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Beer Garden at Hudson River Park Won't Open This Summer

By Mathew Katz | March 13, 2014 7:12am
 The beer garden on Hudson River Park's Pier 62 will not open until at least 2015, a spokesman said. 
The beer garden on Hudson River Park's Pier 62 will not open until at least 2015, a spokesman said. 
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DNAinfo/Mathew Katz

CHELSEA — A long-planned beer garden at the park's Pier 62 will not open this year.

The Hudson River Park Trust first started looking for an experienced restaurateur to open up a 6,000-square-foot "European-style beer garden" overlooking the river at West 22nd Street in February 2013. The trust had hoped that it could open for business by June.

But thirsty park-goers will have to wait another year, park officials said. A planned beer garden operator who applied for a liquor license under the name Merchants Biergarten canceled a Tuesday appearance before Community Board 4's Business Licenses and Permits Committee at the last minute. 

"The Trust is in discussions with a possible operator and in anticipation of an agreement and completing fit out of the amenity, the potential SLA application was put on CB4's agenda," said trust spokesman John Kelly.

"With the 2014 season fast approaching, it was determined that the process for opening, which includes permits, etc., would not happen until next year."

Kelly could not specify who the park was in talks with to run the beer garden, which would operate on a pier that's already home to a carousel and a skate park. 

With more than 6 million visitors a year, the potential beer garden would likely get its fair share of foot traffic. The park envisions that the spot will serve up specialty pub grub as well, possibly out of a food truck or converted shipping container. 

The park, which faces huge deficits, will get a cut of the profits of the eventual beer garden.