In the News: Proposal for a Big New FiDi Plaza

“There are restaurants in Tribeca that I absolutely love,” Almond’s Eric Lemonides told WWD. “But there are very few really good, let’s-take-the-kids-and-go-get-something-to-eat places. Our bread and butter are the people who live up the block and are like, ‘come on, let’s go to Almond.’” So answer my email, eh? Anyway, the article says the restaurant officially opens next week.

 

“The Downtown Alliance is proposing to eliminate a two-lane exit ramp from the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and combine a pair of small Financial District plazas that it separates into a single, larger public square.” That’s it in red. —Broadsheet

 

Manhattan Portage has a Q&A with Azikiwe Mohammed, “one of the very few NYC artists you will meet to be born and raised in Tribeca.” Also, he has “dedicated over half his life to working for the Church Street School for Music and Art.”

 

Eater loved Little Park. By the way, the restaurant seems to be holding the high-top tables along W. Broadway for walk-ins.

 

Event and floral designer DeJuan Stroud has moved from 433 Washington to Hell’s Kitchen. I noticed the other day that the company had left; it made me wonder whether someone has plans for that building (and its neighbor to the north?), but I saw nothing on the DOB’s website. Actually, it and its three neighbors to the north could be headed for development…. I had heard a rumor that 27 Desbrosses is not log for this world. —New York Times

 

The retail condo at 261 Broadway sold; that’s where a Wendy’s was said to be in the works. It was bought by “the Doria family, which founded the popular gourmet grocery store Grace’s Marketplace.” A Grace’s at that spot would be interesting, but it’s likely just an investment. —The Real Deal

 

A bit of turmoil at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. —Wall Street Journal

 

If you’ve never read about how those old houses on Harrison got there, 6sqft tells the story again. Also, lots of neat pix, like the one below (courtesy of Tom Postilio and Mickey Conlon of CORE).