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Anthony Bourdain's International Food Market on Pier 57 Approved by Cuomo

By Maya Rajamani | December 15, 2015 3:54pm
 The latest rendering of the Pier 57 overhaul plan as of Dec. 5, 2012.
The latest rendering of the Pier 57 overhaul plan as of Dec. 5, 2012.
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Youngwoo & Associates

CHELSEA — Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain's plan for an international food marketplace on Pier 57 has gotten the stamp of approval from Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Proponents of the plan to revamp the pier at West 15th Street hope the $350 million project — a joint venture between RXR Realty and developer Young Woo & Associates — will breathe new life into the pier, which has sat unoccupied since 2004.

The project will cover more than 480,000 square feet of space for offices, retail, market and cultural tenants that will likely be anchored by Google, which already has an office down the street from Chelsea Market, Cuomo said in a statement on Saturday.

Bourdain has signed a letter of intent with the developers to build a marketplace  on the pier’s main concourse and mezzanine that he told The New York Times would resemble an “Asian night market” with various culinary and craft vendors.

“Pier 57 is an iconic part of New York’s history, and I am proud the state is playing a central role in this exciting project to enrich New York’s waterfront,” the governor said. “This action will bring jobs and new investment to the region while also creating a world-class venue for commerce and culture, and I look forward to seeing the work get underway.”

Along with the Bourdain's market and the Google offices, the project will also include an approximately 80,000-square-foot rooftop public park adjacent to a rooftop restaurant area and an outdoor venue that will serve as a home for the Tribeca Film Festival.

Outdoor public walkways will line the 900-foot-long structure, Cuomo said, noting that the newly developed pier will bring in “millions of dollars in new revenue for the park.”

The developers have signed a 97-year ground lease with the Hudson River Park Trust for the project and construction is slated to start in the spring, Cuomo’s added.

The project, which has been in the works for years now, has already received the go-ahead from the City Council, City Planning Commission and Manhattan Borough President's office, the governor said.

Community Board 4 also voiced its approval for the development, although a few board members raised concerns at a recent meeting about delivery truck traffic and the prospect of liquor being served at the market.

Pier 57 — which was built in 1952 and served first as a terminal for Grace Line cruises in 1954 and later as a depot for the New York City Transit Authority until 2003 — is included on the National Register of Historic Places. Plans for its redevelopment received preliminary certification by the New York State Historic Preservation Office, Cuomo's office said.

The Hudson River Park Trust board plans to hold a hearing and a 60-day public comment period to garner input from the community about the project and will vote on the lease in March, according to the governor.