hudson Related is currently working on their plans for vendors and programming at the West Pier. I asked Hudson Related's David Kramer:
... are you considering the pier to be a "private" space for the food concession like it was for the Pier NYC or will it continue to be a "public" space that can be used by all whether or not they purchase food.

What type of vendors are you looking at for the space?
adding that my preference would be:
... public space for eating similar to Fowler Square in Fort Greene and the Archway under Manhattan Bridge in Dumbo. Also the outdoor seating area at LIC Flea. (Sent you picture before).

The NYC DOT has other examples of public spaces with eating options that are good examples....
Mr. Kramer replied:
... Hudson Related's intent is to treat the area as a public plaza....
As RIOC was hanging the Roosevelt Island West Pier banner yesterday, two men were a couple of feet away fishing.


Perhaps they are interested in being the fresh seafood vendors for the Roosevelt Island


West Pier when it opens this summer?

1 comments :

APS said...

So glad this is opening to other vendors, this is a perfect opportunity for RIOC to do something great for the residences, without an agenda. I hope they don't overcharge the vendors to be there, competition breeds excellence, which we could use on RI!