Shortly after the new year there’s bound to be more controversy surrounding a proposed restaurant coming to 106 Rivington Street. In October, Community Board 3 narrowly rejected an application from Jose Orlando Rodriguez and Robert Payne for a full liquor license at this location, which happens to be one of the Lower East Side’s most boisterous blocks. The board said it could support a wine and beer license, but the owners made it clear they have no intention of downgrading their application. Now the State Liquor Authority has scheduled a hearing on the matter. It’s going to take place January 10.
A new group, the Lower East Side Dwellers Association, has been fighting the application. The block association’s leader, Diem Boyd, plans to make the trip to the SLA’s uptown offices for the hearing. It’s a pretty good bet that there will be a lot of supporters of the restaurant on hand, as well. The owners hired a prominent lobbying firm, Capalino & Company, to help smooth the way through the approval process.
The LES Dwellers are concerned about the noise and crowds a new venue on Rivington Street would bring. But they’re also unhappy about proposed renovations, which include demolishing a beloved stoop. An online petition to “save the stoop” has garnered about 70 signatures. In a recent phone interview, Donald Bernstein (an attorney representing the restaurant’s owners) told us the facade will be revamped in an effort to modernize and improve the appearance of 106 Rivington.
The Dwellers are also curious to know whether Rodriguez and Payne have other partners. They have taken note of various messages on twitter and other social media sites from Johnny Marines, a Lower East Side native who is the manager of Latin group Aventura. At the community board hearings, the owners did not mention any other partners.
We’ll have more on this story in advance of the SLA hearing.
UPDATED 12/20.2012 4:38 p.m. Here’s the latest from Johnny Marines’ twitter feed:
During our phone interview with Donald Bernstein, 106 Rivington’s attorney, we asked whether his clients could be made available for an interview. He declined, saying there was nothing more for them to say before the SLA hearing.
