HUNTERS POINT — Riverside restaurant and wedding venue Water's Edge is once again shuttered — closed for renovations for the second time since its owner was indicted on federal charges this fall.
The waterfront eatery, located at the end of 44th Drive in Long Island City, is closed for construction "under new owners and new management," according to a sign posted on the front door, which promises the venue will "re-open very soon."
The future of the restaurant has been under scrutiny since owner Harendra Singh was indicted on bribery and fraud charges in September, including an allegation that he lied about damages the Water's Edge suffered during Hurricane Sandy to score federal relief funds, prosecutors said.
At least one worried bride-to-be told DNAinfo in November that she switched weddings venues out of fear that the Water's Edge wouldn't be open for her big day.
A man who identified himself as the restaurant's manager told DNAinfo last month that the venue was getting a new management team, an attempt to bring a "positive change" to the space following a slew of bad press — including a Newsday report that its previous workers hadn't been paid for weeks.
"We're trying to bring back the iconic establishment," he said.
The new manager, who declined to give his name, said at the time that the restaurant was closed for minor renovations but would be back in business for the holiday season starting Nov. 6.
But that reopening appears to have been short-lived: the venue posted on its Facebook page on Dec. 2 that it was "temporally [sic] closed for renovations."
There were no active construction permits filed with the Department of Buildings, records show.
On Tuesday, piles of scattered mail could be seen on the restaurant floor near the front door. Calls to the venue went unanswered, with a recorded message saying the line's voicemail has not been set up.
Some patrons posted complaints on the Water's Edge Facebook page, saying they'd made reservations at the restaurant only to discover it wasn't open.
"You maybe should have stopped taking bookings online," one person wrote on Dec. 9, explaining that she'd planned a dinner at the eatery for her boyfriend's birthday celebration only to have her reservation canceled the day before. "Thanks for ruining his birthday!"
Attorneys for Singh did not return messages seeking comment Tuesday.
