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April 29, 2014- By Steven E. Greer
I counted approximately seven people opposed to the 4:00 A.M. liquor license for the Pier-A nightclub and beer garden (i.e. closing at 4:00 AM and opening at 7:00 AM, or a 22-hour service of booze) in the CB1 meeting audience tonight , but I do not know what people in the Visioniare or Millennium look like. There could have been more. Some men that I have not seen before heckled the Pier A representative.
One CB1 member came up to me to make sure that I knew that he voted “No” last month.
The comments from the Pier A representative, Danny McDonald, who briefly spoke in the public session, are flat out misleading. For example, he said tonight, “We are not in the nightclub business”. In fact, they just got approved for a two-story, 2:00 AM nightclub on Bowery Street called Bacchanal. The SLA originally rejected them for their 4:00 AM application. With heavy lobbying, the SLA reversed itself. Also, all of their bars on Stone Street are open until 4:00 AM.
Of note, Pier-A’s Mr. McDonald never denies that they want a liquor license for the $5-Million plaza “beer garden”, because they do. It is written on the SLA application to serve liquor on the “plaza”. The Pier A team has made clever comments about the beer garden, but they never deny that the application is trying to get approval to serve liquor on the plaza.
Mr. McDonald also reiterated again tonight that they are not wanting to run a “nightclub”. Great, then they should have no problem agreeing to an 11:00 PM closing time.
Nearby, the very well respected Danny Meyer establishments, such as Blue Smoke, all close at 11:00 PM. The new Stephen Starr mega-restaurant El Vez also closes at 11:00 PM.
April 29, 2014- Tonight, at 6:00 PM, at the Jewish Museum, the CB1 will convene for the monthly meeting. Next door is the proposed Pier A beer garden and nightclub. This is a good opportunity for members of the community to speak their minds.
The museum staff are part of the “establishment” trying to ram this 4:00 AM cabaret license through the system, preying upon lack of media coverage from the local press. If no one from the community shows up, then the State Liquor Authority will be compelled to grant the liquor license.